MacNeil to Run Remaining European Le Mans Series Races

Cooper MacNeil will be running the remaining five European Le Mans Series (ELMS) races with co-drivers Christian Ried (Germany) and Gianmaria “Gimmi” Bruni (Italy) in the No. 77 WeatherTech Racing Porsche RSR.

The combination of WeatherTech Racing and Proton Competition will have MacNeil expand the winning relationship into the ELMS for the remaining races at the Red Bull Ring, Le Castellet, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, and Portimao with Ried’s team.

“I’m looking forward to doing the remaining ELMS races,” MacNeil said. “Unfortunately, I had to miss the first one due to a conflict, but I will be at the remaining five with Proton in the No. 77 WeatherTech Racing Porsche RSR with Gimmi and Christian. I am looking forward to learning some new tracks and getting more seat time in the 911 RSR."

“We came up with the idea to run ELMS based on the fact that there are three races before Le Mans in August. So, getting more seat time in the 911 RSR under ELMS race conditions is the best way to do it. It was an easy decision as there are no conflicts with either IMSA or Ferrari Challenge. This takes some of the pressure off of the team to travel to the U.S. for testing and all of the issues that brings.”

For Ried it is a natural progression of the relationship. “We’ve had a good start in IMSA with the win at Sebring and we finished second in the first ELMS race. We will run Le Mans together, so getting Cooper more seat time in the Porsche 911 RSR with a lot of the competition he will see on the track at La Sarthe will only help him. I am looking forward to sharing the car with him this summer in ELMS.”

The first outing for MacNeil, Ried, and Bruni will be at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, May 15-16.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM cars are in a three-month break with the next event being the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, June 24-27.