CULLINGWORTH driver Jack Hawksworth has expressed his delight at earning a spot in one of the most famous endurance races in America.

The former Parkside School pupil has joined Starworks Motorsport for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona, which takes place on January 30-31 and is the first major automobile event of the season across the pond.

Hawksworth, who completed his second season in the prestigious Verizon IndyCar Series this year, will join Chris Cummings, Alex Popow and Renger van der Zande in the drivers' line-up for the 24-hour race.

The 24-year-old said: “I really enjoy sportscar racing and I'm delighted to be kicking the year off early at Daytona with the Starworks team.

“They are a great outfit and I believe all the ingredients will be there for us to be successful. Chris and I have driven alongside one another on several occasions and work very well together.

"I am also looking forward to teaming up with Renger and Alex who I know from previous races and rate very highly.”

Hawksworth and his Starworks Motorsport team will compete in the LMP-C class (Le Mans Prototype Challenge), with the Yorkshireman having enjoyed success in the format.

He has competed in several International Motor Sports Association sportscar races with RSR Racing alongside his IndyCar commitments – including a win on his debut at Indianapolis in 2014 alongside Cummings and a pole position at Petit Le Mans.

It will be Hawksworth's second time at the Daytona event, having drove for RSR there last season.

Starworks Motorsport Team Principal Peter Baron believes the addition of Hawksworth marks his line-up as ' the team to beat'.

He said: “Putting together an effort to win Daytona begins at the core with the driver line-up.

“We are absolutely ecstatic to be adding Jack to Starworks to complete what we feel is the strongest line-up that the PC class has seen at Daytona.

“When looking at a driver, the desire and racing experience to win a 24-hour race is as important as outright speed and Jack has demonstrated both. "Adding Jack to our current line-up with Chris Cummings, Alex Popow and Renger van der Zande, is going to set the benchmark as the team to beat."

Whilst endurance racing is very different to Hawksworth’s regular drive in the Verizon IndyCar Series, there are many crossover elements between the two disciplines.

“With the various different classes in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, you are constantly faced with overtaking cars and having to work your way through quickly and efficiently,” Hawksworth explained.

“While it is a very different style of racing to that in IndyCar, dealing with traffic and pushing or managing the car and fuel when asked is very relevant to IndyCar. So it will help me to prepare me for the 2016 IndyCar season.”

Hawksworth finished 17th in his first year driving for A J Foyt Enterprises in the 2015 IndyCar series.

Writing in his blog he admitted: "It's been a tough season. I don't think anyone could have imagined the amount of difficulties that expanding to a two-car operation (team-mate Takuma Sato finished 14th) could have caused and it really was a kick in the teeth the way the whole season played out.

"However there is always the opportunity to turn it around and focus on the next race and that is certainly the plan!"

Before turning his full attention to the Daytona race, Hawksworth has returned to karting, where he first made a name for himself in the UK.

He is competing in the SuperNationals in Las Vegas this week, having won races in the KZ Super 4 championship at Kimbolton and Fulbeck during a recent spell back in the UK.