Newgarden and Vanthoor Take on Endurance Driver Roles in Team’s Porsche 963s
August 21, 2023
By Mark Robinson
IMSA Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season champion Laurens Vanthoor will both make their Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) debuts in Porsche Penske Motorsport machinery in October’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The team announced today that Newgarden, who drives fulltime for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series, will join full-season drivers Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 at Michelin Raceway for the 2023 season finale. Vanthoor, who drives a PPM Porsche 963 this year in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), returns to the WeatherTech Championship where he’ll partner with Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy in the No. 6 Porsche 963. Each of the PPM cars have won once in this inaugural season for the hybrid-electrified GTP class. With two races remaining, the No. 6 Porsche is fourth in the class standings and the No. 7 is seventh. Newgarden, the two-time IndyCar Series champion, made his WeatherTech Championship debut in January, co-driving a Tower Motorsports Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) entry to fifth place in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Tennessee native is eager for his first chance to race in a GTP. “I have a lot of respect and admiration for both the Penske and Porsche brands, and the combination between the two through Porsche Penske Motorsport is a dream scenario for any racing car driver and is an absolute honor to be a part of,” Newgarden said. “Watching the dedicated teams build this program from the ground up over the last couple of years has been exciting to watch, and seeing both Porsche 963s get wins this year and compete for championships shows that all the hard work has paid off. My goal is to add to the program and help support the tremendous efforts that Porsche Penske Motorsport has put in place. With some good fortune, I’m sure we can turn effort into results together.” Vanthoor and co-driver Earl Bamber won the 2019 GT Le Mans (GTLM) class championship driving for the Porsche GT Team. The Belgian also captured the 2021 GT Daytona (GTD) title with co-driver Zacharie Robichon, driving the Pfaff Motorsports 911 GT3 R. This March, Vanthoor teamed with Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet to win the GTD PRO class of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the Pfaff Porsche. Vanthoor was also part of the PPM entry that captured the team’s first WEC podium finish in the Hypercar class, at Portimao, Portugal. “I’m really excited to compete with the team’s IMSA program and help them wrap up their season, as they try and attain both the team and manufacturer championships,” Vanthoor said. “I feel like my experience at the track will help, and working closely with Nick, Mathieu and the entire team will help myself gain even more perspective of the overall organization as we wrap up the WEC season in Bahrain at the beginning of October.” Jonathan Diuguid, PPM managing director, believes Newgarden and Vanthoor bring valuable assets to the team’s efforts for the finale. “Laurens has raced at Road Atlanta in the Porsche 911 RSR and he will be able to add his experience from racing in the WEC for PPM,” Diuguid said. “Josef brings a different dynamic as this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner; it will be something very exciting for the team as well as himself. “Josef has increased his exposure to sports car racing already in 2023 with a test in the Team Penske LMP2, as well as raced in Daytona in 2023. In addition, he got his first exposure to the 963 in early June at Road America. With several testing days for the team at Road Atlanta, we are confident that both Laurens and Josef will be fully prepared to deliver for the team and have a positive result in the final race of the season.” Race week at Motul Petit Le Mans runs Oct. 11-14. The 10-hour race airs live Saturday, Oct. 14 on a combination of Peacock and USA Network. Tickets are available at roadatlanta.com. |
