Pro driver Michael Valiante of Burnaby signed with the Spirit of Daytona racing team for a full season on the newly merged Tudor United SportsCar Championship.
The 33-year-old Valiante, who drove a partial season with new race team 8Star Motorsports in the Grand Am Rolex Series last season, is expected to co-drive the SDR Corvette Daytona Prototype with GM factory driver Richard Westbrook for the entire 11-series championship.
Valiante drove for Spirit of Daytona in 2012, which included a checkered flag at Mid-Ohio.
Last season, Valiante made it to the podium on two occasions, placing runner-up in back-to-back races at Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen.
“Michael did a great job for us in 2012, and we are really excited for him to race with us full time next season,” said SDR team owner Troy Flis in a press release. “Having him back, … we should not only come out of the box much stronger, but we will hopefully be able to develop a championship-contending campaign.”
With the merger of the Grand-Am and American Le Mans series, Valiante says with car manufacturers fully behind the new series and more drivers allowed on the circuit, sports car racing in North America has never been better.
“It makes it a much better series,” said Valiante. “More European drivers are coming to compete and more cars, and that’s good for everybody.”
In fact, 17 racing teams are scheduled to compete in the first stop on the new tour at the Roar before the 24 at Daytona in early January.
Valiante had an option to renew his contract with 8Star, but chose to side with Spirit of Daytona when the official offer was made.
“I’ve had success (with SDR) and it’s a good program. I have a chance to win a championship next year, so for me, it’s a no-brainer to begin testing now and working for next year,” Valiante said.
Valiante also inked another one-year deal with Honda of America to race in the Continental Tire series.
While racing two series has its professional challenges, with a six-year-old back at home, the feast-or-famine nature of professional racing is something both drivers and their families must learn to accept, he added.
“I’m really fortunate making a living in motorsports. There are very few Canadians, maybe three, who are able to do that. So I consider myself very lucky,” Valiante said.
The Tudor championship will pair the Daytona Prototype from the Rolex Series with the P2 from the ALMS.
The Tudor series includes a stop in Canada on July 12 and 13, at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ont., 75 kilometres east of Toronto.
