BATAVIA, Ohio, (December 7, 2019) — As 2019 wanes, Wright Motorsports is charging into the 2020 cars racing season at complete speed, revealing a 2 cars and truck go back to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion. Wright Motorsports newbie Ryan Hardwick and Porsche Factory motorist Patrick Long will be the full season drivers of the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R, sponsored by leading sports nutrition business 1st Phorm and bike and powersports retailer Mountain Motorsports. The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion will start in January with the Holler Before the 24 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Fresh off his rookie season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion, the 2020 season will see Hardwick go back to the GTD class in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. Announced in October, the 2018 Super Trofeo and SRO America GT Cup champ will bring 1st Phorm and Mountain Motorsports to the Wright program and the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I am actually counting down the days up until the green flag waves at the Rolex 24 in Daytona,” said an eager Hardwick. “I could not be more fired up about how things came together throughout the off season with Wright Motorsports and Porsche Motorsport The United States And Canada. This group is truly where I belong. I immediately felt comfortable and best at home with these guys. I’m also very stoked to have the opportunity to share the chauffeur seat this season with Patrick Long. As a long period of time Porsche enthusiast, I’ve been a fan and watched Pat complete for years. Getting the opportunity to really race together with and learn straight from him, is a real honor. Daytona can’t come soon enough. I’m all set to get after it!”
Going Back To Wright Motorsports for another year of competitors, Patrick Long will continue to race with the fan favorite Porsche group. The three-time ALMS GT champion likewise holds three Pirelli World Difficulty titles, and presently has an impressive 27 wins in IMSA, putting him in the leading 25 of over 1,000 motorists to earn a minimum of one victory in the series throughout the years. Long’s impressive resume, integrated with his longstanding relationship with team owner John Wright will offer the team a strong upper hand against the remainder of the competition in the GTD class.
“We understand the design of consistency gets you in champion contention, but large efficiency and success are most likely going to have the final say,” said Long.”I revel the opportunity to install an obstacle for a title, however I believe we remain in the most competitive era of GT racing this country has ever seen. I actually like where we wound up in 2018 with Wright Motorsports in IMSA with our GTD effort. It’s excellent to return into the groove and the plan is to get where we left off. Ryan is a refreshing character and he seems as driven and focused as any motorist on the grid, pro or not. That’s an excellent combination and I like where we have had the ability to get as colleagues in an extremely short period of time. I am grateful to our partners in believing in our mix of a driving set.”
The No. 16 Porsche will include a predominately black, blue, and grey livery, with the conventional Wright Motorsports chevron showcasing the streaming design of the 550 horse power rear-engine machine. The unique first Phorm blue will set the cars and truck apart from the field through the duration of the twelve race season.
Among 4 classes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion, the GTD class will race the full 2020 calendar, going to the best race courses The United States and Canada needs to use. The No. 16 Porsche will complete in 4 endurance rounds: The Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Provided by Advance Auto Parts, the Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen and Motul Petit Le Mans. The additional chauffeurs for the Michelin Stamina Cup events will be announced at a later date. The remaining 8 rounds will be comprised of shorter sprint races, where Hardwick and Long will be the only chauffeurs to share the wheel during the race. The season will formally begin January 23-26 with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the longest occasion on the 2020 schedule. For more details, go to wrightmotorsports.com and imsa.com.
< img src="https://patricklong.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-09-at-8.59.15-AM.png 882w, https://patricklong.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Screen-Shot-2019-12-09-at-8.59.15-AM-300x183.png 300w" alt="Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 8.59.15 AM" width="882" height="539"/ >
