TOPEKA, Kan. (February 21, 2014) - McLaren has a historic home in SCCA competition, with six wins at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs from 1965-1974, and of course with Bruce McLaren and the team’s outstanding successes in Can-Am. In 2014, the name returns to the U.S., once again prominently involved in SCCA competition.

K-Pax Racing has tabbed SCCA racer Robert Thorne to pilot one of the team’s McClaren 12C GT3 cars this season in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class, along with Alex Figge.

The 23-year-old Thorne, from Littleton, Colo., is a successful road racer and already has a win in Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car under his belt from 2012. His major successes have come at the Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Championships, however, where he is a two-time National Champion.

His first title came in a Street Touring R Honda S2000 in 2011; he followed that up with a 2013 win in a Honda S2000 in B Street Prepared.

Thorne’s pedigree is matched by the car’s. The McLaren 12C GT3 made its competitive debut in multiple European race series in 2012, winning 19 times in 98 starts. In 2013, the car accounted for 22 victories in 101 races – a staggering winning percentage of more than 22 percent.

Thorne, Figge and the McLaren 12C will get their first shot at the Pirelli World Challenge field on the Streets of St. Petersburg, March 28-30. The race will be shown on NBC Sports Network on April 6 at 5:30 p.m. (EST).