MacNeil on End of Full-Time Driving: “It’s Been Enough”

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Cooper MacNeil has reflected on the end of his full-time driving career, having stated that he has “more important” things to focus on than racing at this time.

The 30-year-old IMSA championship-winning driver announced last month that the Rolex 24 at Daytona would be his only planned race in this year’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella set for a full-season championship attack on the GTD Pro ranks in the Proton Competition-prepared Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

MacNeil will complete the lineup in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes for next weekend’s Rolex 24 alongside Maro Engel.

“Fifteen years of racing, it’s been enough,” MacNeil told Sportscar365. “I’m getting married, trying to have some kids so [there are] more important things to do than spending way too much time at a racetrack.

“Obviously we wanted to keep the Proton WeatherTech program going and with support from AMG we’ve got Dani and Jules in for the full season. They’re rockstars.”

While MacNeil said he could theoretically “hop in” the team’s Mercedes this season, he doesn’t want to displace Gounon or Juncadella, and has instead planned several historic race outings with his Porsche 911 RSR-19.

“So right now it’s just Daytona for me [in IMSA],” he said. I plan on doing some historic racing this year in our RSR that I raced in 2021.

“That’s car is so badass it’s hard to just park the thing. We have two of them now, so I’m going to do Rennsport and Watkins Glen Historics. It’s the same weekend as my birthday though, so I haven’t quite made a decision.

“[I’ll also do] the WeatherTech historic race at Road America.

“It’s just mentally, physically, emotionally draining, this sport is. After 15 years of doing it and more than that, going to the track when my dad was racing.

“I’ve had enough. Being 6”5 in the car doesn’t help, I’ve got two bulging discs in my lower back and I’ve had those basically since I started racing so yeah, I’ve had enough.”

MacNeil also hasn’t ruled out a run at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTE-Am, where he finished second last year in a Proton-run Porsche with Julien Andlauer and Thomas Merrill.

The Silver-rated driver said his “ears are open” to potential opportunities, which could be with or without Proton.

“We had such a good run last year and with it being the 100th anniversary this year [is a] maybe,” he said.

“There’s nothing confirmed or really in the works because I wasn’t planning on going back there, but with it being the 100th anniversary it might be cool to go back.”

As for the future of WeatherTech Racing’s involvement, MacNeil said it’s too early to speculate on what could happen beyond this year.

WeatherTech’s entitlement sponsorship of IMSA’s top series runs through the end of the 2025 season, in what’s been a ten-year contract that began in 2016.

“Every year is different,” MacNeil said on the team’s future. “There’s no plans for next year but that’s not to say it won’t happen.

“Obviously we’ve got this weekend and this season to focus on first. But obviously we have a great relationship with Christian and the Proton guys and Mercedes as well. We’ll see how this year goes.

“If they win a championship and a bunch of races, why not?”

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