JDC-Miller MotorSports announces 2024 Porsche 963 GTP program driver lineup

Richard Westbrook joins Tijmen van der Helm for JDC-Miller MotorSports
2024 Porsche 963 GTP campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship. Phil Hanson joins the team for the Michelin Endurance
Championship rounds.

Savage, Minnesota (November 14, 2024). JDC-Miller MotorSports confirmed today
that Richard Westbrook and Tijmen van der Helm will return to lead the driver lineup of
the team’s no. 5 Porsche 963 GTP in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
As previously announced, Phil Hanson will join the team for all five Michelin Endurance
championship rounds. Ben Keating returns to JDC-Miller MotorSports for the Rolex 24
at Daytona.

The Minnesota-based race team will be going with experience in its sophomore season
with the Porsche 963 GTP. Van der Helm was with the team for the entire 2023 season
and drove the team’s Porsche 963 GTP from the fourth round onward. He gained pace
and race experience throughout the season as he and the team jelled around the new
963 and the GTP program. Westbrook, who has been a factory driver in several
programs, drove the team’s Cadillac DPi in 2022. He brings experience with the new
hybrid prototypes having driven an LMDh in the 2023 WEC season. Hanson has a huge
amount of protype experience in IMSA and WEC, including a 2020 LMP2 class win at
the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ben Keating, 2023 IMSA WeatherTech LMP2 Champion, returns to JDC-Miller
MotorSports after driving the team’s Cadillac DPi in the 2022 Rolex 24 Hours at
Daytona.

John Church, Managing Partner, JDC-Miller MotorSports
“We were very pleased with our 2023 season with the Porsche 963 GTP. Everything
was new for all the GTP teams last year and we all gained a huge amount of
knowledge. For 2024, we will have a balance of youth and experience, but more
importantly, all our drivers will have extensive prototype experience in IMSA. This driver
line-up, coupled with the support of Porsche Motorsports North America, will put us in
the position to compete for wins in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship.”

Taylor, Miller drive No. 17 JDC-Miller Audi to victory in TCR

AUGUST 26, 2023

By John Oreovicz and Jeff Olson

Mikey Taylor and Chris Miller got the victory in the Touring Car (TCR) class Saturday at VIR, but Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker maintained their grip on the championship.

Taylor held on through a one-lap shootout to claim the class victory in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR he co-drives with Miller. Wickens held on to second in the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR he shares with Gottsacker.

While trying to chase down the leader late in the race, Tim Lewis went off course in the esses from second place, telling his crew over the radio that something broke on the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR. That resulted in a full-course caution with eight minutes remaining in the two-hour race, letting the field gather closer to Taylor.

The ensuing restart was a one-lap run to the finish over the 17-turn, 3.27-mile circuit. Taylor brought it home 6.974 seconds ahead of Wilkins, who finished 0.550 seconds ahead of BHA stablemate Mason Filippi in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai he co-drives with Mark Wilkins.

Before the late caution, Taylor was leading comfortably but was razor thin on fuel. When asked if he thought he could win had the yellow not come out, Taylor said he wasn’t quite sure.

“I think it would’ve been fine,” he said. “But at the same time, because of the yellow, these guys were pulled back up to us. It could’ve gone either way, really. We were just trying to maximize the package the car has. We don’t have enough fuel, really, to do a full stint. We kind of got lucky today.”

While Taylor and Miller closed on Wickens and Gottsacker in the championship standings, the No. 33 duo remains 50 points ahead with only two races – at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – remaining on the 2023 schedule. Filippi, Wilkins and the No. 98 BHA Hyundai are 110 points from the leaders.

“We’re going to have to beat them in the next two races to beat them in the championship,” Miller said. “But we have a good car and the best team, so we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”

The victory for the No. 17 did, however, push Audi into the TCR manufacturer points lead by just 10 over Hyundai, which is seeking its fourth straight crown.

The next Michelin Pilot Challenge race is four hours in length, on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The telecast of Saturday’s VIR race airs at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3 on CNBC.

Unlucky 5th place finish for JDC-Miller MotorSports at Road America after leading the race for 26 laps in mixed conditions.

Road America, WI. (August 7, 2022) – The ninth race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season included mixed weather conditions that played with strategy and tire choices on the 4.048-mile natural-terrain road course, four full-course cautions and hard racing late between the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R and the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R that benefitted Bamber in the end as the race ended under caution.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook finished fifth after leading Laps 20 through 45 rain-soaked laps.

Richard Westbrook: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We showed again that we can fly at the front and made some great calls, particularly tire-wise, and had good pace in the wet. The car was awesome. The yellows didn’t help us. We had a nice, healthy lead and it wasn’t to be. Tristan did a great job keeping everyone behind him, but then we got stuck in the pit stop and went down to fifth. Tough day, but it was good for bits and pieces.”

Tristan Vautier: “We were in the fight for a podium with Renger (van der Zande) and it was a tough battle. Eventually, he got a run on me when I got behind a GT entering the Kink. We raced really hard, knowing it was for a podium spot. He squeezed me quite hard on the inside to brake on the damp side of the track and we both broke really late and that got us off-line and allowed the 02 to go through. No regrets. The team worked really hard and had a great strategy. We gave it a fight; it just didn’t play out our way today. It was good to be in the lead in mixed conditions. We showed as a team that we could be in the lead and manage it. It was good to be at the front, but only the result counts. We have to move forward to the next one because this one hurts.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports announces Porsche LMDh Customer program for 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP class.

Porsche announces JDC-Miller MotorSports as first IMSA customer prototype race team.

Longtime prototype program to enter new Porsche 963 in North America.

– First Porsche 963 IMSA customer race team announced.
– JDC-Miller MotorSports to field one-car IMSA GTP effort in 2023.
– Porsche to offer support program for prototype efforts.

Hot on the heels of Friday’s official factory announcement surrounding the new Porsche 963 prototype race car, Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) and JDC-Miller MotorSports announce the first customer entry for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP class. The longstanding sports car team will field a single Porsche 963 prototype as a privateer entry in the new-for-2023 top class of North America’s premier sports car racing series. The Porsche 963 is set to make its official competitive debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January 2023. A second privateer entry is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Porsche Motorsport North America will provide full customer support for the privateer entries in 2023. As the sole supplier of Porsche race cars and parts in the United States and Canada, PMNA will offer its traditional technical and parts support to all privately entered Porsche 963 race cars in the GTP class beginning with the model’s inaugural race including pre-season testing. Engineering and parts sales will be provided for the prototype race cars from both the company’s Carson, California-based headquarters and on-site in the paddock throughout the 2023 IMSA race schedule. This high level of customer support has been a hallmark of Porsche Motorsport for generations including previous prototype customer entries such as the Porsche RS Spyder and the Porsche 962. PMNA will continue its unbroken chain of service for GT-based machines including the 911 GT3 R, 911 GT3 Cup and the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. PMNA is also the official organizer of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands, currently in its sophomore season of one-make competition.

JDC-Miller MotorSports, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has a long history of participation at the highest levels of North American auto racing. JDC-Miller currently operates prototype race car programs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s DPi class and Prototype Challenge Championship in addition to an IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TC class car. Founded in 1994 by Managing Partner John Church and later strengthened with the addition of John Miller to the ownership structure, JDC-Miller has captured 18 championships, 62 wins, 60 pole positions and 210 total podium finishes across its platform of entries in the last eight years. Most recently, JDC-Miller MotorSports added its name to an elite group by taking the overall win in the 2021 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and currently leads the Michelin Endurance Cup entering the third round of the championship within a championship for IMSA races of six-hours or more in length. For more on JDC-Miller MotorSports, please visit: http://www.jdcmotorsports.com/.

In compliance with the international LMDh regulations – raced under the GTP banner in IMSA competition – the Porsche 963 is based on an LMP2-category chassis. This newly developed vehicle chassis is supplied by the Canadian high-tech company Multimatic. Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac contribute the standard hybrid components. At the heart of the powertrain lies a twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8. The engine is based on the high-performance 918 Spyder hybrid sports car. Its DNA goes back to the RS Spyder racing car, with which Porsche and Team Penske notched up many victories between 2005 and 2008. The design of the new Porsche 963 hails from the victorious 956 and 962 classics from the 1980s.

Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.
About JDC-Miller MotorSports.
“It is a very special day for Porsche Motorsport, particularly PMNA, to be able to announce our first customer Porsche 963 for IMSA. That we can say it is an established team with a championship pedigree like JDC-Miller MotorSports is especially gratifying. Under the leadership of John Church and John Miller, JDC-Miller has established itself among the leading international prototype operations and that has proven itself from the earliest conversations about the team’s interest in representing Porsche as a customer program. While this will be our first foray into a partnership with JDC-Miller, their track record, attention to detail as well as enthusiasm has already confirmed this will be a successful relationship. We look forward to 2023 when, together, we can again challenge for overall wins.”

About Porsche 963 customer support.
“A very unique aspect of the Porsche 963 is our ability to provide customer race cars from its very start. This is a major undertaking as we must simultaneously develop the platform and a customer support structure that ensures parity between our customer programs and the Porsche Penske Motorsport operation. Our history, dating back to the first Porsche, has always been one of celebrating our customer victories as a Porsche victory and a Porsche works win as a customer program win. It allows us to strengthen all entries equally. This is special among manufacturers, particularly at the prototype level, and we believe will continue to give Porsche a leg-up on the competition.”

John Church, Managing Partner, JDC-Miller MotorSports.
“We are very excited about this new partnership with Porsche and the new LMDh Hybrid platform that will run in IMSA’s new GTP prototype category, starting with the 2023 season. To be associated with an iconic brand such as Porsche and their incredible legacy in racing is just very special. A lot of work went into making this happen and we feel strongly that we have found the best possible partner for the future and look forward to adding to the incredible success Porsche has already enjoyed in IMSA.”

John Miller, Partner, JDC-Miller MotorSports.
“We worked very hard to get to this point and I could not be more proud of my partner John Church and everyone in our group and company including our partners who have contributed to our success. These are very exciting times for our team but I think we have proven in the past as well as in the current ongoing season that we are ready for this new chapter and challenge with the support and partner such as Porsche.”

About Porsche Motorsport North America.
Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), founded in 1985, is the only authorized sales, parts and service provider in the United States and Canada for all purpose-built Porsche race cars including the 911 GT3 R, 911 GT3 Cup and Cayman 718 GT4 RS Clubsport. PMNA provides engine and transmission servicing, on-site race support and restoration services for historic Porsche race cars. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, PMNA is headquartered in 15,000 square feet of the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles. www.porschemotorsportna.com .

North American Contacts.
Porsche Cars North America
Frank Wiesmann
Manager, Product Communications
Office. 770-290-3414
frank.wiesmann@porsche.us

Tom Moore
Motorsports Public Relations
Mobile. 615-509-5000
tom@darkhorseautosport.com

Memo Gidley and Alexander Koreiba scored their maiden win for the Al Autosport entire operated by JDC MotorSports at Mid-Ohio. Putting the team now 2nd in the overall championship.

Al Autosport with JDC MotorSportsleaves IMSA Prototype Challenge Round 2 with its first win of the 2022 season.

After a taste of the podium at IMSA Prototype Challenge Round 1 the No. 23 Duqueine D08 maintained its momentum at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course topping the charts in every session. Drivers Memo Gidley and Alexander Koreiba opted for a more aggressive setup for the one-hour and 30-minute event, transforming their prototype into a race-winning rocket ship.

“This was a great day for the entire Al Autosport with JDC MotorSports operation,” Team Principal Alex Damalas said. “The team provided a great car and the drivers went out and executed. This is just the start for us, I’m excited for what the rest of the season will bring.”

The weekend kicked off on a high note for Gidley as he earned his second Pole Award of the season with a lap time of 1:17.260. He rolled out to take the green flag and made quick work of building a gap to the field, at points gaining over forty-five seconds on the competition. After an uneventful but successful 40-minutes, he popped into the pits to pass the reins to Alexander Koreiba.

“This race went great thanks to Al Autosport with JDC JDC MotorSports,” Gidley said. “There are weekends where everything goes your way, the car is great and you get a little bit of luck. For me, this is my second race with the team and I’m working on a full-time ride for the first time in 10 years. It’s nice to settle in with this great group of people. Alexander was on fire out there, as a co-driver, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The No. 23 entered the track in Koreiba’s hands; he immediately picked up where Gidley left off. Increased track temperatures required him to focus more on managing his tires but did little to affect his pace as he maintained at minimum a 45-second lead. He crossed the finish line in first place, the first win for he and Gidley as co-drivers as well as the first win for Al Autosport.

“First of all I have to thank Jesus for the talent he’s given me to make something like this happen,” Koreiba said. “I also have to thank Alex Damalas for what he’s done, we wouldn’t be here without him. Our pit stop must have been extremely good because we entered with about a ten-second lead and when I exited, they told me we had over a minute. This was a little bit of redemption from Daytona, this feels great. We went for a pretty aggressive setup today to get speed out of it which made it harder to drive but it definitely paid off in the end. This feeling is indescribable”

The No. 23 now enjoys a 6-week break to regroup and prepare for the summer session. IMSA Prototype Challenge Round 3 will take place July 3-5 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park for the series’ first expedition north of the border since pre-pandemic. To stay up to date on all things Al Autosport with JDC JDC MotorSports follow along on Instagram, @alautosport.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by Tristan Vautier and Richard Westbrook finished fifth after leading Laps 20 through 45 rain-soaked laps.

Richard Westbrook: “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We showed again that we can fly at the front and made some great calls, particularly tire-wise, and had good pace in the wet. The car was awesome. The yellows didn’t help us. We had a nice, healthy lead and it wasn’t to be. Tristan did a great job keeping everyone behind him, but then we got stuck in the pit stop and went down to fifth. Tough day, but it was good for bits and pieces.”

Tristan Vautier: “We were in the fight for a podium with Renger (van der Zande) and it was a tough battle. Eventually, he got a run on me when I got behind a GT entering the Kink. We raced really hard, knowing it was for a podium spot. He squeezed me quite hard on the inside to brake on the damp side of the track and we both broke really late and that got us off-line and allowed the 02 to go through. No regrets. The team worked really hard and had a great strategy. We gave it a fight; it just didn’t play out our way today. It was good to be in the lead in mixed conditions. We showed as a team that we could be in the lead and manage it. It was good to be at the front, but only the result counts. We have to move forward to the next one because this one hurts.”