- Porsche Penske Motorsport heads to Sebring as the championship leader
- Frédéric Makowiecki and Matt Campbell reinforce driver crews
- Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports customer-run 963 compete
- AO Racing contests GTD Pro class with the Porsche 911 GT3 R
- Porsche tackles the 12-hour race in Florida as the record winner
Porsche Penske Motorsport is determined to continue its impressive streak in the 2024 season. After clinching wins at the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in Daytona and at the first race of this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship WEC in Qatar, the works team now heads to Sebring with two Porsche 963. At the tradition-steeped 12-hour classic in the US state of Florida, the regular drivers will be supported by their works driver colleagues Frédéric Makowiecki from France and Australia’s Matt Campbell. The customer teams Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports will tackle the top GTP category with two more 508 kW (691 PS) Porsche 963 race cars. In the two GT classes, a total of four Porsche 911 GT3 R from seasoned customer squads will face fierce competition.
With 18 victories, Porsche is the undisputed record winner of the legendary 12-hour race in Central Florida. After its success at the season opener in Daytona, the works team travels to Sebring leading the manufacturers’, team and drivers’ standings. Porsche also currently leads the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup manufacturers’ standings. This additional long-distance championship includes the longest races of the season – in Sebring and Daytona as well as the Watkins Glen and Indianapolis races and the season finale, “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta.
“Our team has gained a lot of confidence on both sides of the Atlantic at the start of the 2024 season,” grins Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We can’t afford to rest on our laurels following our successes in Daytona and most recently the FIA WEC opener in Qatar. The team, car and driver squad are at the absolute top of their game – we’ve clearly shown that. Nevertheless, Sebring poses a serious challenge. The track characteristics are very different from Daytona or Qatar. Sebring is always a test of stamina for both man and machine – nothing comes for free there. We have to work with total concentration, be strategically clever and do a flawless job.”
“It was fantastic to start the 2024 season with wins in both the IMSA Championship and the World Endurance Championship,” explains Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “We’re relieved to see that our measures to improve the team processes and the car are working. Due to the unique features of the Sebring circuit, the cards will be reshuffled. Despite our recent successes, we’re not the favourites at the starting line. Anything is possible in the IMSA endurance races – we saw that last year: Despite a lack of pace, we were suddenly on course for victory shortly before the chequered flag, only to lose it all. The pendulum can swing so quickly in either direction, we’re acutely aware of that.”
“Porsche Penske Motorsport had a dream start to the 2024 racing season,” states Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “As we focus towards the second round of the IMSA championship, the 12 Hours of Sebring brings a different set of challenges. The start of 2024 shows that our hard work in the winter months paid off, but racing never stops and our competitors are working hard. We have taken learnings from Daytona and Qatar and had strong test days in Sebring so there’s no reason we can’t continue to raise our game and strive for another race win. Our team and drivers are looking forward to riding the bumps with our 963s for twelve hours and pushing for the top step of the podium.“
The race
The revered endurance race in Sebring is considered the ultimate endurance challenge for man and machine and also the perfect preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. At no other circuit on the racing calendar does the technology have to withstand such high loads. One reason is the nature of the storied racetrack on the former military airfield. About a third of the racetrack consists of concrete slabs, with the hefty bumps posing a unique challenge. Due to this special feature, the racetrack is often mentioned on social media with the hashtag #RespectTheBumps.
The 12-hour race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on the 6.02-kilometre Sebring International Raceway will be held for the 72nd time. With 18 overall wins, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer at this long-distance classic. The last triumph for a racing car from Weissach was in 2008. Timo Bernhard from Germany and the two Frenchmen Romain Dumas and Emmanuel Collard won at the wheel of the Penske team’s Porsche RS Spyder against an armada of more powerful LMP1 prototypes. With a win in Sebring, the Penske team would achieve another milestone: To date, Porsche’s American partner team has notched up a total of 99 victories and 99 pole positions in sports car racing.
The works cars
Three works drivers will crew each of the two Porsche 963 race cars fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport in the 12-hour race. Mathieu Jaminet from France and Nick Tandy from Great Britain will share the wheel of the No. 6 car with Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki. Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Dane Cameron from the USA will receive reinforcement from the Daytona and Bathurst winner Matt Campbell in the No. 7 sister car. The Australian also recently clinched the first pole position for the Porsche 963 in the World Endurance Championship in Qatar.
The customer teams
In the top GTP class, the customer teams JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition field one Porsche 963 each. In the German team’s No. 5 car, works driver Gianmaria Bruni from Italy will share the cockpit with former Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer from France and Belgian Alessio Picariello. In the JDC-Miller MotorSports car (No. 85), Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands and the seasoned pro Richard Westbrook (UK) will be the regular drivers. They receive support at the endurance race in Florida from Phil Hanson (UK).
AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R will contest the GTD Pro category. Former Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich from Germany and Briton Sebastian Priaulx are the regular drivers in the No. 77 car. In Sebring, they can count on support from works driver Michael Christensen from Denmark. In the GTD class, the customer teams Andretti Motorsports, MDK Motorsports and Wright Motorsports will each enter one of the GT3 racing cars from Weissach producing up to 416 kW (565 PS). Klaus Bachler, among others, will compete for MDK. The Austrian recently won the LMGT3 class in Qatar at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey PureRxcing.
An overview of the drivers and teams
GTP class (Porsche 963):
Proton Competition #5: Gianmaria Bruni (I) / Alessio Picariello (B) / Julien Andlauer (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Mathieu Jaminet (F) / Nick Tandy (UK) / Frédéric Makowiecki (F)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Dane Cameron (USA) / Felipe Nasr (BR) / Matt Campbell (AUS)
JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Tijmen van der Helm (NL) / Richard Westbrook (UK) / Phil Hanson (UK)
GTD Pro class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
AO Racing #77: Laurin Heinrich (D) / Sebastian Priaulx (UK) / Michael Christensen (DK)
GTD class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Andretti Motorsports #43: Jarett Andretti (USA) / Gabby Chaves (COL) / Scott Hargrove (CDN)
MDK Motorsports #86: Anders Fjordbach (DK) / Kerong Li (CHN) / Klaus Bachler (A)
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA) / Elliott Skeer (USA) / Jan Heylen (B)
