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SAVAGE, Minn. (March 17, 2025) — JDC-Miller MotorSports brought their Porsche
963 home in the 8th position at the conclusion of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in
front of a record crowd for the 73rd running of the classic race. This year’s “12 Hours”
lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest races in the world for both man and
machine. Sebring is famous for its bumpy airstrip surfaces and intense multi-class
traffic, especially with 56 cars starting on the 3.74-mile circuit. This year had an
additional challenge as temperatures soared to nearly 90°F in the midday Florida sun.
The JDC-Miller MotorSports team had a setup strategy of running a slightly
compromised setup during the heat of the day which allowed the handling of the car to
be optimal when the sun went down and temperatures cooled. Even with the
compromised setup, the No. 85 Porsche 963 was quite competitive in the heat of the
day, running as high as 3rd mid-day the strategy played out. After close to 9 hours of
hard racing, however, the left front brake rotor failed. Lady luck smiled on the No. 85
Porsche as a caution came out just as the team needed to pit the car. Quick work by the
crew got the LF brake replaced with the loss of only one lap and the team was optimistic
that with three hours remaining, they could get the lap back and make a charge to the
finish. Unfortunately, there wasn’t the usual series of yellows that are typical of the final
hours of this race, and the No. 85 Porsche soldiered on in the 8th position for the
checker.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“A challenging and a bit disappointing day for us. We struggled to find the balance on
Thursday, which is the only practice we get for the 12 Hours. Working late Friday
evening, we made a good step forward, so during the race we had good pace.
Unfortunately, the issue with the brake rotor put us a lap down, and the way the race
played out, we were never able to recover. Disappointing as we were on track to finish
4th or 5th, but that’s Sebring.
We will take what we learned here and focus forward to Long Beach. Thanks to Gimmi,
Tijmen, and Nico, for their great performances and bringing the car home in one piece
after a challenging 12 hours.”
Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Great job by everyone on the team for a solid 8th place finish in what I think is the
hardest race of the season. The crew did an amazing job. We tuned up the car with the
engineers Friday night and went in the right direction. In the race, the car was really fast
in very hot conditions. Unfortunately, we had an issue with about 3 hours to go. The
front left brake disc failed and had to be changed. From there on, the car was not as
good under braking, which is critical for these cars. We were able to hold our position
and finish the race. Thanks to the team, Tijmen, and Nico. It’s not the result we wanted,
but I think it was the best we could achieve at Sebring today.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“With only qualifying on Friday it is hard to put everything together with the setup before
the race. We had been struggling to find the setup on Thursday, but the guys worked
hard on Friday night to make some changes. In the race, the car was quite good.
Unfortunately, our luck ran out, and we had some brake problems. That can happen in
long races like Sebring. We do have some positive things to take away. There is work to
do, but we are on track for some good results later in the year. The pace is there, so if
we can put everything together, we should have success.”
Nico Müller, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“What a weekend with JDC-Miller MotorSports at the 12 Hours of Sebring! My first laps
in the Porsche 963. To be taking the checkered flag in that beautiful yellow car at the
end of the Sebring 12 Hours was a thrill. We were competitive most of the race. We had
a really fun race going until the brake issue developed, which threw us back.
Unfortunately, there weren’t enough yellows at the end to recover the lost lap. It was a
bit of a pity as our pace had been strong. After trying to fix the issue, we weren’t quite
as strong anymore as we struggled with general brake performance on the car. I think
we were on track for a top 5. That would have been great in this tight competition. I felt
at home with the team and in the car and enjoyed returning to IMSA. Thanks to JDC
Miller MotorSports and Porsche for having me. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon.”
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!”
January 28, 2025
Daytona Beach, FL — Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports kicked off their 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season with a strong P7 finish in the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway. Competing in a stacked field of 27 GS competitors, the result marks an impressive debut for the team’s new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and sets a promising tone for the season ahead.
Strong first showing for the #17 Porsche
With plenty of time to dial in the setup and get comfortable with the new race machine during the ROAR Before the 24, Chris Miller would start the 4-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge from P9 after Thursday’s qualifying session. His stint was marked by several battles to maintain position, allowing the #17 Cayman GT4 RS to remain on the lead lap.
Nearly two hours into Friday’s race, Mikey Taylor would take over the reins and impressively climb as high as P2, fending off numerous attacks from a chasing Ford Mustang GT4 duo. Ultimately, the team would have to settle for a P7 finish but the long race demonstrated the Porsche’s potential and provided many valuable insights for future improvements.
Drivers optimistic for season ahead
Chris Miller reflected, “After a long offseason and a ton of hard work by everyone involved in this program, it felt pretty special to finally get to drive our new race car. We knew there would be a lot to learn but the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports crew was up to the task, changing components between every session as we worked to find a setup for the race. Thanks to their efforts, we made a lot of progress with the car and felt optimistic about our chances at a good result.“
“As racers we are rarely satisfied with anything but a win. Finishing seventh is not where we know we can be but it’s a solid start and a place we can build from. I think we showed ourselves that we have the pieces and potential to run at the front and we are all motivated and looking forward to Sebring already!“
Mikey Taylor added, “A great start to our new season with a new car! We knew it wasn’t going to be easy without any testing and learning the new class and car, but the team did a great job in preparing for the event as much as they could and we worked through everything we had time for! The speed in the race is something we can build on, and we know what we need to work on for Sebring! A very positive start to our relationship with Porsche and some good points to get the championship going!“
Next round just weeks away
Looking ahead, the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team is setting its sights on the next challenge at Sebring International Raceway. Known for its notoriously bumpy surface, the 3.7mi track will require the team to fine-tune their vehicle setup once more. Despite the upcoming challenge, the team is eager to tackle this next hurdle and build on their solid start for the second round of the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Season.
Photos by Digi Kühlt
SAVAGE, Minn. (January 27, 2025) — JDC-Miller MotorSports secured 6th place in
the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona with their Porsche 963 GTP. The
team completed 780 laps of the 3.54-mile Daytona road course, finishing just 109
seconds behind the overall winning No. 7 Porsche. The car averaged 115.439 MPH
over the 2,774 miles it covered during the race.
The chilly Florida temperatures posed a challenge for the team, starting at 59°F and
dropping to 48°F by 3 AM. All four drivers had to skillfully manage tires and brakes that
were difficult to get up to and maintain the desired operating temperature. The No. 85
Porsche began the race in 5th place and spent most of the 24 hours running in either
5th or 6th place among the 12 GTP class entries. A total of 61 cars across all classes
started the race.
The car performed flawlessly throughout this classic event, and the JDC-Miller drivers
brought it home without a scratch—a remarkable feat given the heavy traffic they
navigated each lap. Driver Gianmaria Bruni led the team with 562 overtakes during the
238 laps he drove, while Tijmen van der Helm closely followed with 404 overtakes in the
198 laps he completed.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“I am extremely proud of everyone on the team for the incredible effort that went into our
6th place finish at the Rolex 12 Hours of Daytona. It was one of those events where
there was a lot going on and everyone pulled together and got it done. Tijmen worked
closely with Gimmi and got Bryce and Pascal well-versed in how to race this car. They
kept the car damage free which isn’t easy to do at Daytona. All the guys on the pit-box
worked together to deal with the low ambient temperatures to find solutions and
maximize what we could get out of the car. Our pit stops were very good both day and
night. Overall, an excellent start to the 2025 season and I’m really looking forward to
Sebring and the rest of the season.”
Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“First of all, I’m very happy with a P6 finish in the race for JDC-Miller MotorSports. The
boys worked very, very hard. We had an issue with brake temperature from the start of
the race, that was tough to resolve. We were not able to put the proper temperature into
them, and then keep the temperature for the whole stint. This changed our entire race
strategy. As the day got warmer, our car balance was perfect. We were very competitive
late in the race and had a good potential to be in the top three or four. I am looking
forward to Sebring. I’m very happy to be here in IMSA with JDC-Miller MotorSports.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“A long 24 hours. We had some problems in the beginning with the brakes which we
tried to work around, but couldn’t really do much about. I think we did quite a good job.
There were some minor mistakes, what happens normally in a 24 hour race. I think we
deserved a bit better place than 6th based on everyone’s performance.
Now we work
on what we have learned and make Sebring as good as possible.”
Pascal Wehrlein, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“First of all, thanks to everyone involved for this opportunity. It was a long, 24-hour race,
a lot of fun, and a lot of driving. Each time I was in the car, it improved. Racing at night
is pretty cool and something I had not done before. I had a lot of good fights and at the
end we finished in P6. The car was reliable, which was great. Only a couple of issues
which I think hurt a bit of our performance, but nevertheless, for me, it was a great
experience. I want to thank everyone on the team for this opportunity. It was great.“
Bryce Aron, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“I liked this a lot. This was many new experiences for me. I want to thank everyone at
JDC-Miller. It’s been an awesome time getting up to speed in the GTP car and for the
first time doing an endurance race and racing at night. Really enjoyed the challenge
and the race. A very special experience. Thanks to the team and my teammates for all
their help in making it so special. Hope to do it again in the future.”
