Phil Hanson will join JDC-Miller MotorSports 963 GTP program for all five 2024 Michelin Endurance Cup events in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Hanson, 24, has had an impressive career in endurance racing, becoming the first driver to win the FIA World Endurance Championship (LMP2), European Le Mans Series, and the Le Mans 24 Hours (LMP2) all in the same year.
“JDC-Miller MotorSports is very pleased to announce Phil Hanson will be driving our Porsche 963 GTP in the 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events,” said John Church, JDC-Miller MotorSports’ managing partner. “We have been following Phil’ career for quite some time and his accomplishments are very impressive. He is a proven winner at the top levels of sports car racing and will be a great addition to the team.
“It will be fun to see what Phil can accomplish in a Porsche 963 GTP. JDC-Miller MotorSports is excited to take Phil to success at the next level of his already impressive career.”
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The British driver is the youngest driver ever to win an FIA WEC title, the youngest British driver to win LMP2 at Le Mans, the youngest Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 champion, the youngest European Le Mans Series outright race winner, and youngest outright Asian Le Mans Series championship winner. So far this season, Hanson has recorded three podium finishes in the FIA WEC and taken a victory in the European Le Mans Series, and is no stranger to IMSA racing, having already raced in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 6 Hours of The Glen.
“I’m very excited to be joining JDC Miller Motorsport for the 2024 IMSA endurance races!” declared Hanson. “After my first taste of IMSA back in 2018, I am thrilled to be back in the IMSA paddock and above all, to be making my debut in the GTP class with JDC’s 963 Porsche. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve.”
Ahead of the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, JDC-Miller MotorSports was the first customer team selected to run the Porsche 963. Entered in the series GTP class, it has already scored four top-five finishes so far this season, despite running a partial campaign that didn’t begin until the fourth round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“We are very proud of what JDC-Miller MotorSports achieved in their first season of racing the Porsche 963,” said Volker Holzmeyer, president and CEO for Porsche Motorsport North America. “They were the first to make the commitment to take on the challenge of customer racing in the GTP class. Each week we learned more together, and I see no reason this won’ continue into 2024.
“To attract a driver the caliber of Philip Hanson to the team speaks well of the program that has been built. I think we will see the true potential of customer race teams show against the works programs in the class. This is like what we saw in the 1980s with the 962 and that speaks well for the future.”
JDC-Miller MotorSports has at least one more spot in the driver roster to fill. This season Mike Rockenfeller and Tijmen van der Helm drover the yellow No. 5 963; van der Helm has not been confirmed as returning, and Rockenfeller next season will be driving with Multimatic in the new Ford Mustang GT3 in GTD PRO.