Wiltshire Replaces Merriman at Era for Next Two LMP2 Races

Photo: Chris Green

Dwight Merriman will be replaced by accomplished historic racer Stuart Wiltshire for the next two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP2 races at Era Motorsport, it has been confirmed.

The Bronze-rated driver will team up with Ryan Dalziel in the No. 18 Oreca 07 Gibson for next weekend’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as well as the Road America round in August.

Merriman is slated to return for the final two races of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, respectively.

Dalziel and Merriman currently sit second in both the season-long championship and Michelin Endurance Cup standings after winning both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in class.

“I can’t wait to get my first taste of racing at this level,” Wiltshire said.

“After getting a few years of experience driving prototypes, I’ve gotten quite comfortable behind the wheel, and I can’t wait to see how things stack up once we get on track for FP1.”

Wiltshire, who owns an ex-Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 DPi car as well as a Peugeot 90X LMP1 machine, recently completed a test with the LMP2 squad at CTMP in preparation for his WeatherTech Championship debut.

“After the test, I feel great in the car, and I’m confident with the pace I have,” he said.

“The biggest difference for me will be the longer stints in IMSA as opposed to the 45-minute drive times I’m used to in historic racing.”

“Overall though, I’m extremely thankful to Kyle Tilley and the rest of the team at Era Motorsport. They always put together an incredible car and have the crew to back it up, so I feel as strong as ever entering into these next few races.”

The driver change comes as Merriman is set to “expand his racing portfolio” into a “new project” for next year that has yet to be announced with the team, which is seeking a full-time replacement for 2025.

“We’re super excited to be opening up the team to more drivers and more opportunities,” said Tilley.

“Our current Bronze, Dwight Merriman, is looking to expand his racing portfolio into a new project which we will be announcing later this year, so that opens up the incredible team we’ve developed over the past five years to new drivers who might be interested in stepping into the world of professional racing, or moving into a new class.

“Ever since the start of Era’s foray into the world of sports car racing we’ve focused on excellence in every asset of the team, and it shows with our recent successes and consistently quick pace on track.

“We’re thrilled to have an opportunity to forge a new path for our team and prospective drivers in the 2025 season.”

Tilley said the team is “ready and capable” of running Oreca 07 Gibsons in the WeatherTech Championship, European and/or Asian Le Mans Series next year.

The Indianapolis-based team boasts experience in all three series, either in current or previous LMP2 competition.

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