Proton Could Miss IMSA Races if Given Second Le Mans 963 Entry

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Proton Competition could miss two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races with its Porsche 963 if the German squad is granted a second confirmed Hypercar class entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans according to team principal Christian Ried.

The team, which runs parallel WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship programs with customer Porsche 963s, currently has only two of the LMDh machines in its possession, while having placed orders for two additional cars.

Proton is currently the first reserve entrant for Le Mans with its No. 79 Porsche, although Ried said he would prioritize a Le Mans effort over competing in the WeatherTech Championship rounds at Detroit and Watkins Glen International, which book-end the French endurance classic in June.

The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is one of five races of the Michelin Endurance Cup, where the team holds sponsorship from Mustang Sampling.

Ried said it would be “impossible” to utilize the same chassis for the four-week dual-continent stretch of events, when also factoring in the Le Mans Test Day on June 9.

“I will have some meetings with Porsche here [in Qatar] once more… but worst case it will be the IMSA car [we would take to Le Mans], which means we miss two races in IMSA,” Ried told Sportscar365.

Ried said he would not withdraw any of his team’s other entries in order to get a second Hypercar berth.

In addition to the WEC season-long No. 99 Porsche 963 and pair of Ford Mustang GT3 entries in LMGT3, Proton also holds a LMP2 entry as well as an additional Mustang GT3.

“The LMP2 and the GT3 are customer cars. It makes no sense to put a customer car out [and] bring budget and pay for LMDh,” Ried said.

The 44-year-old German, who stood down from driving the end of last year, however, could come out of retirement for Le Mans, with the Bronze-rated pilot currently listed in the No. 44 Mustang GT3 that received an automatic invite for winning last year’s European Le Mans Series GTE title.

“It’s 50/50,” Ried said on his chances of a making a one-off driving return. “Le Mans is always special and so maybe it’s a good chance to race the car.

“But as I don’t really like the GT3, so it’s not really yes or no. I’d like to see the car here [in Qatar] and to do a test.”

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