DragonSpeed and Hedman Return to GT with Ferrari 296 GT3

Although known as a leading light of global LMP2 prototype competition for the last eight years, the DragonSpeed team’s roots lie firmly in GT racing. Now the US-based squad and its loyal Bronze driver, Sweden's Henrik Hedman, are plotting their return to the GT ranks with a new Ferrari 296 GTD-class entry at September’s IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis, the 6-hour race making its series debut as the penultimate round of the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

Founded as a club racing effort, the Elton Julian-helmed team ran Porsche, Ferrari, and Audi equipment before turning to full-time pro racing in 2013, along the way claiming the best-ever Rolex 24 at Daytona result for a Ferrari F430 in 2011. 2014 saw DragonSpeed and Hedman finish second in the SCCA World Challenge GTA class in a Ferrari 458, taking the same car to Europe in 2015 for a partial SRO series season whose highlight was Henrik’s strong run in the rain overnight at Spa.

Hedman will take the Bronze seat in the number 81 Ferrari 296 – bedecked in a dynamically updated version of his familiar 10Star livery – with the two other drivers for Indianapolis to be determined. An exciting aspect of the new project will be the involvement of Henrik’s 17-year-old son, William, whose burgeoning interest in the sport will see him testing alongside his father starting in late 2024.

Elton Julian: “I’m so looking forward to this challenge. GT3 is something we’ve been aiming for since its establishment as the top GT class, and thanks to Henrik we’ll be joining the fray ahead of schedule. No one can underestimate the competition at this level and it will be a steep learning curve. Returning to the Ferrari fold fills me with personal nostalgia going back to my days driving the 333 SP in the 1990s, and allows us to align our team with what we see as the category’s best car and greatest brand.”

Henrik Hedman: “Having achieved my first racing success in Ferrari Challenge, I’m delighted to be returning to my racing roots in company with DragonSpeed. I’m also looking forward to introducing another Hedman to the sport as part of our new journey with the Ferrari 296.”