 | |
| Founded | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | John Wright |
| Base | Batavia,Ohio, United States |
| Teamprincipal(s) | John Wright |
| Current series | IMSA SportsCar Championship GT World Challenge America |
| Current drivers | IMSA SportsCar Championship: 120.  Adam Adelson Elliott Skeer Jan Heylen Frédéric MakowieckiGT World Challenge America: 120. Adam Adelson Elliott Skeer |
| Website | https://www.wrightmotorsports.com/ |
Wright Motorsports is an Americansports car racing team that currently competes in theGTD class of theIMSA SportsCar Championship and in the Pro Cup class in theGT World Challenge America series.[1][2] The team was founded in 2000 by John Wright.[3]
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Wright Motorsports was founded in 2000 by John Wright.[3]
In 2015, Wright Motorsports joined the then namedUnited SportsCar Championship. The team fielded aPorsche 911 GT America in the GTD class forJan Heylen andMadison Snow.Patrick Dempsey andPhilipp Eng would join Heylen and Snow at the season opening2015 24 Hours of Daytona. Their best result would come in Daytona where they would finish third in class.
After a three-year hiatus, the team returned to the series for the2018 IMSA SportsCar Championship.[4] They signedPatrick Long andChristina Nielsen to drive their No. 58Porsche 911 GT3 R. Robert Renauer andMatheiu Jaminet would join for the Patron North American Endurance Cup events.[5] The team also entered a second Porsche, the No. 16, Wolf Henzler and Michael Schein atMid-Ohio,Detroit, andCanadian Tire Motorsport Park.[6] AtRoad America, the team got their second pole position in a row and went on to get their first win in the championship. They would finish sixth in the GTD class of the championship.
Wright Motorsports would not contest the full2019 IMSA SportsCar Championship, however, they would return to the series atLime Rock Park once again fielding aPorsche 911 GT3 R.[7] The team signed Anthony Imperato,Matt Campbell, andDennis Olsen. Imperato and Olsen would return to the team to compete in the next round atRoad America.
For the2020 season, Wright Motorsports would return to field the No. 16Porsche 911 GT3 R in theGTD class for Ryan Hardwick andPatrick Long.[8] Klaus Bachler and Anthony Imperato would complete the team's lineup atDaytona for the24 Hours of Daytona. The team would secure a fourth place finish in GTD at Daytona.Jan Heylen would return to the team for the remainder of theMichelin Endurance Cup. At the final race of the season atSebring, they would start on pole position and go on to win their first and only win of that season.[9] The No. 16 would finish second in the GTD teams championship behind the No. 86Meyer Shank Racing withCurb-Agajanian entry.
In December 2020, Wright Motorsports announced that they would field the No. 16Porsche 911 GT3 R forPatrick Long and Ryan Hardwick in the2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship.[10] Hardwick sustained a concussion after a crash competing in theMichelin Pilot Challenge. As a result, the team replaced Hardwick forTrent Hindman.[11]Jan Heylen andKlaus Bachler would return to the team for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Hindman would remain with the team for the second round atSebring as Hardwick elected to sit out for safety reasons.[12] Hardwick would make his team debut atMid-Ohio, however that would be his only start during the season. Long, Hindman, and Heylen continued with the team for the rest of the season. Despite not competing at every round of the championship, the team still finished fourth in theGTD class.
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After winning the2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge, Wright Motorsports elected to bring the entire driver lineup that season up to the2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship.[13] Their lineup consisted of Ryan Hardwick,Jan Heylen, andZacharie Robichon.Richard Lietz would join the team for the2022 24 Hours of Daytona.[14] The No. 16Porsche 911 GT3 R qualified 11th for the opening race atDaytona, but the team went on to win the race in the GTD class, securing their first ever win at the 24 Hours of Daytona.[15] The No. 16 got its second win of the year atLaguna Seca.[16] Wright Motorsports was in a tight battle for the championship in GTD with theHeart of Racing Team all season. The No. 16 ultimately came up short, finishing second in the championship, just 23 points shy of the title. The No. 16 would have most likely won the championship had they not missed theChevrolet Grand Prix atCanadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Following a successful season in 2022, the team expanded to a two car effort for2023 in theGTD class.[17][18] Hardwick, Heylen, and Robichon would all remain in the No. 16Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). For the second entry, Wright Motorsports partnered with Volt Racing to field the No. 77 for Alan Brynjolfsson,Trent Hindman, and Maxwell Root. Dennis Olsen andKévin Estre joined the Nos. 16 and 77 respectively for the2023 24 Hours of Daytona.[19][20] The No. 77 would finish 8th in the GTD team's championship while the No. 16 finished 17th due to only starting four races that season.
The team overhauled its lineup for the2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship, bringing inGT World Challenge America duo Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer to pilot the No. 120Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) at theMichelin Endurance Cup rounds.[21]Jan Heylen would join Adelson and Skeer at select races during the season, and Porsche factory driverFrédéric Makowiecki joined the team atDaytona. For the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona, Wright Motorsports partnered withApple Original Films and film directorJoseph Kosinski to be a part of the upcomingF1 film starringBrad Pitt.[22][23] The No. 120 was decked out in a one-off livery withGEICO andPeak Antifreeze sponsorship logos of the fictional Chip Hart Racing team from the film. Filming cars were provided with fictional names from the film on the car; Sonny Hayes (Pitt), "C. Kelso", and formerPorsche factory driverPatrick Long. The actual No. 120 had the real drivers' names on the car. In the second race atSebring, the team would finish on the podium in third.[24] This marked Adelson's and Skeer's first podium in the championship.
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)
* Season still in progress.
