BATAVIA, Ohio — Wright Motorsports announced the expansion of its Porsche customer racing team to include a full-season entry in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen will race the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport with returning sponsors 1st Phorm, Mountain Motorsports, and Una Vida Tequila.
The idea to run in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge came from Hardwick after watching some of his fellow GTD competitors gain more track time in the support series each weekend. As race weekends were condensed in the 2020 season, seat time became even more valuable for Hardwick, the Am in the Pro/Am lineup with Patrick Long. Other GTD drivers such as Jan Heylen, Corey Lewis, Robby Foley, and Trent Hindman also participated in the Pilot Challenge’s GS class, earning valuable insight an experience to improve with every lap. Hardwick proposed the idea to team owner John Wright, and the pair met with Porsche Motorsport North America.
“We met with Porsche and came to the decision that it would be beneficial to everyone to have the manufacturer represented by a great customer racing team like Wright Motorsports,” said Wright. “Jan will be able to continue his strong driving record in the series, and Ryan will be able to gain more experience to continue to improve his progression in GTD. We know they’ll be a strong pairing and we’ll take full advantage of the extra time on track.”