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JDC-Miller MotorSports brings their Porsche 963 GTP home in the 8th position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Katie Church on May 14, 2024

May 13, 2024

Savage, Minnesota

JDC-Miller MotorSports qualified in the 9th position and finished the race in 8th this weekend at the 2024 Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

JDC-Miller MotorSports driver Tijmen van der Helm had a good qualifying run, turning a 1:13.184, which placed him 9th fastest in the highly competitive GTP field – .869 seconds covered the entire 10-car GTP field. This was the first time IMSA has run at Laguna Seca since the track was repaved last year, and the whole GTP field broke the previous lap record of 1:13.924 set in 2022.

It was a strategy race for the JDC-Miller MotorSports team, which allowed the car to move up to 6th position after the first round of pitstops. Using a different tire strategy than their competitors, they dropped back to 10th at one point but then worked their way up to 6th. Late in the race, the team’s Porsche was pushed off the track entering the corkscrew which dropped them back to 8th for the finish.

Quotes:

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

“Unfortunately, we unloaded on the back foot pace-wise, and it took us until qualifying to catch up. The guys did a great job on track and in the pits allowing us to grab a few spots on each pit stop. We were up and down the charts a bit and were pushed around a bit losing some of the ground we gained. We struggled with our tire strategy more than anticipated and then were ultimately pushed off in the Corkscrew which put us back a couple spots when we were running 6th. All in all a solid effort by the team and we will look forward to Detroit.”

Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We couldn’t quite make the double-stint on the tires work. It was a tough ask. The longest run we had done in practice was 20 laps or so. We had not tested a long run on our Michelin tires. The team needed to try something and it nearly came off. We were looking at a top five when the right front dramatically went away.

I felt confident about being able to defend our 6th position but then got dive-bombed going into the corkscrew and lost two positions from that move which was really disappointing. Then, it was just a case of bringing it home.

Really proud of the team. They are willing to try things to be more competitive and that is the way we like to work.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports returns to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the first anniversary of their customer Porsche 963 GTP program

Katie Church on May 8, 2024

Savage, Minnesota (May 6, 2024). JDC-Miller MotorSports is returning to
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where they debuted their Porsche 963 GTP
campaign one year ago. Last year, the JDC-Miller MotorSports team brought their two
week-old 963 to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to shake down the car in a most
public way. Prior to Practice 1, the team had only made a lap around their parking lot
with the new car. Typically, in motorsports, this would be considered very risky, akin to
learning to swim by diving into the deep end of the pool; the team, however, had
confidence in their abilities and the abilities of their partners in this project.

With the help of their technical partners, Porsche Motorsport NA, Multimatic, Bosch, and
WAE Technologies, the team powered through the concise timeframe and soldiered on
to finish 7th of the 8 GTP cars and only 23 seconds behind the race winner. Gaining that
race experience set the stage for upcoming solid performances for the remainder of the
season.

For the 2024 Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N, the team returns
knowing the car and how it responds to changes. They now have experience with the
GTP-class Michelin tires and are well-rehearsed on pit stops and driver changes.
Richard Westbrook returns to one of his favorite tracks with three wins at WeatherTech
Raceway Laguna Seca under his belt. For Tijmen van der Helm, the tracks, with the
exception of Detroit, will no longer be new to him as he returns to each of them behind
his Porsche 963 GTP wheel.

The team is confidently looking forward to this year’s race.

Quotes:

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

“Last year, we decided to take an aggressive approach to rolling out the new car. Early
in the year, we knew we would not have the Porsche for Sebring, so our attention
shifted to Laguna Seca. The Porsche team in Weissach worked through many
challenges to get the car together and shipped, but it was clear that the timing would be
very tight. We could have waited to debut the car at Watkins Glen a month later, but I
felt strongly that we needed to start gaining experience and knowledge of this complex
machine as soon as possible. The entire JDC-Miller MotorSports crew was fully
onboard with this approach, as we were all excited to get our Porsche 963 program
underway. Through herculean efforts and many long nights by many people, we
performed very well at Laguna Seca. What we learned that weekend set us up for 4th
place finishes at the next two races, Watkins Glen and CTMP. While incredibly stressful,
we learned much about the Porsche 963 and the GTP program. Knowledge and race
experience that benefits us today. I am really looking forward to this weekend.”

Ryan Perera, Systems Engineer, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Looking back at this weekend one year ago, we went to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna
Seca, knowing our partners would help us get the car ready for the race.

There was a massive outpouring of support from our technical partners, Porsche,
Multimatic, Bosch, and WAE, who were all as excited to see this car on the track as we
were. At times, there were a dozen knowledgeable and skilled people in our garage
looking to make valuable changes and updates to the car. People were queuing up to
plug their laptops into the vehicle. It quickly became overwhelming as we had not
completely thought through how we needed to manage this process. The stress level
rose until John (Managing Partner John Church) put a stop to making changes and
directed everyone to get focused on readying the car for the race. That allowed us to
focus on fixing the issues you inevitably have with all new cars and establish a
performance baseline we are building on to this day.

After that experience, we established a process to work with our technical partners and
maximize their valuable expertise in an organized manner.

As stressful as it was, I feel a great deal of pride when looking back on that weekend.
We went to Laguna Seca to shakedown a brand-new car unlike anything we had raced
before and finished on the lead lap. Quite an accomplishment!

Josh Kerrigan, Car Chief, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“We spent a couple of weeks at Porsche in Weissach learning about the car and its
systems as well as how everything went together. Our challenge for Laguna Seca was
simply time. We didn’t have any. With a new car, a ton of electrical and other
components must be installed. The punch list is always very long, but even longer with
all the added systems of a GTP car. Unfortunately, we had the car in our shop for less
than a week before the truck headed west. The drivers came and were fitted to the car.
We went through the start-up process just one time before the car had to leave. When
the trailer was opened at Laguna Seca, there was a tremendous amount of work yet to
do to make the car ready for the race. Pit stops under GTP rules had to be worked out
and practiced, as well as driver changes. Every night was a very long night.

The payoff for all the hard work came on race day. When Tijmen took the checker on
the lead lap, all I could think of was, “Wow, we did it!”

JDC-Miller MotorSports finished in the 7th position at the Grand Prix of Long Beach

Katie Church on April 26, 2024

April 22, 2024

Savage, MN

JDC-Miller MotorSports returned to the streets of Long Beach, this time with their Porsche 963 GTP. The team’s last visit in 2022 resulted in a podium for driver Richard Westbrook.

The JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP showed good pace all weekend. Tijmen
van der Helm was very strong in qualifying, only .6 off the pole, but 7th on the grid in the
very tight IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP field.

In the race, the car dropped two places at the start. Then van der Helm ran fast,
consistent laps as the team worked on a strategy to move the car up. At the first yellow,
Westbrook got in for the run to the finish. He worked his way up to 7th before getting
spun by another competitor. Later, he was involved in a typical Long Beach turn 11
traffic jam but fortunately didn’t lose position. Westbrook fought on to bring the car home
in 7th.

Quotes:

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

“We were very happy with our qualifying time, but it did put us back in the field due to
how incredibly tight the competition is in the GTP class. We got behind early in the
race, and with a short race like this, you just can’t make up the time. From a strategy
standpoint, there is only one pit stop and almost one-third of the race was run under
caution, so there just isn’t a lot to work with.

The team gave the drivers a very competitive car. The drivers drove a great race. The
pit crew did an incredibly fast pit stop. There was a stretch in the race where, for a
number of laps, Richard was the quickest car on the track. Some days things don’t work
the way you would like.”

Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“A little bit battered and bruised from a typical Long Beach Street fight. It’s very difficult
to plan for these races. They seem to just always turn into chaos. We worked really
hard on the weekend, and JDC gave us a really good car, very fast.

We didn’t quite get the run to the green flag at the start we would have liked. Then we
were a bit on the back foot, track position-wise, and it’s always challenging to make that
up in a hundred-minute race with several cautions. Another competitor tagged me from
behind, putting us back. Then we closed back up to the pack and showed that we had a
nice race car.

It’s just a shame that we couldn’t show it with the kind of result that we all deserved.
We worked really hard this weekend, and I have to thank the team for giving us another
great car to work with.

We need to turn that into results now, which will come. Hopefully, starting at Laguna
Seca.”

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

“Difficult race; we ended up in P7, where we also started. The good news is I think there
was more pace in the car. The way the race unfolded we didn’t get to use it.

There are some points to work on for the next race. I am looking forward to Laguna
Seca. We are getting all the pieces in place and should see results soon.”

In Preparation for Laguna Seca…

On Sunday after the race the team was invited to participate in the Porsche Experience
Center’s Morning Shift cars & coffee event displaying the 963. Following the Cars &
Coffee event, we were able to prep the car in the Porsche Motorsports shop for Laguna
Seca. Hundreds of Porsche fans got to see the JDC-Miller MotorSports team in action.


JDC-Miller MotorSports partners with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®for the remainder of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season

Katie Church on April 15, 2024

April 15, 2024

Savage, Minnesota

JDC-Miller MotorSports is honored to announce it will be partnering with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® for the remainder of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

The collaboration is possible thanks to a generous supporter of St. Jude and JDC-Miller MotorSports, who is dedicated to ending childhood cancer.

Watch for future announcements as we bring the power of St. Jude to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80%, and it won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live.

Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

Quotes:

John Church, Managing Partner, JDC-Miller MotorSports

“Our relationship with St. Jude began last June when we hosted Porsche Minneapolis and Porsche St. Paul at our facility for the 75th Anniversary of Porsche celebration. St. Jude was a key part of that effort, and our relationship was born. We take a lot of pride in being a very family-oriented organization, so it’s a natural fit. St. Jude is an impressive organization, and what they do is incredible. All of us at JDC-Miller MotorSports are very proud to support this effort.”

Amanda Cahow, Territory Vice President, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

“We continue to be amazed and humbled by the generous support of our donors at St. Jude. This new partnership with JDC-Miller MotorSports will allow for the St. Jude mission to continue to grow and showcases the hope that St. Jude families find comfort in when they hear the four most devastating words a parent can hear, “your child has cancer”. We are so grateful for the way JDC-Miller MotorSports embraced our fight against childhood cancer and look forward to what the future holds as we find cures and save children together.”

William Dunne, General Manager, Porsche Minneapolis and Porsche St. Paul

“Our Porsche dealerships have been in a partnership with St. Jude for over a decade. Two years ago, we established a relationship with JDC-Miller MotorSports after they announced that they would be racing the Porsche 963. This relationship has grown stronger over time, as they have become an integral part of our Porsche community.”

“Connecting a passionate Porsche enthusiast with St. Jude and JDC is rewarding, knowing the partnership will help cure childhood cancer worldwide. I’m excited about what we can do together.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP retires from the 72nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with left-rear axle issue

Katie Church on March 18, 2024

March 18, 2024

Savage, Minnesota

JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 GTP retired from the 2024 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the 6th hour with a left-rear driveshaft issue. The team put a strong car on the central Florida track all weekend, as demonstrated by setting the fastest overall time in Practice 2. They were optimistic for a strong finish when the issue occurred just past the halfway point of the race, completing 178 laps.

Through exceptional pit work from the crew, the JDC-Miller MotorSports team overcame being rear-ended in the left rear early in the race. They stayed on the lead lap and, in the ensuing hours, had worked their way up to leading the race shortly before the issue. With 58 cars on the 3.74-mile circuit, all three drivers carefully worked through the almost constant traffic while being fast and saving energy and tires for the late race charge. While disappointed with this finish, the team is very optimistic going forward to Long Beach and the rest of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship season. 

Quotes:

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

“It is disappointing to end the race this way.  We had a very competitive car all weekend. The drivers and pit crew were doing great work, and our strategy was solid. We were running consistent lap times in the heat of the day and were ready to make a run when it cooled off in the evening. The plan worked very well, and we all felt good about our chances before the driveshaft issue. 

We recovered well from an early hit on the left rear corner. Our Porsche 963 was hit very hard in the left rear, so we will determine whether the contact caused the failure or if something else caused it.”

Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Obviously, it is disappointing. What makes it worse is that we had such a good car. We were running with the leaders and, for much of the time, were the strongest Porsche. We recovered quickly from the early contact, and everything was going well.

Our car was very good for energy saving and a car that was good over a double-stint. We were all set for the fight at the end but never got to show just how fast we were.”

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

“I had a lot of pace. The car felt amazing, and it looked like we could get a nice finish here! But sometimes luck isn’t on your side, and that is racing. A big thank you to JDC-Miller MotorSports and my teammates Richard and Phil for their efforts, as well as to my sponsors, family, and, of course, all the fans.”

Phil Hanson, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Sadly, we had to retire the car due to a mechanical issue. Really disappointing end to our weekend as the car was flying and we were in the fight for a podium.”

JDC-Miller MotorSports ready for the 72nd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with the Porsche 963 GTP

Katie Church on March 10, 2024

March 7, 2024

Savage, Minnesota

JDC-Miller MotorSports is excited to return to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the
top class of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with the Porsche 963
GTP.

JDC-Miller MotorSports boasts a history of exceptionally strong performances at
Sebring, highlighted by an overall win in 2021. The team returned in 2022 and came up
a bit short with a runner-up finish. They also secured a 4th place finish in 2020. Last
year, they once again graced the podium, this time in the LMP3 class, while awaiting
the delivery of the Porsche 963.

Quotes:

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

“We’re thrilled to be back at Sebring in the top class, vying for the overall win, especially
with a car as capable as the Porsche 963. It’s a bit different this year carrying the
Porsche banner as Sebring has such a special place in Porsche’s storied history. It’s
humbling to see all those banners of Porsche victories along pit lane. We feel a
responsibility to do everything we can to extend that legacy.

Our team is seasoned with the unique challenges of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of
Sebring. We take great pride in our mastery of what it takes to perform at this classic
racetrack and the iconic 12-hour race. Sebring holds a special significance for our team.

We had a successful Sebring test last month, completing numerous laps without any
issues. Our drivers and crew boast significant Sebring and prototype experience, which
not only enhances our competitiveness in the race but also makes test sessions more
productive. Our Porsche 963 program has come together nicely, and I’m incredibly
proud of this team.”

Richard Westbrook, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“I can’t wait for Sebring. It’s possibly my favorite race of the year. It’s just one of those
classic events that has a very special atmosphere, steeped in tradition and history, and
I’ve had a lot of success there over the years. Managed to win it in 2013 and last time I
was with JDC in 2022, we came close to winning just missing out with a really good
runner-up finish. Would love to go one better, but as we all know, it’s a very different
venue to most tracks.

It’s extremely bumpy, which gives the engineers a lot of headaches in trying to set the
car up, but we had a good test there a few of weeks ago. We are going in quite
confident.”

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

“We had a good run at Daytona and I am really looking forward to the 12-hours of
Sebring. I’ve done the 12-hours twice before, once in WEC and last year with JDC in
the LMP3 car. This will be my first time in the top class and am really looking forward to
competing for the overall win.“

Phil Hanson, Driver, No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

“Coming off a solid Daytona, I am very excited to see what we can do at Sebring. The
JDC team has been working very hard to give us a strong package ahead of the
Sebring 12-hour and I am optimistic we will be in the fight. It’s been a few years since I
raced in the 12-hour, having been in the WEC paddock for the previous few years, I
can’t wait to be back in the IMSA pitlane this year.”

Westbrook: JDC-Miller Reunion Was Always on Radar

Katie Church on January 30, 2024

Richard Westbrook excited to return to JDC-Miller after year away racing for Cadillac in WEC…

by Jamie Klein for Sportscar365.com

January 25, 2024

Richard Westbrook says that a potential reunion with JDC-Miller Motorsports was always on his radar after sealing a deal with the Porsche customer outfit to return to full-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition.

After a season spent largely in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Cadillac in 2023, Westbrook is back in the WeatherTech Championship this year, sharing JDC-Miller’s customer Porsche 963 with Tijmen van der Helm for the full season.

Westbrook previously was part of JDC-Miller’s program in 2022 with a Cadillac DPi, which yielded podium finishes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Speaking about his return to the team, the 48-year-old revealed that he always considered it a strong possibility even after becoming a works Cadillac driver.

“I have a really good relationship with John [Church],” Westbrook told Sportscar365. “We had a really strong year in 2022, we were close to winning at Daytona, Sebring. 

“We always stayed in contact, and I felt when I left it wouldn’t be a final goodbye. 

“I’m really happy to be back in IMSA as well. The writing was on the wall (at Cadillac) and I was happy to get it done and be back where it feels like home.”

On his goals for the year, Westbrook says he is hoping that he and JDC-Miller can replicate the form they showed in 2022 and take the fight to the works GTP squads.

“My last year with JDC, there was a lot of promise but we fell off mid-season before coming back really strong at Petit Le Mans,” said Westbrook. “We were leading for a good chunk of the race until Loic [Duval] had an unfortunate accident.

“I want to pick up where we left off there, which is punching above our weight and taking it to the factory teams.

“It’s a huge task, because there’s so much work for these teams to do in GTP, which makes it even harder for the privateers, but JDC always punches above its weight.”

No Hard Feelings With How Cadillac Stint Ended

Westbrook shared Cadillac’s full-time WEC entry last year with Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, the highlight of the year being a third-place finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

However, the trio struggled for performance in subsequent races, only finishing 10th at Monza and Fuji before concluding the season in Bahrain out of the points in 11th.

Looking back on his season with Cadillac, Westbrook said he had no regrets at how his time with the American marque came to an end.

“You have to be realistic,” said the British driver. “It was a good year, we came away with a podium at Le Mans with a brand new car. 

“I wish we had been more competitive at the end of the year. We got stuck in a box a little bit, it was really difficult, especially against the [Le Mans] Hypercars in the WEC. It was a shame that we didn’t realise that early promise. 

“If it wasn’t for a couple of small issues, we genuinely could have fought for the win at Le Mans. So I have nothing but good memories and I wish them all the best.”

Westbrook also suggested that a return to the WeatherTech Championship appealed to him more over staying in the WEC for a second campaign.

“It was my first (full) year in WEC last year, and I’m not saying I don’t like it, but it’s a different mentality,” said Westbrook. 

“IMSA feels more like home, I’ve done it for so many years, I love it here. There was an opportunity to come back, and here I am.”