Mueller Rejoins JDC-Miller for Indianapolis, Petit

Nico Mueller will return to JDC-Miller Motorsports’ customer Porsche 963 for the remainder of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, coming in to replace Gianmaria Bruni for the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Motul Petit Le Mans.

The Porsche factory driver will partner up with team regular Tijmen van der Helm aboard the No. 85 car for the two remaining races, which are also Michelin Endurance Cup rounds.

Mueller steps back into the JDC-Miller fold after contesting the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with the Minnesota-based team back in March.

Since then, he has also raced the 963 in the FIA World Endurance Championship, joining Porsche Penske Motorsport as a third driver for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and then acting as the team’s reserve for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“I am very excited to be back with JDC-Miller Motorsports after our race together earlier this season at Sebring,” said Mueller.

“We demonstrated good pace and great potential during the 12-hour event. I’m looking forward to building on that performance straight away.

“Hopefully, I can help the team make further progress in the two races at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta.

“I’m really excited to compete in these endurance races with this amazing team. I’m familiar with Indianapolis because, in 2021, I took part in an 8-hour GT3 race there.

“I haven’t raced at Road Atlanta yet, so I’m eager to get my first experience on that fantastic track.

“Petit Le Mans is on every driver’s bucket list, so I’m truly excited about this opportunity.

“We’re going to give it our best effort to achieve some good results for JDC-Miller Motorsports.”

Tuesday’s announcement made no mention of Bruni, who has contested every WeatherTech Championship round with the team so far this season.

JDC-Miller’s No. 85 car is set to be the sole customer Porsche GTP car on the grid at next week’s six-hour race at Indianapolis, with Proton Competition ruled out for the event due to the chassis damage its car sustained during the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen.

“I’m really pleased to have Nico back with us to wrap-up the season,” said team principal John Church.

“He was a great fit with the team when he was with us at Sebring. Got up to speed with the 963 very quickly, which is not an easy thing to do.

“We think he will give us that little bit of extra pace we are looking for.

“We finished this race third last year, so our goal is to move up a step or two.”