Hardpoint Undergoes “Branding Correction” Omitting EBM

Photo: John Dagys

Team Hardpoint has underwent a “branding correction” ahead of this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with Earl Bamber Motorsport branding no longer visible according to Hardpoint team principal Rob Ferriol.

The development comes in the wake of the team’s double-duty weekend, with Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by The Cayman Islands entries competing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway but still under the Team Hardpoint EBM banner.

The partnership between Ferriol’s Hardpoint operation and the Earl and Will Bamber-led initiative was first announced last October for Carrera Cup North America that expanded into WeatherTech Championship competition.

According to Ferriol, that partnership in the WeatherTech Championship essentially ended when the team’s second Porsche 911 GT3 R was parked due to sponsorship-related issues following the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

“When we parked the 99 car, it very much became a Hardpoint program,” Ferriol told Sportscar365. “I didn’t really prioritize the outward branding and messaging with the WeatherTech side of the program.

“However, I’ve since picked up on some confusing and mixed messaging, so this was just an opportunity to correct some of that messaging and make clear that the WeatherTech side of our program is a Hardpoint effort.

“If we’re being intellectually honest, the GTD side of the house is very much a Team Hardpoint program whereas the [Carrera] Cup side of the house remains an EBM-affiliated program by way of Will’s involvement as team manager and coach.”

When reached by Sportscar365, Earl Bamber said EBM remains “committed to finishing the season in GTD and Carrera Cup” with Hardpoint.

Ferriol, meanwhile, said a parting of ways with EBM is “premature” to discuss publicly.

“That’s a conversation we have not yet fully had,” he said.

“At the beginning of the season there was a glide-path that we were looking at. That glide-path has not been realized for a lot of reasons.

“Some of the confusion I’ve heard around the construct, management and ownership of the team, I’ve felt with the downtime we’ve had since Road America was a good opportunity to have that reflected on the WeatherTech side.”

Ferriol is joined by Katherine Legge in the No. 88 Porsche this weekend and is set to complete the season with unchanged plans.

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