Wright One. No. 16 Represents Porsche in Michelin Pilot Challenge at Sebring.
The 2021 race season looked like it was off to a strong start for Wright Motorsports in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Daytona International Speedway in January. However, an incident in the second practice sidelined the team for the first race of the season. Despite this, the Ohio-based operation has rallied and will have the only entry for the German marque in the two-hour road-car based GT4 series on Friday, March 19 at Sebring International Raceway. The No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport will carry the Porsche banner in the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 with full-season driver Jan Heylen (Belgium) and Max Root (San Diego, California).
Root is not new to the John Wright-led operation having raced in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama in the past. In 2020, the young driver celebrated the SRO GT World Challenge America Am championship title with Wright Motorsports in a Porsche 911 GT3 R race car. In addition to sharing the 718 Cayman Clubsport cockpit with Heylen, Root was announced to pilot the Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the inaugural season of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America as well.
Root will replace Ryan Hardwick (Atlanta, Georgia) for this round only, as Hardwick shifts his focus to the next race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, scheduled for May 14 – 16. Heylen and Root, now a Porsche Junior Program driver, previously drove together in the 2020 Indianapolis 8 Hour, where the pair with Fred Poordad, secured a class victory in the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The entry list for the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 boasts a competitive field of 19 other GS class entries and 15 TC class entries. The field will take the green flag on Friday, March 19 at 2:25 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live on IMSA.tv or the NBC SportsGold TrackPass app, with additional live coverage provided by IMSA Radio.
Jan Heylen, Driver, No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
“Unfortunately, we had to miss Daytona, but we’re excited to get the season going and hopefully score some good points towards our championship fight. We’re blessed to have Ryan and his partners as part of the team and their continued support, and I’m excited to getting back in the car with him at our next event. For Sebring, Max will be stepping in to replace Ryan. Max has been with Wright Motorsports for the last couple of years, so he was the obvious pick for the seat, and we know he will be a great fit with mega speed. I look forward to working with him and hopefully we’ll find ourselves in a place to fight for a podium.”
Max Root, Driver, No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
“I’m excited to be joining Wright Motorsports and their Michelin Pilot Challenge 1st Phorm GT4 program with Jan Heylen as my co-driver. Sebring is an amazing track for the Porsche. This is going to be a fantastic weekend I believe all the preparation that John and everyone at REI Motorsports has put into this program that's going to set us up for success. We are going to keep our heads down, we're going to respect the bumps, and I look forward to getting out there in my first GT4 race.”