Wright Set for Full Season Return With Up to Two Porsche Evos

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

Wright Motorsports is set for a full-time return to GT World Challenge America powered by AWS next year, with as many as two customer Porsche 911 GT3 R Evos according to chief operating officer Bobby Viglione.

The Ohio-based team, which is making its series comeback in this weekend’s Indianapolis 8 Hour with an unchanged lineup of Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer and Laurin Heinrich in the Pro class to last year’s class-winning effort, is also fielding a customer entry for Intercontinental GT Challenge Independent Cup co-points leader Antares Au.

Viglione, however, revealed that plans are being put in place for a two-car effort with a pair of brand-new Evo-spec Porsches.

“I don’t want to say it’s [100 percent for sure] happening but it’s at 98 percent,” he told Sportscar365 on the prospects of the first car. “We might have a second entry too; that’s also in progress. That’s very positive.

“We’ve obviously had a lot of dialogue with a bunch of people. We’re ramping up a bit with resources and the ability to do this for next year.

“One program, there is an agreement in place already to do it. It’s just some fine details to be sorted. But I can confidently say it’s happening.

“There’s some testing and some other things that have to occur here shortly after the season ends to get [the second car] finalized. But [a second] car is looking promising.”

The first car, Viglione said, would be in the Pro-Am class.

He attributed SRO America’s revised format for next year, which will see a single three-hour race on a compact three-day weekend, as a major selling point to customers.

“The biggest thing for me when I talk to the people at SRO is that we need to focus on saving costs,” said Viglione.

“By our math, it’s condensing the weekend to three days instead of four-plus. I think we average a 11 percent drop in budget because of that.

“From that perspective, I think it’s a positive. Can there be a better solution to keep a reduced schedule or cost? It’s the number of days and people at the end of the day.

“For me it’s a step in the right direction from that side because you need to differentiate yourself from IMSA and other series. This stuff is getting so expensive. GT3 is so expensive in general.”

When asked if the three-hour format is also a selling point, Viglione admitted the current divide in the paddock but feels like the change has been beneficial for Wright’s new customers.

“It seems like they are, the people that came to us,” he said. “I don’t know if they’re coming to us because of the endurance experience or what. I haven’t really asked that question.

“The three-hour format adds a little bit more flare to it.

“It seems to be a dead 50-50 split [in the paddock]. Some people like the two races. The Ams like if they screw up on the first day they get another shot on day two.

“It’s completely divided. I’m honestly indifferent on it.

“From my side, to try and sell customer programs, I was looking for a cost reduction because I just pass that along, and for us, it’s a cost reduction, condensing the time you’re there.

“From that side, that’s a win.”

Wright’s most recent full-season campaign in GTWC America came last year when Adelson and Skeer won the Pro class championship.

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