Intersport Shifts to In-House LMP2 Squad After HMD Split

Photo: John Dagys

Intersport Racing is now running as an entirely in-house operation, after HMD Motorsports had initially been announced as its operations partner.

The Jon Field-owned team, famously known for its time in the American Le Mans Series in various prototypes, has been reborn under the leadership of ex-Korthoff Motorsports team manager Geoff Abel.

While initially announced that Indy NXT team HMD would run the LMP2 team, Field clarified to Sportscar365 that they are now only renting shop space from the Henry Malukas-owned open-wheel outfit in Indianapolis.

“They were going to be,” Field said about the planned HMD partnership. “We’re [now] just running ourselves. We use their shop; we rent [space] from their shop. They’re real nice people.

“Geoff is our team manager. It’s all Intersport.”

Field, who took part in last year’s Rolex 24 as part of Inter Europol Competition’s lineup before returning to Radical Cup North America and IMSA HSR Prototype Challenge competition, revealed that Martin Dixon, one of Intersport’s original team managers, will be on-site for this weekend’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

While Dixon will be the only crew member to have worked on both iterations of the team, Field, 70, said building a team back up from scratch has been a rewarding process.

Intersport ran in the ALMS up until the 2011 season before the Ohio-based team’s assets were sold to then-team manager Brian Alder, who formed BAR1 Motorsports.

The reincarnation of one of the fan-favorite privateer outfits, which took the fight to the likes of Audi in LMP1 competition, will eventually see the team base move closer to Field’s current residence in Nashville, believed to be set up at the new Flatrock Motorclub.

“I’m probably going to buy a building in Nashville,” said Field. “I like to be close to the shop.”

FIA Bronze-rated Field will be joined by Oliver Jarvis for the full season, with Seth Lucas confirmed as the third driver in the Michelin Endurance Cup races and Job van Uitert in for the Rolex 24.

“I think we have a good base,” said Field. “We’ve got a great crew chief. We’ve got good engineers. This field is so competitive. Everything’s elevated to an extreme level, which makes it good, I guess.

“We’ve got a great little team.”

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