Porsche to Reenter IMSA Prototype Class
Porsche Motorsport and Team Penske have agreed to collaborate in fielding the new LMDh prototype in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship beginning in 2023, the German manufacturer announced. The partnership also includes an entry in the FIA WEC World Endurance Championship.
Under the name of Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team will field two LMDh prototypes in the top class of each of the racing series. The contract between the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart and the US racing team will run for a number of years, Porsche said.
The prototypes will also be entered by Porsche customer teams in both championships as early as 2023. The cars, which weigh approximately 2,204 lbs. (1,000 kg) and are based on an LMP2 chassis, are powered by a 680-horsepower hybrid drivetrain.
“We are delighted that we were able to get Team Penske to form this partnership,” says Oliver Blume, chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “For the first time in the history of Porsche Motorsport, our company will have a global team competing in the world’s two largest endurance series. To this end, we will be setting up team bases on both sides of the Atlantic. This will enable us to create the optimal structures we will need to take overall victories at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring, for example.”
“This is a proud day for our entire Penske organization. We have represented Porsche on the track or in our businesses for more than six decades. The heritage and success we have enjoyed together is unparalleled throughout our history,” comments Roger Penske. “I can’t wait to get started as we build a global racing program with Porsche that will compete for wins and championships well into the future.”
Porsche Motorsport will be operating a team base in the USA together with Team Penske at the American team’s headquarters in Mooresville in the State of North Carolina.
The deal is a renewal of a past partnership between the two companies. With the Porsche RS Spyder, Team Penske had taken all the titles in the IMSA LMP2 class for three years in succession between 2006 and 2008. Back in the 1970s, the US-based team had already been successful with the legendary Porsche 917 in the Can-Am series.
