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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.”

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 eighth at the Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Katie Church on September 23, 2025

SAVAGE, Minn. (September 22, 2025) — It was a weekend of significant progress for the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 with a strong 8th place finish in the challenging 6-hour Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

JDC-Miller MotorSports returning driver Nico Müller qualified the No. 85 Porsche 963 in 12th position, but just .997 seconds behind the pole winner. After qualifying, the drivers collaborated with the engineering team and mechanics to enhance the car’s agility in the tighter sections of the 2.439-mile, 13-turn Indianapolis road course, significantly improving the car’s competitiveness. The anticipated rain on Sunday arrived early and moved through the Indianapolis area well before race time, allowing the entire race to be run in dry conditions in front of a record crowd for the event.

In the fiercely competitive IMSA GTP class, the run for the 85 Porsche was relatively trouble-free over the 243 laps completed. The drivers usually lapped within a few tenths of the Porsche Penske entries; the crew performed, quick, flawless pit stops and driver changes, and the team made excellent strategic decisions, allowing the car to methodically work its way up to its final 8th-place finish. The engineering and strategy crew on the pit stand to made a crucial fuel strategy call late in the race to conserve the position, avoiding an extra pit stop and finishing just 6.046 seconds behind the winners. The team maintained its streak of reliable race finishes, dating back to the 2024 season.

Building on our 2024 effort, we used the Battle on the Bricks as our main event to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This relationship aligned well with IMSA’s childhood cancer initiative at this race, which supported the Austin Hatcher Foundation.

Funds were again raised by offering donors the chance to place a LOVE RACING STOP CANCER sticker on the 85 Porsche for a 6-hour, 200 mph ride. This year’s St. Jude patient family drove all the way from Tennessee to experience their first IMSA race. They are now huge fans. For the team, it was a wonderful experience to host the precocious, now cancer-free, 10-year-old Hadley, along with her extended family. The cool kids were wearing the yellow “sunnies.”

A huge thank you to Senior Pit Lane Supervisor Johnny Knotts for once again introducing our St. Jude kid to all the fans during the pit stop demonstration. Johnny probably doesn’t get many hugs like that in pit lane.

Also thank you to Michael Kaltenmark from IMS for an incredible tour of the Victory Circle and all the operations in the Pagoda that make Indy such an incredible place to watch a race.

You can still support our effort to end childhood cancer by donating here.

Quotes:

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

“A really great weekend for us. Things really gelled on race day. We struggled a bit in practice and qualifying, but made some adjustments for the race that gave the car the pace we were looking for. The drivers ran a very clean race, and the pit stops and driver changes were excellent. We made a couple of good calls on the pit stand, and the drivers were able to bring it home in a satisfying 8th. This gives us confidence going into the next race at Road Atlanta.”

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

“We struggled a bit during the practice sessions to find a good setup, but we found it for the race. We started 12th and finished 8th, so it was a nice improvement. The guys in the pits did a great job getting us out quickly, and the team made good decisions on race strategy. The pace compared to the other teams was quite close. We are not far off the pace we would like, so with a bit of work, we should be ready for Petit.”

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

“We are very happy with how we executed this race. Generally, the team did a great job, good pit stops, and good strategy calls. I think Tijmen and I had some good stints, maximizing the package that we had. We didn’t really have the pure pace to challenge at the very sharp end, but I think generally the Porsches didn’t this weekend. 
Quite pleased with how we maximized what we had.”

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.”