Hertz Team JOTA Rules Out 2024 IMSA Campaign With Porsche

Photo: Nick Dungan/Drew Gibson/Porsche

Hertz Team JOTA has ruled out running any IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races with its Porsche 963 next year according to team principal Dieter Gass, who said the first step will be a ramped up two-car FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class effort, which is progressing.

The British squad, which became the first Porsche 963 customer in late April, has outlined continued ambitions of doubling its WEC top class involvement first before branching out for selected WeatherTech Championship races.

It had previously expressed interest in mounting a partial-season campaign for as early as next year.

“That’s always in the back of our minds but I think you want to take it one at a time,” Gass told Sportscar365.

“So if we have two cars next year [in WEC], that’s going to be one step and then I think for the future we’re going to discuss if there’s American races.

“Obviously Hertz as our main sponsor, I think it would be good for them to at least race the bigger races in the U.S. So let’s see what we get, but not for the coming year.”

Gass, the former Audi Motorsport boss, stressed that a deal has still not yet been finalized to expand into a two-car customer Porsche operation for 2024.

He said the current odds are “above 50 percent” and said they have the option of taking delivery of a car this year should the green light be given.

“We’re still targeting to do that, obviously, but it’s not all finalized yet,” Gass said.

“We have been targeting to have two cars in the Hypercar category for next year [for] a long time.

“That was one of the reasons why we continued to run the P2 car, just to be on the grid, to keep that slot, to have the people involved.

“It’s all in preparation but it’s not finally confirmed yet.”

Gass noted the positives in having a two-car operation in the Hypercar category, which is projected to have around 20 full season entries next year with the arrivals of BMW Team WRT, Alpine and Lamborghini.

“Obviously it’s an advantage in many concerns, as well as on the personnel side,” he said. “With the personnel restrictions and everything it’s very inefficient to run one car only.

“That runs through everything, from working on a weekend and when you’re going to test.

“It’s going to be better to have two cars have for sure.”

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