SAVAGE, Minn. (May 3rd, 2026). Led by great team strategy and execution, Laurin Heinrich put in a thrilling late race drive of his Porsche 963 for the overall win of the Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway. Heinrich made the pass for the lead on the final lap of the 119-lap event.
Tijmen van der Helm started the car in 11th place, and he and Heinrich steadily improved their positions throughout the race. The team made a couple of crucial tire and fuel strategy calls that allowed Heinrich to close on the leader in the final laps. He then delivered a stellar drive, making an exciting last-lap pass for the win. This is JDC-Miller MotorSports’ first GTP win and the first win for a customer team since the inception of the GTP program, which began in 2023.This is Tijmen van der Helm’s first IMSA win in his 31st start. It was Heinrich’s 8th victory in 24 IMSA starts. It is his third victory in 2026 in the first four races, including wins at Daytona and Sebring in the number 7 Porsche 963. He has competed at Laguna Seca three times and won all three times. The win gives Heinrich the lead in the IMSA driver’s championship after his wins at Daytona and Sebring in the number 7 Porsche 963 and his 6th at Long Beach.
Next race for the team is the Detroit Grand Prix contested on May 30th.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“What this means to our team hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It may take a few days. Putting Laurin Heinrich in the car has been just what it took to bring everything we have worked so hard on together. Not only is there incredible talent behind the wheel, but Laurin also brings a slightly different perspective. A new set of eyes that has made us better.”
The response in the paddock to our win was extremely gratifying. There was a steady stream of people from other teams, journalists, officials, and all kinds of fans coming to congratulate us. It seemed there were a lot of people rooting for Laurin to make that pass for the win. It made me feel good to see a whole bunch of the Porsche Penske team come over to congratulate our guys. We work closely together on all kinds of things, so our win is a bit of a win for them.
It was great fun to celebrate with the Miller family, as well as Ken Thompson from Mustang Sampling and the Lind family and their guests from Cram-A-Lot . It is very gratifying to deliver for your loyal sponsors.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been four years since we first ran the Porsche 963 here in 2023. This GTP program has been an incredible journey, and it feels great to get the first win. I’m confident there are more to come.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Just amazing. I’m so happy to get my first IMSA GTP win. We were close to the time we wanted yesterday in qualifying, but in the super-competitive GTP class, we started the race in 11th. During the race, our fuel and tire strategy helped us work our way up through the field. We had a competitive car, so it was easy to manage the race plan. Toward the end of the race, I was getting excited about the possibility of being on the podium. Then the team and Laurin closed it perfectly for the win. We started this program here four years ago with our first GTP race, and now it’s our first win. I couldn’t be happier.”
Laurin Heinrich, Driver, No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“It’s an amazing day, not only for Tijmen and me personally but also for the whole team. They have done an amazing job and deserve this so much. JDC-Miller MotorSports’ first win in GTP, the first win ever for a customer team in the GTP era, is simply an amazing achievement. I’m incredibly happy to bring this result to the team because I saw how hard everyone works in Long Beach. I knew then that the potential was on the table, and I’m so happy I could deliver my part. I had a tough fight with Earl Bamber in the 31 at the end. It was a hard, fair fight. I could see he was struggling in a few spots, knew we had a shot at the win, and went for it. Going wheel-to-wheel with a driver like Earl was not only a pleasure but also an honor. I enjoyed this fight so much, and I just want to say thank you again to Porsche Motorsport and to JDC-Miller MotorSports for the opportunity.”
