JACKSONVILLE, Fla., (January 15, 2022) – The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is set to begin next week at Daytona International Speedway, and GTD team NTE Sport, run by motorsports veteran Paul Mata, has partnered with Star Spangled Racing (SSR), owned by Taygun Tiger Tari, to run a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Founded by Tari, a minority team owner and first-generation Turkish immigrant, Star Spangled Racing was formed with the mission to provide drivers and sponsors with dreams of winning iconic sports car races such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and providing new financial opportunities for competitors within the sport. Utilizing over 30 years of building companies using unorthodox methods, Tari’s experience, network, and resources brought his path to cross with Mata’s, the team owner of NTE Sport.
Mata’s extensive experience as a mechanic, car chief, and crew chief, and has equipped the now-owner with a wealth of knowledge to create a competitive team in the top series of sports car racing in North America, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
After the initial meeting, Tari and Mata began to prepare plans for Daytona, utilizing SSR’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. With a strong lineup and attentive customer racing support from Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Chris Ward, the Senior Manager of Motorsports, the new Lamborghini is expected to be a worthy contender to watch for the season-opening event.
Along with gentleman driver Don Yount, the team has been able to secure notable drivers in motorsports in JR Hildebrand, Andrew Davis, and Markus Palttala, and most recently the team secured Lamborghini’s newest GT3 Junior Driver and IMSA Diversity Scholarship winner, Jaden Conwright.
The debut of the No. 42 NTE/SSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo will see Don Yount, Benjamin Hites, Jaden Conwright, and Markus Palttala enter the legendary Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 29-30. The entry will compete against 60 other teams for 24 hours straight, racing the 3.560, 12-turn oval course of Daytona International Speedway. The race will begin on NBC on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 1:30 PM US Eastern. For full event information, visit IMSA.com.