McAlister Returns to Peregrine Racing for 2024 Michelin Pilot Challenge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Jose, Calif. (January 17, 2024) — CarBahn with Peregrine Racing, is excited to announce their full season return to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the GS class, and is gearing up for an exhilarating 2024 season. The team is set to compete with the No. 39 Accel / Menlo BMW M4 GT4, featuring the distinctive black, gray, and green livery.
Founded in 2018 by two visionary venture capitalists, CarBahn Peregrine Racing has demonstrated unwavering commitment to growth and innovation. Following a championship-winning season in 2019, the team elevated its presence by entering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class in 2021. In their debut IMSA GTD Sprint Cup season, Peregrine Racing secured a commendable sixth place, establishing themselves as formidable contenders at the highest level of sports car racing.
The team is set to build on this success in the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, which promises eleven thrilling events. The season kicks off with the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway from January 19-21st and concludes with the Fox Factory 120 at Road Atlanta from October 9-12th. All IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge events will be broadcast live on Peacock, providing fans with front-row access to the action.
Jeff Westphal
Sean McAlister
Jeff Westphal, co-driver of the No. 39, expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s always an honor to pilot the #39 for CarBahn with Peregrine Racing, as we have a group of such passionate individuals. Having won the GS (GT4) championship in 2019 and finishing runner-up in 2020, I know the black, grey, and green machine will be competitive this season."
Teaming up with Sean McAlister for the 2024 season, Westphal emphasized the importance of continuity, saying, "There is a lot to like about the continuity of machine and teammate. We will be working on little details as drivers to extract the most out of our BMW over the 10-race calendar that features 24 hours of green flag competition."
Sean McAlister, co-driver of the No. 39, shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, stating, “I’m very excited to be back with Jeff Westphal and Peregrine Racing for the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season! We’ll be looking to redeem ourselves under the new(ish) BMW platform this year, and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel with this fantastic team!"
Highlighting the competitive nature of the championship, McAlister acknowledged the need to minimize mistakes and capitalize on opportunities, saying, "In order to win the championship in 2024, we’ll need to minimize our mistakes and make the most of any given situation throughout the year. There are many strong teams in the paddock, so it’s never an easy championship to win, so we’re going to have to hit our marks!"
Mark Siegel, team owner, expressed his excitement about teaming up with BMW for the Michelin Pilot Challenge, stating, “We're very excited to be teaming up with BMW for the Michelin Pilot Challenge this year. Steve DInan, of course, has loads of race engineering experience with BMW, and Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister will be looking to build on last year's results to compete at the front of the field in 2024."
Commenting on the challenges of Daytona, Siegel said, "Daytona is always a challenging way to begin the year, especially with a new car. We're usually tinkering with car setup right up until race day. We had a chance to run the last couple of races of 2023 in the M4, so I think we're as well prepared going into the Roar as we can be, and I'm excited for the season!"
Michelin Pilot Challenge testing takes place at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 19-21. Official practice starts Wednesday, Jan. 24 at Daytona International Speedway, with qualifying the next day. The four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona takes the green flag at 1:45 p.m. ET Friday, Jan. 26.
For more information on the 2024 IMSA Pilot Challenge schedule, please click here.