Andrew Novich has relinquished his planned full-season drive with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in this year’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, as the 22-year-old is set to focus on his college education.

The UC Davis senior teamed with Mike Guasch, Tom Kimber-Smith and Andrew Palmer for the Prototype Challenge class victory in last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and head into the Twelve Hours of Sebring as the championship leaders.

“Daytona was pretty tricky to pull off; I just narrowly made it back home in time to start the quarter,” said Novich, who is double majoring in Biochemistry and Managerial Economics.

“Looking at the upcoming schedule it’s just not feasible for me to be able to finish both degrees while giving PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports the attention the team deserves.”

With Novich unable to compete at Sebring due to his finals being on the same week, the Californian made the tough decision to temporarily step back from his driving duties.

“While it’s never easy to step away from a winning entry, this is the best decision I can make with my long-term goals in mind,” he said.

“I look forward to graduating this summer, getting back behind the wheel of a PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports racecar, and helping the team get more wins.”

A replacement for Novich, who was set to team alongside Guasch for the entire season, has yet to be announced.

“Andrew is an incredibly smart young man who was invaluable to the team during our 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona victory,” said team owner Bobby Oergel. “Seeing that Rolex on his wrist will always be one of the highlights of my career.

“His dedication to his driving and his commitment to his academic career is an example for all young drivers of his generation.

“We are keeping him on our driver roster for testing and reserve duties and we’re looking forward to getting him back to full race status as soon as possible.”