Czabok-Simpson Motorsport Launched; GT4 Program Planned

Photo: Supplied

Accomplished sports car racing driver Stephen Simpson has launched his own team in partnership with current JDC-Miller Motorsports Head of corporate development Matthias Czabok to form Czabok-Simpson Motorsport, which has laid out plans to debut in the GT4 ranks next year.

The Indianapolis-based team has taken delivery of the first of two Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports and has announced a partnership with LAP Motorsports, led by Luis Perocarpi and Rob Ridgely, who will handle the race operations.

The team’s second Porsche GT4 car is due to be delivered in November.

“Obviously, this is a very exciting step and a new challenge on many levels,” said Simpson. “Matthias and I have known each other for a long time from the years when I was driving for JDC-Miller and we always talked about doing something together.

“I have already worked with and actually raced for Luis and Rob when LAP Motorsports ran the MINI John Cooper Works team in IMSA. They run a great operation, so I am looking forward to the four of us doing this program together.”

It will mark Czabok’s second time being a team owner, having been a minority parter in Larry Blair’s Champcar program in the early 2000s.

“Stephen and I have known each other since 2013 when we were actually spotting at LOR for JDC’s Road to Indy Pro Mazda program.” Czabok explained.

“Then when JDC-Miller started to run in the new IMSA WeatherTech Championship, Stephen was one of the teams’ first drivers. We won many races together at JDC-Miller over a number of seasons, in DPi, LMPC and TCR.

“I think Stephen’s talent and skills behind the wheel is a big asset for our team, but he also always saw the bigger picture and the commercial side of things; he understands what it takes to make a program successful, so I am really looking forward to the opportunities of our new team.”

The team is currently working out its racing plans for next year.

“Lot’s of good conversations are happening right now,” said Simpson. “Obviously the beauty about GT4 is that there are a plenty of championship options, IMSA alone has two great series’ with the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship and the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, and then there is also SRO with GT4 America and of course, the Porsche Sprint Challenge.

“GT4 is a customer oriented category and we have great customer support from Porsche NA. The 718 GT4 RS Clubsport is an amazing car and we are looking to finalize with a couple of funded drivers in the next couple of weeks.”

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