Bleekemolen, Mueller in Black Swan Lineup for Roar

Photo: IMSA

Jeroen Bleekemolen and Porsche factory driver Sven Mueller are among the drivers that will test Black Swan Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R in this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24.

Bleekemolen will make his return to the Tim Pappas-owned team for the first time since February’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, which had sidelined Pappas for the majority of the year due to multiple injuries sustained in an accident.

Pappas made his return to racing in last month’s Michelin SportsCar Encore at Sebring.

Bleekemolen has been made available for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener by his longtime IMSA co-driver Ben Keating, who has brought Felipe Fraga on board to complete the lineup in the No. 75 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 instead of the Dutchman, who had been initially tabbed as the fourth driver.

It will mark Bleekemolen’s first IMSA outing with Black Swan since Long Beach 2012 when at the wheel of a Lola B11/80 Honda LMP2 car.

Bleekemolen, Pappas and Mueller will be joined at the Roar by 2018 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Platinum champion Trenton Estep, who is set for his WeatherTech Championship debut.

While not yet officially confirmed, Sportscar365 understands that Black Swan’s lineup is unlikely to change for the race, with the team in the planning stages of a program around the Michelin Endurance Cup races.

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