Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsport Step Up to GS with Porsche for 2025
November 13, 2024
After five successful years campaigning Audi equipment, 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot TCR Driver
and Team’s Champions Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports step up to the top class with a Porsche
718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for 2025 and beyond.
A remarkable 11 victories, 17 podium finishes, and 9 pole positions highlight an extremely successful 5-year stint for Unitronic in partnership with JDC-Miller Motorsports and Audi, all culminating in clinching the 2024 championship, and finally bringing an end to Hyundai’s dominance in IMSA TCR over the past 5 seasons.
TCR Championship Win Fuels Ambitious 2025 Vision
A leading force behind the program, Unitronic’s John Staffi said proudly “Looking back, we’ve
had a lot of success in a relatively short period of time with Audi on the racing side. We’re
grateful for Audi Sport and the RS 3 LMS TCR machines, but we’ve achieved what we set out to
do [in motorsports] securing the 2024 TCR championship title—and we’ll absolutely continue to
drive innovation and set the bar higher on the Unitronic corporate side, delivering
industry-leading performance software and hardware solutions for Audi and Volkswagen road
cars. But always looking ahead, we’re excited to expand our reach in 2025, setting new
goals and driving the iconic Unitronic brand to new levels in business, in symphony with
our passion in motorsports.”
Stepping It Up with Porsche GT4 Entry
With momentum on their side the #17 team has decided to take things to the next level in
partnership with fellow Volkswagen Audi Group brand, Porsche Motorsport and their globally
successful GT4 platform. Fitted with a naturally aspirated 6-cylinder boxer engine in mid-engine
layout and a chassis known for its lightweight, well-balanced performance, Porsche finished the
2024 IMSA GS manufacturer in second position a mere 40 points adrift.
“We consider ourselves a family at Porsche. So, it feels right to have the No. 17
Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports team grow into a GS program with the Porsche 718 Cayman
GT4 RS Clubsport. As champions in the TCR class, we know they have the skill and the
experience that, when joined with the expertise and Porsche knowledge of its big brother, the
No. 85 Porsche 963, will make them a contender in the GS class very quickly. This is a perfect
example of what Porsche can offer and we are very excited to welcome another championship
winning program to the GT4 paddock.” said Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche
Motorsport North America.
Drivers Ready to Bring the Fight to GS class
“It’s bittersweet leaving Audi who we’ve had so many great memories with but I couldn’t be more
excited about our new Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport! Together with all our partners and crew
members I think we have built a fantastic operation, and we want to take things to the next level
and compete at the highest level we can. GS will be very different to TCR, the way the races
develop is very different and there will be a lot of learning, but we have a great driver lineup, the
best crew, the best partners and together with Porsche Motorsport North America we believe we
can do something great!” said South African born Mikey Taylor, who will continue into his 6th
year with the Minnesota based team.
Taylor’s co-driver of four years and IMSA veteran Chris Miller was upbeat about the continuity.
“To be able to continue on with most of the same people and partners that we have had so
much success with makes this move particularly special. We’ve proven that we have a
championship-winning combination and I’m excited to see what we can do in the
ultra-competitive GS class. I’ve always dreamt of racing a Porsche and I know it will be a
very special feeling when I drive the car for the first time. I’m very grateful for all the people
who worked hard to make this happen and couldn’t be more excited to get the season started in
a couple months!”
LIQUI MOLY Returns for New Racing Season
Continuing their successful technical partnership, LIQUI MOLY will once again be heavily
involved in the support of the team through motor oil and additive engineering, and highlighted
by two IMSA race events featuring the eye-catching LIQUI MOLY specific race livery. “We are
thrilled to continue our partnership with the JDC-Miller MotorSports team and Unitronic in 2025,”
said Eva Tran, Marketing Director at LIQUI MOLY . “Both LIQUI MOLY and Unitronic are
brands built on quality, innovation, and performance. Together, we bring that to the
racetrack, pushing our products to the limit in the most demanding conditions. What’s
exciting for us is that the same premium products we test on the track are available for everyone
to use off the track. This partnership is a testament to our commitment to excellence, and we
can’t wait to see what we achieve together in the coming season.”
Daytona Opener Just Months Away
The 10-round 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Championship kicks off with the official pre-season test,
The Roar Before The Rolex 24 on January 17-19 the first opportunity for teams to get their 2025
season preparations started at the World Center Of Racing, Daytona International Speedway.
The Roar is then directly followed a week later by the first race event of the year, the BMW M
Endurance Challenge at Daytona. A four-hour baptism of fire for the #17 Porsche 718
Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
No. 17 JDC-Miller Audi Finished the Job This Year in TCR Title Drive
After Falling Just Shy in ’23, Drivers Miller and Taylor Led Determined Effort in ‘24
October 23, 2024
By David Phillips from IMSA Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – By almost any measure, the Unitronic/JDC-Miller Motorsports IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge campaign last year was a success. Which means this season’s championship-winning effort in the Touring Car (TCR) class must be ranked as the ultimate triumph. After a slow start to the 2023 season, drivers Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor steered the No. 17 Audi RS3 LMS TCR to a trio of victories and a pair of runner-up finishes. The only thing missing was the TCR championship itself. A mechanical issue coming to the green flag at the season finale ended the title bid and left the team with unfinished business to attend in 2024.
Suffice to say, Miller, Taylor and the JDC-Miller crew took care of that business this season, and then some. They captured four wins and two more podiums in the 10 races and, thanks to a dash of ironic mechanical mayhem, clinched the driver and team titles by simply taking the green flag at the Fox Factory 120 on Oct. 11, almost a year to the day after the ’23 championship hardware slipped through their fingers.
“Given what happened last year, going to the last race with a chance of winning and being able to control our own destiny, that was disappointing,” said JDC-Miller founder John Church. “But everybody rallied. We worked hard in the off-season to clean up some things like pit stops so they wouldn’t be part of the equation, and that worked out well for us.”
But it wasn’t quite as simple or easy as the statistics might suggest. For openers, JDC-Miller again campaigned a lone Audi against a veritable armada of Hyundai Elantra N TCRs, no fewer than four fielded by Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian in a bid to claim its sixth consecutive driver and team crowns. There was also another perennial contender, the No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR, as well as emerging potential winners like the No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR and No. 99 Victor Gonzales Racing Team Hyundai.
Relishing the status as giant killer, the No. 17 Audi opened the season with four wins and a third place to open a massive 220-point championship lead halfway through the season. The competition never quit, however. Defending TCR champions Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker won in the No. 33 Herta Hyundai at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Tim Lewis and William Tally guided the No. 5 KMW Alfa Romeo to victory at Road America. Dai Yoshihara and Karl Wittmer did the same in the No. 93 MMG Honda at VIRginia International Raceway, even as Miller and Taylor rebounded from an early “off” to finish seventh in the No. 17 Audi.
Still, when Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi coaxed their fuel-efficient No. 98 BHA Hyundai to the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway just clear of teammates Wickens and Gottsacker, JDC-Miller headed to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the finale with a 150-point lead looking to close the deal.
Miller, though, crashed the No. 17 in qualifying, and when the BHA Hyundais qualified 1-2-3, JDC-Miller still had work to do, beginning with repairing the car. Needing only to finish 11th or better in class in the race, that was all but assured when the No. 73 Racers Edge Motorsports Honda Civic FK7 TCR withdrew after a mechanical issue in qualifying. It meant the No. 17 Audi needed only to be on the starting grid for Miller and Taylor to earn the drivers’ title and Unitronic/JDC-Miller to claim the team championship. This time, there would be no issues on the pace lap and Miller and Taylor duly came home a conservative but jubilant sixth in the race.
“Our guys started the season well and capitalized when they could,” Church said. “We had a couple of tough races through the year, but in the end, they did what they needed to do to finish out the year and championship. It was a whole team effort where everybody contributed, and I’m super proud of the effort everybody put in.”
All of which is not to say there was no drama in the season finale. After leading most of the last half of the two-hour race, Tyler Gonzalez was forced to bring the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Hyundai to the pits for a splash of fuel as he was about to take the white flag. Thus, Wilkins, Filippi and the No. 98 BHA Hyundai took their second straight win to clinch the runner-up spots in the driver and team championships by just 10 points over Wickens, Gottsacker and the No. 33 Hyundai. It also put an exclamation point on Hyundai’s unprecedented fifth straight TCR manufacturer championship.
“A fifth manufacturers championship in a row here in IMSA,” Filippi said. “It just shows how hard Bryan Herta Autosport works and our Hyundai is really good at this championship, a really good car and reliability. We have a lot challengers here and it’s fun to compete in TCR, so it’s a big accomplishment.”
Unitronic JDC-Miller Clinch 2024 IMSA TCR Championship
October 17, 2024 from getunitronic.com
After 10 thrilling rounds of heated IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge racing, the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team is thrilled to claim the title of 2024 IMSA TCR Champions! This season was marked by many intense battles and unforgettable moments on the track. Heading into the final race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the team remained focused on its objective and all that hard work paid off in the best way possible.
As it Happened in Braselton, GA
Coming off a strong P3 finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a 150-point championship lead, the Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team was in a good position to take it all but the relentless factory-backed Hyundai teams still remained within striking distance. Practice 1 and 2 allowed for final setup changes, but nothing could prepare the team for Thursday evening’s qualifying session incident.
As the sun was setting over turn 3 at Road Atlanta, visibility was dwindling fast and the #17 Audi lost control over a curb and collided with a safety barrier. Miraculously, Miller got the car moving again while avoiding a red flag and he would even go on to improve his qualifying time which was a true testament to the team’s “never give up” attitude. The Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team would start Friday’s 2-hour Fox Factory 120 race from P7 but not before a long night of repairs.
On race day, only 11 teams made it to the starting grid instead of the anticipated 12 and with a 150-point differential between P1 and P11, the team would simply have to make it past the start line to clinch the championship win. Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor went on to finish the race without taking any unnecessary risks and ultimately crossed the line in P6 with their heads up high, surrounded by cheering fans, crew, family and friends.
Breaking the Hyundai Stronghold
“I am so proud to be able to finally get this championship! All the hard work over the last 5 years has led to this and there couldn’t be a more deserving group of people in the paddock. Everyone has worked so hard week in and week out so it’s nice to finally get this reward!
I don’t think people realize the level at which IMSA TCR is right now, you really have to piece everything together to have a shot at beating the factory supported Hyundai team who have great driver line ups and a fantastic program! To be the first team to break their stronghold on the TCR class means a lot to a little one-car team like us! We put everything we had into this one, and I’m so relieved it all worked out! A special thanks to all our partners who have been on this journey with us and stuck with us through the thick and thin!” said Mikey Taylor.
Miller Reflects on the Tough Racing Season
“Obviously it would have been great to end the season with a win but our goal with this program since we started years ago was to win a championship and it’s a massive achievement by everyone involved to be able to deliver that. I’m so grateful to everyone for their hard work this year. We faced a lot of adversity beginning at Daytona when we thought we may not start the race and then the second half of the season definitely didn’t go as smoothly as we wanted, but everyone showed great resilience.
I feel very lucky to have had such a great teammate, crew, group of engineers, partners and countless other supporters who I got to be a part of this with. Special thanks to Unitronic, JDC-Miller Motorsports, and my family for always believing in us. Championships are very hard to win and I think we will all be celebrating this one for a while!” said Chris Miller.
Thankful for the Outpouring of Support
This championship win is not just a testament to the skill of our drivers but also to the dedication of the entire Unitronic JDC-Miller Motorsports team. From the crew to our technical partners, every detail mattered, and everyone gave it their all. Now, we celebrate this incredible achievement, reflect on an unforgettable season, and look forward to what’s next. Thank you to our partners, fans, and everyone who supported us along the way!
After a strong weekend, JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP drops out of the season finale at Motul Petit Le Mans
October 14, 2024
Savage, MN
The No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP dropped out 160 laps into the finale of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season with a power steering issue. Driver Richard Westbrook safely brought the car back to the garage with limited steering capability, ending the team’s very strong weekend in front of a record crowd that packed Road Atlanta for the 10-hour-long Petit Le Mans.
The JDC-Miller MotorSports team was pleased with its performance up to that point. Phil Hanson led the qualifying leaderboard for more than half of qualifying and started the car in the third row of the grid. Throughout the first 159 laps of the race, the team executed its strategy, running between 3rd and 6th much of the time while conserving tires and working toward the sprint to the finish when darkness fell. The car was quite competitive with the rest of the GTP field until the failure and a bittersweet ending for the team’s 2024 season.
It was also a melancholy weekend for the team as it was the final race for driver Richard Westbrook, who is retiring after a racing career that spans some 30 years, including two stints with JDC-Miller MotorSports. The Brit started in open-wheel racing but found his stride in sportscars. He has been a part of factory teams with Porsche, Chevrolet, Ford, BMW, and Aston Martin. JDC-Miller MotorSports is proud to have played a small part in his incredible career and to be there to allow him to retire from the top class in sportscar racing. Richard will always be a beloved part of the JDC-Miller MotorSports family, and we wish him all the best as he focuses on his other passion, Westbrooks Brewery.
John Church with Brad Knight and Charles Henderson from BDO
On Friday, the JDC-Miller MotorSports team was presented with not one, but two, BDO Knows Strategy Awards. The award recognizes the race team exhibiting excellence in strategy and execution during each WeatherTech Series weekend and is chosen by the IMSA radio broadcast team at the conclusion of each race. JDC-Miller MotorSports won the award for its runner-up finish in the LMP2 category at Road America and again in GTP with its 3rd place finish at Indianapolis. BDO tells us that this is the first time in the history of the award that a team has won twice in a single season, let alone consecutive races.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“A disappointing end to what had been a very good weekend. We were competitive on pace and were successfully working our race strategy when the steering let go. I feel bad for the drivers and the crew as we were doing really well until it was over.
This has been a difficult season as we have performed well and just couldn’t get the results we should have gotten. Dropping out with mechanical issues at Sebring and now Petit when running strong are just two examples of how things went this year. With that said, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished in 2024. We continue to become more and more competitive against all the factory teams in the GTP class with a sliver of the resources. I am very optimistic regarding our prospects for the 2025 season and anxious to put our heads down and get going on next year.”
Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Unfortunately, we are out of Petit Le Mans. It’s a shame. In some ways, it summed up our season. We often showed so much promise, but couldn’t finish the job off. This is one of those failures that’s out of our hands. I was going through turn one and the power steering just went. The car was difficult to control, so I’m happy the car’s back in one piece. It’s a three-hour change, so we are out of the race. I would have loved to have finished on a high in the last race of my career. As importantly, getting a good result for everyone at JDC-Miller would have meant a lot to me. I am just gutted for everyone on the team. Everyone on this team should be proud of themselves. We’re up against the big dogs and there’s been several races where we have really punched above our weight and that is very satisfying.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Last race of the year. The season seemed to go by so fast. There were a lot of good moments and some not so good, but we got stronger as the year went on. We had a really good weekend. In qualifying we put the car in mid-field with good pace, so we were expecting a lot in the race. Then suddenly we lost the steering, which is a shame. Now we can only look forward to next year. My thanks to everyone on the team for their hard work all season long.”
Phil Hanson, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 “It is never nice to go out the race and end the year on this sort of note. Unfortunately, a power steering issue made us retire the car quite early on. Difficult to know how we would have gotten on later in the race. The car was set up with the night in mind, and we showed strong pace in NP3. That made us quietly confident that we were going to be stronger at the end of the race, which is when it matters in IMSA. It’s a shame we never got there to find out where we truly stood. I think its been a year of really good potential. We’ve shown on many occasions how we can be very strong and very quick. Unfortunately, we never got to convert those strong moments into a victory or a podium. When you look back at it, we have been quite consistently at the front, which is impressive against some of the big guys out there. I just want to thank the team for their hard work this year. My teammates also obviously did a really solid job all year, as well, so my thanks to Tijmen and Richard.”
The high note for the JDC-Miller MotorSports team this weekend was the No. 17 Audi RS3 LMS wrapping up the season drivers and team championships in the Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR-class. The Unitronic/JDC-Miller team, with drivers Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor, had an exceptional season. It began with consecutive wins to start the season at Daytona, Sebring, and Laguna Seca. They also won at Watkins Glen. These results do not represent all the challenges the No. 17 team faced throughout the season, making the championship that much sweeter. There was a lot of well-deserved tired jubilation at Friday evening’s awards banquet after a long, hard-fought, season.
No. 17 Audi Locks Down Title
October 11, 2024
By Tony DiZinno and David Phillips from IMSA Wire Service
BRASELTON, Ga. – The Touring Car (TCR) class warranted watching from start to finish. Literally. For the second year running, the season’s team and driver championships were decided at the drop of the green flag.
Last year, the championship-leading (and pole-winning) No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR suffered a mechanical failure while bringing the field to the green and the team could only watch as Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi won the race in the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR, with teammates Robert Wickens and Harry Gottsacker finishing fourth to clinch the driver, team and manufacturer TCR titles.
So, it was more than a little ironic Friday when, with Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor needing to finish 11th or better in the No. 17 Audi to claim the driver and team TCR crowns, the 12th and final starter in the class (the No. 73 Racers Edge Motorsports Honda Civic FK7 TCR) was unable to start the race after experiencing mechanical problems of its own. Mission accomplished for Miller and Taylor.
Fast forward to a race dominated virtually from start to finish by the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team Hyundai of Tyler Gonzalez and Morgan Burkhard. Virtually is the key word, as the white flag waved to signal the final lap, Burkhard peeled into pit lane for a splash of fuel, handing the win to Wilkins, Filippi and the No. 98 BHA Hyundai.
“We were all in the same boat trying to get to the end,” Wilkins said after he and Filippi won their second straight race of the season and second straight at Michelin Raceway. “It was a battle of who did a better job of getting there.
“The No. 99 is the same car, and I didn’t know where they were (on fuel). I was just trying to gauge off of everybody else, honestly. I felt like we were all so similar. I didn’t know if he was going to make it or not. It looked the way he was driving that maybe he had a shot to make it to the end, so he had to push, obviously a little bit more. I think we did a good job earlier in the stint to allow ourselves to run a bit more aggressive at the end; to put some pressure on him. So, I guess they were waiting for a yellow that never came.”
Although sixth place was a disappointing and uncharacteristic showing for a team that amassed four wins and stood atop the TCR standings from the opening round of the season at Daytona International Speedway, there was plenty of joy to be found in the JDC-Miller compound after the race.
“No question, last year was heartbreaking,” said Taylor. “The whole team set out to make amends for that this year. We had a great year but it wasn’t easy. Some rules changes in the middle of the season meant we had to redevelop the car. Even this weekend wasn’t easy by any means. We had an ‘off’ in qualifying that damaged the car, so the team was here until midnight repairing the damage. Even when we found out the (No. 73) wasn’t starting the race, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Although the other shoe never dropped, Miller, Taylor & Co. had a tough day at the office, so to speak.
“Of course, it was in our minds that we’d won the championship,” Taylor continued. “But we’re here to race, and we wanted to finish the season on a high note. Although the crew did a fantastic job fixing the car, we didn’t have another session before the race to test the repairs and the car was not exactly right today. The Hyundais had more speed and, obviously, a couple of them went the distance on one pit stop, where we had to stop twice.”
JDC-Miller MotorSports looking for strong finish in season finale at Motul Petit Le Mans
October 8, 2024
Savage, MN
The No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
GTP has renewed energy after finishing third at the Indianapolis round of the IMSA
WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. This, coupled with a history of strong runs at
Petit LeMans, makes the team very optimistic heading into the season finale and eager
to improve on last year’s 5th-place finish. With 54 entries in four classes, it should be a
very exciting race around the fast and flowing, 2.54 mile, 12-turn road course of Road
Atlanta.
JDC-Miller MotorSports is pleased to announce that IMSA has accepted their full
season entry of the No. 85 Porsche 963 GTP for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech
Sportscar Championship. Drivers will be announced at a later date. Plans for the 2025
season have been well underway for a number of months, and the team is very excited
about the prospects for their third season in the ultra-competitive IMSA GTP class.
The Saturday race broadcast in its entirety is streaming on Peacock starting at 12:00
EDT. The start and first 3 hours are live on NBC. USA picks up coverage at 6:00 EDT
through the finish.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Petit Le Mans is one of my favorite races. Part of it is fall is such a great time of the
year and Road Atlanta is in such a pretty part of the country. We always run well at
Road Atlanta, yet it remains the only long race we have not won. The team is working
hard to do something about that.
Being the last race of the season, it also has a bit different feel to it. At every other race,
you are already thinking about the next race and what needs to be done. At Petit, when
the fireworks go off at the end of the race, you have a feeling of accomplishment no
matter where you finish. A bit of melancholy that the season is over, but great feelings
of everything that was accomplished throughout the year.”
Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Petit Le Mans is another of my favorite races. Great track with great fans. Love the day
and night aspect. This will be my 13th start at Road Atlanta. I’ve had many good results
with 3 or 4 poles and a 2nd in GTLM in 2019. This is a great opportunity to move up a
step.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Feeling really good for our prospects for Petit Le Man after our 3rd place finish at Indy. I
felt really good in the car by the end of last year’s Petit and am confident we will start
the weekend strong and that will lead to a good result.”
Phil Hanson, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“I’m very excited to be heading into my first Petit Le Mans. I have been a fan of the
event for years now, and I can’t think of a better race to close up the IMSA season. I
know we will be fighting hard to make it a memorable end to our 2024 season!”
JDC-Miller MotorSports carries St. Jude supporters to a 4th place finish in the Battle On The Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Update: Due to a post-race technical infraction penalty to the No. 6, the No 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 was promoted to a 3rd place finish.
September 23, 2024
It was a rollercoaster race, culminating in their best season finish for the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Battle On The Bricks.
The JDC-Miller MotorSports team battled through a number of issues, which made the strong finish especially sweet. Early in the hot and humid weekend, the team struggled to find the pace needed to compete in the extremely competitive IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship GTP field. They worked late into Saturday night and gave their drivers a much-improved car for the Sunday race. Tijmen van der Helm started the race in 11th and moved up to 5th on lap 18 in very difficult mixed weather conditions. Our rain expert, Richard Westbrook, took over as the rain increased and continued the strong push. His comment was, “I’m British. I was born in the rain.” Some great strategy calls were made in the dry second half of the race, and Phil Hanson did an outstanding job of fuel-saving for an extended last stint to bring the car home 4th.
September is Child Cancer Awareness Month. The team’s Porsche 963 carried close to 50 LOVE RACING. STOP CANCER. stickers around the 2.439 mile speedway. Supporters made donations and then wrote a message on the decal which was affixed to the car for a 6 hour 200 mph ride. This effort has raised close to $35,000 with donations still coming in. Donate here.
JDC-Miller MotorSports hosted St. Jude patient Grayson, his brother Hudson, and mom Anne, on Saturday and they had a especially great time when the team’s Audi RS3 LMS had a TCR class podium finish in the Michelin Pilot Challenge race. They took the opportunity to give the bricks a kiss and went home with a Michelin hat from the podium celebration.
Quotes:
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“Hats off the driver’s and the crew. This was a tough race. We were chasing things all weekend and everyone really stepped it up and were rewarded with our best finish of the year. We tested here last year and had a pretty good idea of what the car liked on this track. The hot and humid weather early in the weekend changed things but it came back to us on Sunday with the cooler weather. There was a tremendous amount of hard work put in this weekend so its gratifying to see a good result. Very much looking forward to a strong run at Motul Petit Le Mans.”
Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“A fantastic result, which I think everyone on the team can be proud of and thoroughly deserved. We came back from lots of issues in the race. It was really, really tough. I was out when it was really wet and, you know, it was enjoyable. Visibility was terrible. We were in the mix and then out of the mix and back in the mix, but had some really good strategy at the end get Phil back on the lead lap, which we did, and then we were in a really strong position on fuel. Really clever strategy by the team. The team really deserved a good result this weekend. It was a tough car in practice and qualifying, but everyone worked really hard so in the race we had a good car in the wet and the dry.”
Tijmen van der Helm, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“We had a quite difficult race weekend but very pleased with the result. We came from the back so we had some work to do. It worked out quite well. We had some small problems later on in the race, but we quickly got them sorted and could maximize the results. It is our best result of the year so there is a lot to be proud of. Really looking forward to Petit Le Mans and hopefully getting on the podium.
Phil Hanson, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“A good weekend for us. We started a bit on the back foot. Struggled early on in the weekend to get a grip on the car. The crew made a lot of changes to the set up trying to find the balance and made good steps forward for the race, which is good to see. A little bit of damage and other small issues meant that throughout the race we lost some set up. This made braking very difficult late in the race. I think that aside, we had a quite competitive car today which put us in position to capitalize on other teams’s issues and mistakes throughout the race. It was a good result for the package that we had this weekend.”