JDC-Miller Expands into Prototype with Oreca 07

Image: JDC/Miller Motorsports

JDC-Miller Motorsports will expand into the Prototype class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year, confirming Thursday the purchase of an Oreca 07 Gibson LMP2 car.

The Minneapolis-based squad becomes the first American team to commit to ORECA’s 2017-spec LMP2 car, while also reaffirming plans to continue in the Prototype Challenge class with its Oreca FLM09 next year.

Drivers have yet to be confirmed for either program but Misha Goikhberg, Stephen Simpson and Chris Miller will remain with the team.

“All of our current drivers will be part of the new LMP2 program in some form in 2017 and beyond,” team co-owner John Church said.

“Additionally, we obviously have great talents in our Mazda Prototype Lites program with Austin Versteeg and Clark Toppe who we would love to move into our recently announced P3 (PC1 class) program for 2017.

“We have also had several conversations with a number of other potential drivers for the 2017 LMP2 program.”

The team expects to debut its new LMP2 car at the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona in December, ahead of private testing leading up to the Roar Before the 24 in January.

“This is a very exciting program for 2017 and we felt this was the right time to move into the P2 class,” Church added. “We are confident in ORECA and feel they share our vision and goals.

“We have had a very strong relationship with them over the past three years. Clearly our long-term goal is to become part of a DPi manufacturer program in the future.”

JDC-Miller becomes the third PC team to signal intentions of moving up to the P class, following PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports’ announcement, and the purchase of a Riley Mk. 30 from Starworks Motorsport.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John