ATLANTA, GA (Friday, October 28, 2022) – After a successful partial season in GT America this year, next up for SKI Autosports is the 8th annual HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA at Daytona International Speedway, November 3-6.
SKI Autosports has entered three cars for the event including a 1985 IMSA GTO Dillon Chassis Corvette #55. The historic race car will take part in the sprint races on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, a precursor for the Classic 24 Hour race.
The #55 Corvette entry will be part of a family attack for SKI Autosports with Canaan O’Connell joining his multi-championship winning father Johnny with the team this weekend.
Johnny O’Connell will join forces with Briton Matt Bell for a two car assault on the Classic 24 Hour race on Saturday, November 5th. The two veteran drivers – who combined have much experience with 24-hour races – will swap between the team’s Ferrari 458 GT, which SKI Autosports campaigned in SRO America for a limited schedule in 2022 and the #60 Callaway Corvette LM.
The Classic 24 Hour format includes seven categories competing in 45 minute rotations over the 24 hours. This unique format allows both O’Connell and Bell to drive both cars at different times. To complicate things, Sunday, November 6th is the end of daylight savings so although the race is a full 24 hours it will end at 1pm on Sunday.
Team owner Kent Hussey said about the event, “This will be our fifth time competing in the Classic 24. We raced in the inaugural event with a 1994 Saleen and went back the next year with the same car. Then in 2018 and 2019, we returned to the race with our first Ferrari, winning our class both years.”
The SKI Autosports team has continued to race in various series, however, 2022 marks their return to the Classic 24, Hussey explains, “Restoring the Callaway Corvette LM has been a passion project for Melissa and myself over the past few years and now that it’s finished we thought a great return to racing would be to bring it back to Daytona.
“This will be the first time we’ve raced the #56 Ferrari 458 GT at this event and we’re excited about the combination of two great cars and two super-talented drivers in the field.”
JOHNNY O’CONNELL
“As you can guess I’ve done the 24 hours of Daytona several times, the highlight being when we won with a Corvette overall in 2001. This however will be my first Classic 24 and I’m looking forward to it as I know that I’ll be learning a lot. I’m anticipating the guys might race a little bit differently, and with all these historic beautiful cars, will be focusing on keeping the racing nice and clean. It’s definitely going to be a busy event for me driving both Corvettes and the Ferrari, but I’m very much looking forward to working with Kent and Melissa (SKI Autosport owners). They are such a great couple, both of them having such an amazing love and passion for racing. Hopefully we will do them both proud.”
MATT BELL
“This will be my first Classic 24! I’m really looking forward to it. I know quite a few guys that have participated in it in the past so I have a rough idea of what to expect. It should be a great event. This will be my first race with SKI Autosports however I’ve raced at the Rolex 24 three times previously in a GTD, LMP3 and LMP2. I’ve led at Daytona multiple times but sadly never at the crucial moment when the checkered flag dropped, hopefully we can rectify that next week!”
CANAAN O’CONNELL
“This is all going to be a new racing experience for me. I’ve got a tons of laps around Daytona coaching and doing hot laps for IMSA but this will be my first time racing there. It’s also my first time working with this team but the GTO Corvette is such a great historic race car, I’m super excited about the race, the team and this opportunity. I’m ready to add to the SKI Autosports trophy case.”
