BATAVIA, Ohio. (June 22, 2021) – After a rare weekend of no racing, Wright Motorsports is back in action this weekend at Watkins Glen International for an action-packed event. The Ohio-based Porsche customer racing team will field five entries across the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge, and Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.
IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Headlining the weekend’s festivities, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen will feature 40 entries from five classes. The No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R with drivers Patrick Long, Trent Hindman, and Jan Heylen will compete against 13 other entries in the GTD class. Over the course of the race, pit stop strategy, the speed of driver changes, and performance on track will be crucial keys to ultimate success. The six-hour event is the third of four endurance races in the full season calendar, known as the Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC). Wright Motorsports currently sits second in the MEC, following strong performances at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Twelve Hours of Sebring. The team also stands third in the full season point standings and looks to be a strong contender this weekend. Last season, the team never finished outside the top four in each of the four MEC race events.
As announced last week, the full-season lineup has undergone changes, with Ryan Hardwick stepping out of the GTD program to fully focus on his Michelin Pilot Challenge efforts. This weekend will mark Trent Hindman’s third race with the team, and his first as the full-time driver for the remainder of the season alongside Porsche Factory driver Patrick Long.
The field will take the green flag on Sunday, June 27 at 10:30 AM Eastern, and the race will air live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS, and tape-delayed on NBCSN at 7:00 PM ET. IMSA Radio will also offer their comprehensive commentary live, and fans outside the US can check IMSA’s international coverage for their listings by country. Live timing of all the sessions will be available on livescoring.us.
DRIVER QUOTES
Patrick Long
Watkins Glen is such an iconic track with a storied past on a world level. What doesn’t come through by watching it on TV is just how fast of a track it is. The stakes are high here and it is super rewarding when the car is tuned right and the driver is on song. But it is also one of the most difficult tracks I have ever been to in my career.
I really like the six-hour format. It blends the best of both worlds, of sprint and endurance. It will be a hard push from the start but with a few more pit stops and more strategic choices, it adds to the spectacle. Having Trent [Hindman] on board for the remainder of the season is really rewarding. He is a star in the making. It is fun to go racing like this, with friends like Johnny Wright, Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, and Trent. Working with people you are really inspired by is special.”
Trent Hindman
Massive thank you to John and the entire Wright Motorsports team, 1st Phorm, and Ryan Hardwick for having me back in the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R. It’s been an honor to work with this team, Patrick, and Jan throughout Daytona and Sebring. I’m grateful to be back in an extended capacity.
It’s our first time back to Watkins Glen since 2019. The time spent away from this racetrack should pose a strong challenge to all teams upon returning this week. Fortunately, the excellent preparation by the Wright Motorsports team gives us confidence that we’ll be in the fight for the win.
Jan Heylen
We had a good test a few weeks ago and the team is really well prepared. There’s been a driver change which was Ryan’s decision, but I know I’ll miss him in the car. He’s the reason we’re there and Ryan’s the guy that put the program together, so not to have him in the car is definitely going feel a little weird and take some time to get used to. We owe a big thank you to Ryan and 1st Phorm for all of their support, We have Trent, who will step in for Ryan and do a great job. It’ll be great to have him back. This may not be our strongest track, but with the driver lineup we have, we’ll come away with some good points and keep our eye on the championship. We’re excited to be here and it will be a busy weekend for all of us.