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Last-Lap Pass Sends Heinrich, JDC-Miller MotorSports Back to Victory Lane at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Katie Church on May 4, 2026

May 3, 2026

Heinrich Wins for Third Straight Year in Monterey, van der Helm Takes First IMSA Victory

By John Oreovicz for IMSA.com

MONTEREY, Calif. – For most of Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sprint race, it appeared Cadillac would complete its domination of the StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship weekend.

But never count out Porsche – on this day, the privately-run No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 that Tijmen van der Helm and Laurin Heinrich drove to a giant-killing victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Heinrich, who at age 24 is one of international sports car racing’s most prominent rising stars, stirred memories of the late Alex Zanardi’s performances at Laguna Seca as he forcefully moved from third to first as time counted down on the two-hour, 40-minute race clock.

He first made an authoritative pass on the No. 25 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 of Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann into Turn 10 for second place with 14 minutes remaining. Then on the final lap, he moved to the outside of Earl Bamber in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R through the right-hand Turns 3 and 4 before pulling ahead to the inside on the run to the Turn 5 lefthander and up the hill toward the Corkscrew.

Heinrich crossed the finish line 0.758 seconds ahead of Bamber, who shared the No. 31 Cadillac with Jack Aitken. Wittmann and co-driver Eng finished 3.343 seconds back in third place, just ahead of the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 after a nice comeback drive from Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun.

But the talking point after the race was Heinrich, who remarkably has never lost a race at WeatherTech Raceway. The last two years, he claimed Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) PRO class victories in AO Racing’s dinosaur-themed Porsche 911s. He started this year as the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup co-driver in the factory No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, taking overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class victories at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

As a result of his latest win at Laguna Seca, Heinrich now leads the GTP driver championship standings by 21 points over Aitken and 146 points over his No. 7 Porsche teammates Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer, who finished seventh on Sunday.

It was the fifth WeatherTech Championship race win for JDC-Miller MotorSports, and the first in the modern GTP prototype era. The team’s last victory came in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class and overall at Sebring in 2021.

“It hasn’t sunk in 100 percent yet, but certainly this is one of the biggest wins,” said team principal John Church. “We started here four years ago and didn’t have any idea what we were doing with this car and have slowly been building and picking up the pace. We’ve been fighting an uphill battle the last couple years, so this is really special.

“It’s been great to have Laurin come along and give us some direction and some pace as well,” he added. “What a day – incredible! I couldn’t be happier.”

The JDC-Miller Porsche has shown speed before and notched the occasional podium finish. But the addition of the highly regarded Heinrich, a Porsche factory driver, has supplied an extra boost.

“This place seems to work for me and I love it, to be honest,” Heinrich said. “Every time I come here in the morning and see this track, I feel something special. The team has given Tijmen and me an extremely strong car, extremely well balanced. I think our strength was tires, which we could really make use of in the last four or five laps. The strategy also worked great. To have all this work pay off is incredible.

“We were pushing flat out and that was all we had,” he concluded. “To have something like that happen on the last lap makes it a magic day.”

Added van der Helm: “It’s great. I wasn’t expecting it at all 30 minutes before the finish. Laurin did some great stuff at the end of the race, and this is an incredible day for the entire team.”

Heinrich also gave credit to sports car ace Richard Westbrook, who has driven the Porsche 963 for JDC-Miler Motorsports in the recent past and serves as an advisor for the team.

“He knows exactly what it feels like in this car and I’m amazed how when he sees the live data, he knows exactly what’s going on in the car,” Heinrich said of the three-time Laguna Seca race winner. “Two days ago, he told me something about the last corner that helped me today to set up the last move. Honestly, it’s a big help for the team.”

Bamber was philosophical after Heinrich got the best of him on the final lap. The No. 31 Cadillac has finished on the podium in all four WeatherTech Championship races in 2026, including three second-place finishes, after closing out the ‘25 season with a pair of wins.

“With about 10 laps to go, the (No.) 5 just appeared out of nowhere and when I heard it was coming at half of a second a lap, I knew it was going to be tough to hold him off,” Bamber said. “I got a couple of good runs through traffic on the last second-to-last lap, but then he just had much more grip than us at the end of the race.

“I raced him hard and fair, but he just got through. It is what it is – another great podium and it was great to race with Laurin. I’ve seen him come up through the ranks with Porsche, and to see him get this win with the No. 5 team is something special.”

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the May 29-30 Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic, a 100-minute street course sprint race featuring the GTP and Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) classes.

Unitronic JDC-Miller Porsche Ready to Tackle Sebring

Katie Church on March 17, 2026

Sebring , FL (March 17, 2026) — Following a challenging start to the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway, the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team now shifts its focus to Round 2 of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at the legendary Sebring International Raceway. The team will return to action March 18–21 with the #17 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, determined to bounce back and fight toward the front of the GS field.

Unitronic JDC Porsche

Since departing Daytona, the JDC‑Miller MotorSports crew has been hard at work preparing the Cayman GT4 RS for the demanding Sebring weekend. Following the engine issue before their season opener, the team has focused on ensuring the car returns to the track at full strength and ready to compete in one of the most demanding races on the IMSA calendar.

Unitronic JDC Porsche

“Hopefully St. Patrick’s Day brings us some luck this week as I feel we just need a little bit of it to get all the pieces of the puzzle to come together!” said driver, Mikey Taylor. “Heading into Daytona I thought we had a good car and were set for a strong weekend, but the issue right before the race forced us into another car with very little prep, which ultimately compromised our race. We’ve had a few more setbacks heading into Sebring, so we didn’t quite get to prepare the way we needed to. We’re looking to execute as well as we can with the track time we have, and with a little bit of Irish luck, we’ll be right up there at the end.”

Mikey Taylor

Sebring presents a unique challenge for teams and drivers alike. First opened in 1950, the circuit is one of the oldest continuously operating road courses in the United States and is widely regarded as one of the most demanding tracks in North American sports car racing. Despite its numerous challenges, Sebring has historically delivered exciting racing for the IMSA paddock and remains a fan-favorite venue for both competitors and spectators.

Unitronic JDC Porsche

For the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team, the upcoming race represents an important opportunity to reset the season after Daytona. With valuable data already gathered during the opening weekend, the team is optimistic about returning to form at one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar.

Unitronic JDC Porsche

The green flag for the 2-hour Alan Jay Automotive 120 drops on Friday, March 20th at 2PM ET. Watch the full race live on Peacock, IMSA.tv, or IMSA’s official YouTube channel. Stay up to date on all our activities, learn more about the team, our pro drivers, and our tremendous sponsors HERE. Don’t forget to tune into the UNITRONIC social media channels for race coverage of all ten championship events as well.

Unitronic JDC Team

JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 Finish 7th in the 2026 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona

Katie Church on January 27, 2026

SAVAGE, Minn. (January 26, 2026). The JDC-Miller Motorsports No.85 Porsche 963 finished the 64th Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the seventh position of the 60-car field. The 85 was very competitive throughout both weekends of the event, usually very close to the top of the time charts. The trio of youthful drivers led the race on three occasions for a total of 46 laps. They consistently ran lap times right with the leaders for the entire race. Damage from debris to the floor of the car limited their ability to execute the planned late race charge and they finished in seventh on the lead lap. After 24 hours of racing, in which they completed 705 laps or 2507 miles,  the JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche was just 70 seconds behind the winners. 

This year’s running of “The Rolex” will long be remembered for two things, a massive fan turnout, and the six and a half hour safety car period due to heavy fog, a Rolex 24 record. The yellow came out at 12:45AM and the field went green again at 7:18AM. The 85 completed 119 laps or 421 miles under the extended caution period. The Daytona International Speedway reported a record crowd, as well.

Quotes:

Nico Pino, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“For us, it was a pretty straightforward race. We maintained a good pace throughout most of the race and didn’t encounter any incidents or mistakes. We did suffer some damage near the end, which prevented us from improving further. The crew did a great job with quick pit stops and no errors. I enjoyed my first race with JDC-Miller MotorSports and am looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We went with three drivers this year. Things were a bit more challenging mentally and physically, but I think I prefer it. It was easier to get on the same page on strategy and setup, which led to us having a really good setup to start the race.

We were very competitive for most of the 24 hours, but we got a bit unlucky in the race when we hit something with the floor of the car, which cost us some pace at the end. I am quite happy with that finish since we were in the hunt for a top position throughout.

I’m now looking forward to Sebring. It’s a completely different track, but we have a strong lineup of both drivers and team members in the pits.”

Kaylen Frederick, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Lots of exciting firsts for me: my first IMSA race, first Daytona, first time racing with co-drivers, and competing with other classes of cars. Overall, it was a remarkable experience, and for most of the race, we had a very strong car. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the pace at the end to move up a few more spots. The JDC-Miller MotorSports team did a fantastic job; I don’t think they could have prepared much better. The team, along with Tijmen and Nico, got me comfortable in the 963 quite quickly. A lot to learn. They and Richard Westbrook were incredibly helpful, and it showed on the track.”

John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“This was a Rolex 24 that I really enjoyed. The entire team really came together nicely and that led to good pace right from the first session. All three drivers jelled right away and collaborated to make the car very good throughout the event. The technical guys did great work both in the off-season and at the track and it really showed in how we made changes to the car and were strong both at the Roar and in the race. We were strong at the November test and that has carried right through until now. 

My sincere thanks to all the people who helped in getting us here.”

Pino gives JDC-Miller a turn at the front in sixth Roar session

Katie Church on January 18, 2026

Photo Credit: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

Story By Stephen Kilbey with RACER.com – Jan 18, 2026, 11:20 AM ET

JDC-Miller MotorSports’ Porsche 963 set the best time in the penultimate test session for the IMSA SportsCar Championship cars at the Roar Before The 24 on Sunday morning. The “Banana Boat,” the only privately entered car in the GTP class, went half a tenth up on the field after a flyer from Nico Pino in the second half of the hour-long run.

Pino’s 1m37.099s wasn’t enough to surpass the fastest time of the Roar by Felipe Nasr (1m36.327s), but it did vault him above the No. 6 Penske Porsche that was top at the time courtesy of an early Kevin Estre hot lap. It ultimately went unchallenged in the closing stages and placed the No. 85 team above both Porsche Penske Motorsport factory cars, which slotted in second and third, making it a 1-2-3 for the German brand.

The fastest cars from the other manufacturers were the two Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillacs, which took fourth and fifth spot on the screens, both cars within three tenths of the JDC 963.

The good news was that all 11 GTP cars (and all 60 cars in the field) set times. The Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie returned to the track following its extensive rear-end rebuild yesterday, which forced the team to sit out the fourth and fifth sessions. It was first out of the pit lane at the start of the session and completed 27 tours of the circuit.

Results

JDC-Miller MotorSports wraps up 2025 Season with a 12th Place Finish at Petit Le Mans

Katie Church on October 14, 2025

SAVAGE, Minn. (October 13, 2025) — JDC-Miller MotorSports concluded the 2025 season with a 12th-place finish at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans. Newcomer to sports car racing and IMSA, driver Max Esterson, made an impressive debut in this form of racing. The New Jersey native started in the No. 85 from 12th and handed the car off to Neel Jani in 4th. Jani then completed the next 34 laps in 5th, and the JDC-Miller MotorSports team was very optimistic about the upcoming 5 hours of racing. Some unfortunate contact with other competitors, along with some additional challenges, put the team on the back foot in the closing stages; as a result, they finished in 12th place.

In the 10 hours and 53 seconds the No. 85 Porsche 963 was on track, the JDC-Miller MotorSports drivers completed 1099.8 miles with an average speed of 109.813 mph. This includes 12 pit stops and 5 driver changes.

It was a great experience for all of us at JDC-Miller MotorSports to finish the 2025 season in front of a massive crowd on a beautiful Georgia day. The Petit Le Mans fan experience is second to none and couldn’t have been better for the 2025 edition of Petit Le Mans.  We are very appreciative of our tremendously loyal fan base. Thank you for your ongoing support throughout this and previous seasons. We are already hard at work for the 2026 season.   

Quotes:

John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We were actually much more competitive than our finishing position indicates. When Max brought the car up to 4th during his first stint and Neel ran off a stint in 5th, I thought we were onto something. At that point, our lap times were nearly identical to the leader’s, and we were very optimistic. Some contact with other competitors and a couple of other challenges negatively affected our strategy for the run to the finish. Great job by the drivers and crew. Feeling a bit melancholy as the season wraps up, but really looking forward to the 2026 IMSA season.

Tijmen van der Helm (NL), Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Petit Le Mans is always a big challenge. We tested well here last month and were quite optimistic. In qualifying and the race, we had a solid setup. The pace was good, but we just needed a little more later on. A couple of times, we faced some bad luck, which happens in racing. Overall, very positive. We kept making improvements and are moving in the right direction. Just looking forward now.

Max Esterson (USA), Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“My first endurance race is complete. Quite an experience.  Good job by the team. The pace was very strong at the start of the race in the heat of the day. Really enjoyed it. Stayed out of trouble and learned a lot. It was a shame we didn’t have the pace at the end, but the team did a great job and we ran out front for a long while early in the race.   It was a really good first race in IMSA.   The team did a great job quickly getting me up to speed in the car with all the systems, switches, and adjustments that can be made. By the race, I was comfortable and knew what to do.”


Neel Jani (CH),  Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“It looked very good for us at some stages. For the first 5 hours, we were near the top, between 4th and 7th. Max did an excellent job for his first race in this type of car and series. Tijmen, as well. I don’t know exactly what happened from mid-race on because we were there at the start. We got taken out twice, once by a Cadillac and once by a BMW (both were penalized). That definitely bent our car a bit. That didn’t help, but that’s Petit Le Mans. We know it’s a tough race, but that’s part of the challenge. Thanks to JDC-Miller for the opportunity to race with them.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports finishes in the 10th position at Road America

Katie Church on August 11, 2025

SAVAGE, Minn. (August 3rd, 2025) — It was an uneventful home race weekend for the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 in front of a large group of incredibly loyal family, sponsors, and fans.

The JDC-Miller Motorsports No. 85 Porsche 963 qualified in 11th position, but the hardworking JDC-Miller Motorsports crew made some productive changes overnight before race day, successfully making the car more competitive for the race. Driver Gianmaria Bruno gained a spot at the start and worked his way up to 5th position with skillful driving and great team strategy. Unfortunately, he later got caught in traffic and lost the spot to the race-winning BMWs. After the pit stop and driver change, the No. 85 Porsche fell back to 10th and ran the rest of the race there without incident.

Our 2024 St. Jude patient family returned to Road America this year as race fans. Colton, now a cancer-free 11-year-old, hung out with the team and his IMSA friends. This marked the kickoff of JDC-Miller MotorSports’ St. Jude fundraising effort, again carrying the LOVE RACING. STOP CANCER. theme, which will culminate at the 6-hour race next month at Indianapolis. You can support this effort by donating here:

Quotes:

John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Another tough race for the 85 Porsche 963.  We struggled with pace throughout the weekend.  The guys worked hard, giving the drivers a much better car for the race.  Many thanks to all our sponsors, family, and friends who came to support us at our home race.”  

Gimmi Bruni, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Thanks to a strong start and solid strategy, we managed to break into the top five at times today. Later on, I got held up in lapped traffic. Compared to yesterday, we took a step in the right direction with our Porsche’s setup. However, we still lack top speed on the straights. Hopefully, that will improve in the final two races, so duels with other competitors become more enjoyable again – that would be nice. “

Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Frustrating weekend. We didn’t have a lot for our competition. They didn’t need to fight us for position as they knew they could get the position a bit further down the road. The crew made the car better throughout the weekend, so that is good. I am looking forward to what we can do at Indy. 

JDC-Miller MotorSports finishes in the 9th position at the 2025 Monterey Sportscar Championship

Katie Church on May 11, 2025

SAVAGE, Minn. (May 11, 2025) — JDC-Miller MotorSports brought their Porsche 963 home in an unsatisfying 9th position at the checker of the Monterey Sportscar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Gianmaria Bruno had qualified the car in the 10th position.

Under beautiful, but cool California skies, 36 cars took the green flag for the two-hour and 40-minute race around the 2.238 mile circuit.  The LMP2 class was not part of this event. 

Bruni had a good start and maintained his position. The team planned to deploy an aggressive pit strategy to gain positions using an “undercut”, which was pitting early on lap 21 to get on new tires and in clean air. This strategy played out quite well, as competitors pitted and Bruni worked the No. 85 Porsche up to as high as 4th. To make this strategy work, however, you then need a full-course caution. Unfortunately, this race was unusually green from flag to flag, and a late stop for fuel left the No. 85 in 9th.

Looking ahead, the team is already focused on their next challenge at the Detroit Grand Prix, scheduled for May 31st. With the unique demands of the Detroit street circuit, JDC-Miller MotorSports is determined to find the speed and precision required to return to the front of the pack.

Quotes:

John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We didn’t have quite the pace we would have liked all weekend.  That resulted in a disappointing 10th qualifying position, so we knew we needed to come up with a strategy for the race that would move us up the order. We got aggressive and pitted on lap 21, which worked out very well. The downside was, however, that this strategy required a full-course caution, which we never got. That meant we had to stop for fuel late in the race, and we were back where we started. I can’t recall a race here that went the whole way without a full-course caution, but this year’s race did.

The crew and the drivers did a great job all weekend. IMSA racing is so competitive that if you are off by a couple of tenths here and there, you are going to finish 9th or 10th.  I’m confident that when we study the data, we will learn where those tenths are, and make the adjustments we need to be up front at Detroit.”

Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“This was an interesting race. We tried to get the best out of it from the strategy, unfortunately, we needed a yellow that didn’t come. We gambled on a strategy, which sometimes works and sometimes not, and that is racing.

I think we did the right things for the position we were in. There wasn’t much else we could do to improve track position. It was good. We tried our best this weekend and now we move forward.”

Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We were struggling a bit with pace this weekend, and we just wanted to take a gamble on the strategy to maybe have a better result. 
It didn’t work out so well because we never got the safety car we were expecting. When you look at this race, normally there are several safety cars. So luck just wasn’t on our side. We will put our heads together to find some more speed in the car for Detroit and beyond.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports fills out the No. 85 Porsche 963 driver line-up for the 2025 Twelve Hours of Sebring

Katie Church on March 10, 2025

Savage, MN (March 10, 2025)

JDC-Miller MotorSports is pleased to announce the addition of Swiss Formula E driver Nico Müller to its driver lineup for the 73rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Müller will join full-season drivers Tijmen van der Helm and Gianmaria Bruni behind the wheel of the team’s No. 85 Porsche 963 GTP.

The 33-year-old Müller is a seasoned professional with a decade of experience in multiple disciplines, including GT and Prototype endurance racing, DTM, and most recently, Formula E. He rounds out a JDC-Miller MotorSports driver lineup with considerable Sebring experience. Nico’s previous Sebring experience was with WEC, participating in the 1000km in 2022 in LMP2 and in 2023 in a Peugeot Hypercar. Nico also competed in the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona in LMP2. He is a Porsche factory driver and currently drives a Porsche 99X in the Formula E World Championship. JDC-Miller MotorSports is thrilled he could fit this race into his extremely busy schedule.

This will be Van der Helm’s 4th 12 Hour, three of which are with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Bruni will take his 13th green flag this year and has had considerable success at the fabled track with a Sebring 12 Hour GT class win, WEC 1000km GT class win, as well as four other podiums.

JDC-Miller MotorSports has enjoyed success at Sebring, as well. Most recently, the team took the top step of the podium with an overall win in 2021, the second step in 2022, and a third in LMP3 in 2023, prior to the delivery of their current Porsche 963.

Quotes:

John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We have a great driver line-up for this year’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Adding Nico to our already strong driver line-up with Tijmen and Gimmi, builds on the confidence we have coming off our very strong run at Daytona. Thanks to our friends at Porsche for all their efforts in making it happen.”

Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“I am really looking forward to the 12 Hours of Sebring with JDC-Miller MotorSports. I’ve raced here a dozen times with some success, so it’s a special place for me. It is hard on cars and drivers, but the JDC-Miller MotorSports team knows what it takes to win at Sebring. Hopefully, we can build on our strong effort at Daytona, keep improving, and get on the podium. “

Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“It’s great to be heading back to the Florida sunshine. I really enjoy the challenge of Sebring. The traffic and the concrete surfaces, as well as how competitive it is for all 12 hours. It is different than other races. Difficult in an enjoyable way. JDC-Miller MotorSports know what it takes to win there, so I am optimistic for a good result.”

Nico Müller, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“First of all I’d like to thank JDC-Miller MotorSports, Porsche, and my Formula E Team, Andretti FE, who have made this last-minute project possible. I can’t wait to turn my first laps in the Porsche 963 and compete in my first prestigious Sebring 12-hour. It’s great being back in IMSA. I have previously competed at Sebring when WEC was part of the “Super Sebring” weekend. I loved following the IMSA action during the 12-hour. It’s known as the toughest race on the IMSA calendar. I am confident that together with JDC-Miller MotorSports, Gimmi, and Tijmen, all who bring lots of Sebring 963 experience to the table. That strong foundation will speed up my 963 learning process. One more good omen: Yellow is one of my favorite racing colors!”

WEHRLEIN BREAKS NEW GROUND AT DAYTONA WITH SPORTSCAR DEBUT

Katie Church on January 23, 2025

January 23, 2025

From www.monacoincrease.com

Monaco Increase Management’s Formula E World Champion Pascal Wehrlein is embarking upon a fascinating new stage of his successful racing career this weekend in the 63rd edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona, the iconic endurance race taking place at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

Porsche factory driver Wehrlein, who is currently in the middle of defending his Formula E title after two rounds of the all-electric series, has teamed up with the Minnesota-based US racing squad JDC-Miller Motorsports for his endurance racing debut in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, one of the toughest and most prestigious sportscar races in the world.

After F3, DTM touring cars (a title he won in 2015), two years in Formula 1 with Manor and Sauber, five seasons as factory Porsche driver in Formula E, the 30-year-old German is now dovetailing the electric championship with the occasional sportscar race.

This weekend he will be at the wheel of the #85 Porsche 963 LMDh in the IMSA GTP category, a car he has piloted once before as official Porsche driver, during a collective development test at Sebring in 2022. His teammates in this new adventure will be the experienced Italian GT and endurance racing ‘veteran’ Gianmaria Bruni, Dutchman Tijmen van der Helm and American Bryce Aron.

Wehrlein, who drove the car, affectionately nicknamed ‘Yellow Submarine’, for the first time in December and also put in more useful mileage in last weekend’s pre-race ‘ROAR before the 24’ test session, will start from fifth place on the grid for Saturday’s race after designated driver Bruni lapped in today’s 15-minute Qualifying with a time of 1m34.374s.

With the starting-grid now locked in, Pascal will have three more Free Practice sessions to familiarize himself with the #85 Porsche 963 before the race gets underway at 1.40 pm (Eastern Time) / 19.40 (CET) on Saturday 25 January.

Photos: Courtesy of Porsche

WEHRLEIN AND BRUNI TEAM UP FOR ENDURANCE RACING DEBUT WITH JDC-MILLER MOTORSPORTS

Katie Church on January 22, 2025

January 22, 2025

From www.monacoincrease.com

With one day to go before qualifying gets underway at Daytona for the opening round of the WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Florida circuit is a hive of activity as the drivers prepare for the iconic 24-Hour endurance race.

As well as exchanging information about the race, in which they will make their debut in the #85 Porsche 963 LMDh GTP machine, Pascal Wehrlein and Gianmaria Bruni – two of the drivers in the four-strong JDC-Miller MotorSports team – have a particular connection that ties them to the Monaco-based MIM driver management company.

The manager of the 30-year-old German, 2024 Formula E World Champion and factory Porsche driver, is of course the CEO of MIM, Salvatore Gandolfo, while the 43-year-old Gianmaria ‘Gimmi’ Bruni is an ‘old’ acquaintance and friend of Gandolfo.

The two Italians have in fact known each other since 1997, when Bruni was starting his racing career in Italian Formula Renault Campus, a title he won the following year, and when ‘Gandi’ was the CEO of Spain’s famous Campos Racing Team.

Over the years, Bruni has constructed a stellar career in all categories of motorsport ranging from Formula 3 and Formula 3000, a year in Formula 1 with Minardi in 2004, to international GT and Endurance racing – which includes three class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For his IMSA SportsCar rookie debut therefore, Pascal – who like Bruni can also boast a short spell in F1 on his racing CV – now teams up with Bruni, factory Porsche driver for the last eight years, who joined the private JDC-Miller Motorsports team for a full season of IMSA racing in 2025 after the German manufacturer dropped several drivers from its line-up in December.

Bruni’s most recent experience with the Porsche 963 was last year when he campaigned the customer team Proton Competition entry in IMSA, finishing ninth overall, while this year Wehrlein is aiming to dovetail the defence of his Formula E title with the occasional select endurance race, starting with the Daytona 24 Hours.

This weekend, the reigning Formula E World Champion and the experienced Bruni will be flanked in the JDC squad by the other full-season drivers, Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands and American Bryce Aron.

Photos: Courtesy of Porsche