O'Ward and Herta headline DragonSpeed entry for Daytona 24

The 2018 Indy Lights title rivals won five IndyCar races between them last season, with the former remaining in title contention until the final round at Long Beach where his Arrow McLaren SP entry was an early retirement.

The pair will team up with Herta\'s 2022 Andretti Autosport IndyCar team-mate Devlin DeFrancesco and sportscar stalwart Eric Lux for the IMSA curtain-raiser, which doesn\'t count for points towards the LMP2 championship.

Elton Julian\'s DragonSpeed squad, who will enter 2019 IMSA champion Juan Pablo Montoya and Henrik Hedman for the remainder of the season, has twice won the LMP2 matriculation at Daytona in 2019 and 2020.

It ran Indy Lights graduate DeFrancesco and statue suburbanite Lux to third in 2021 race, partnered with GT3 regulars Fabian Schiller and Christopher Mies.

\"I can\'t help but think it\'s too bad we couldn\'t secure a DPi for this race, as this line-up unmistakably deserves one!\" said Julian.

\"Most of our LMP2 rivals are capable of delivering a fast, efficient, and reliable run. We aim to do the same and requite our all-stars – all with plenty of Daytona wits – the platform they need to make the difference.\"

Patricio O\'Ward, McLaren MCL35M

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Herta has a GTLM Daytona matriculation win under his whup with BMW Team RLL from his first struggle at the event in 2019, but has never previously raced a prototype.

\"I’m pretty well-appointed at Daytona, but I’ve never driven a prototype surpassing so I’ll be focused on getting to grips with that,\" said the 21-year-old.

\"The fact that DragonSpeed have unceasingly delivered a unconfined car at Daytona is a conviction boost, and I can\'t wait to get stuck in with Devlin and Pato.\"

O\'Ward, who tested a McLaren Formula 1 car in Abu Dhabi last week (pictured above), has plenty of sportscar racing wits having won the LMPC matriculation in 2017 with Performance Tech Motorsports.

The 22-year-old Mexican, who moreover won his matriculation at Daytona that year, added: \"I think it\'s a unconfined lineup which gives us a real shot at winning.

\"We’re all part of the same generation, so coming together for this race makes a very tomfool reunion. It\'s a long few days in Daytona and it helps to be worldly-wise to enjoy the wits with your team-mates.\"