WeatherTech Racing Switches to Mercedes for Rest of Season

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

WeatherTech Racing will switch to its Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for the remainder of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Confirmed on Tuesday ahead of next weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the team had initially announced plans for a full-season Porsche 911 GT3 R entry featuring Cooper MacNeil and Porsche factory driver Julien Andlauer.

Instead, the Proton Competition-run team has “taken the decision” to run the No. 97 Mercedes, with sponsorship from Mercedes-Benz of Billings, Montana, for the eight remaining GTD Pro races.

MacNeil’s co-drivers will be a “host” of Mercedes-AMG factory drivers.

The No. 97 Mercedes claimed a podium finish in the recent Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with MacNeil and works drivers Maro Engel and Jules Gounon, who were also in the car at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“Our performance in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at Daytona and Sebring was the motivating factor behind continuing with it for the rest of the season,” MacNeil said.

“We led the race at the Rolex 2wi4 before our drivetrain issue, and then we had a strong podium finish at Sebring.

“We also have a winning history at Long Beach having won there in the Mercedes-AMG in 2017. We are going out west to see if we can repeat that win.”

The change results in a sixth different manufacturer to compete full-time in GTD Pro this year, joining Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet and Lexus.

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