BATAVIA, Ohio – Wright Motorsports will campaign two Porsche 911 GT3 R race cars in North American competition for the 2020 season.
The two-car program will see new partners 1st Phorm and Mountain Motorsports brought on board with Ryan Hardwick and the return of Henry Repeating Arms with Wright Motorsports regular Anthony Imperato.
“I’m very pleased to welcome 1st Phorm, Mountain Motorsports and their driver, Ryan Hardwick to the Wright Motorsports team for 2020, along with the continuation of our partnership with Henry Repeating Arms and their driver, Anthony Imperato,” said Wright Motorsports Principal, John Wright. “Securing the new partnerships with 1st Phorm and Mountain Motorsports so early in the game allows us to focus on early preparations for the 2020 season. Having the support of world class companies like these, along with longstanding partnerships like Porsche Motorsport North America, says that we are here to win races. We’re eager to come back strong with the Porsche 911 GT3 R.”
Leading sports nutrition company, 1st Phorm and Mountain Motorsports – one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation – will come on board as the team’s newest sponsors for 2020. 1st Phorm is familiar with the motorsports scene, having served as the title sponsor of Gold Rush Rally for six years, in addition to their partnership with Hardwick through his various sports car racing endeavors.
“I’m excited to be racing with Porsche because they represent the pursuit and commitment to perfection in all areas of their company,” said 1st Phorm President and CEO, Andy Frisella. “This is a core commitment both our companies share and it’s great to be aligned with a company that has represented that commitment for decades.”
Though new to Porsches race cars, Hardwick has amassed an exceptional amount of experience in his very short sports car racing career. In his first year of competition, he earned the runner-up championship in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final, only to best that with both the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Championship and SRO America Championship in 2018.
This year, the 1st Phorm athlete campaigned the first five IMSA WeatherTech Championship events, earning a podium at Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course before getting sidelined due to injury. He’ll return fresh for the 2020 season with the Wright Motorsports team.
“John Wright and Wright Motorsports have been longtime members of the Porsche family,” said Daniel Armbruster, President and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America. “Through the team’s performance and professional approach, Wright Motorsports has become a true representative of the Porsche brand and has been an entry point for many into the Porsche way of racing. We are very pleased to see Ryan Hardwick join Wright and Porsche for the 2020 race season. Having competed against Ryan on the track, we look forward to him racing the Porsche 911 GT3 R rather than against it. We believe this will be a great combination of driver, team and manufacturer.”
The 2020 season will also see the return of Henry Repeating Arms and Imperato for their fifth consecutive year racing Porsches under the Wright Motorsports banner. After three years of success in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, Imperato has climbed the ranks to GT3 competition with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. This season, Imperato has enjoyed success and a multitude of podiums campaigning in the full SRO America Championship and select IMSA WeatherTech Championship rounds paired with Porsche Young Professionals, Matt Campbell and Dennis Olsen.
The team has not yet made a decision on what series they will participate in for the 2020 season.