Wright Confirms Two-Car Effort With Hardwick, Imperato

Wright Motorsports has confirmed a two-car Porsche 911 GT3 R effort for next year, with Ryan Hardwick joining the Ohio-based squad and Anthony Imperato returning. 

The team has yet to announce which series it will compete in, although Sportscar365 understands that Wright is poised to make a full-time return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The John Wright-led outfit currently competes in Blancpain GT World Challenge America with a car each in the Pro and Pro-Am categories, but it also made two IMSA cameos this summer at Lime Rock Park and Road America with Imperato.

Wright has jumped between World Challenge America and the WeatherTech Championship in recent years, with programs in the former in 2017 and 2019 truncated by a WeatherTech Championship spell with Christina Nielsen and Patrick Long last year.

New signing Hardwick joins Wright after contesting a partial GTD season with Paul Miller Racing that was shortened due to an ACL injury following an accident at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July. 

“I connected with John Wright back in 2016, when I first entered car racing,” Hardwick said. “I was looking into going the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge route and really had a great experience speaking with him at the time.

“I was really impressed with John, how he runs his organization and the amount of effort that he personally puts into all of his programs.

“To be able to race one at this level is a dream come true and I know that partnering with Wright Motorsports will make this an exceptionally competitive program.”

Imperato, meanwhile, will return for his fourth consecutive campaign with Wright, continuing a term that started in the Porsche single-make ranks before moving to GT3s last year.

“I’m very pleased to continue our partnership with Anthony Imperato and [lead sponsor] Henry Repeating Arms in 2020 and to build off of that growing foundation with Ryan Hardwick, 1st Phorm and Mountain Motorsports,” said team principal John Wright.

“Having the support of world-class companies like these, along with those at Porsche Motorsport North America, says that we are here to win races. We’re eager to come back strong with the Porsche 911 GT3 R.”

Co-drivers for both of the Bronze-rated pilots are expected to be announced at Porsche’s ‘Night of Champions’ awards night in December, and are likely to come from the German manufacturer’s crop of Young Professional or factory talent.