BATAVIA, OHIO (October 17, 2018) – Following a whirlwind of a 2018 season, Wright Motorsports has confirmed their return to the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s (IGTC) California 8 Hour at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a single GT3 entry. The all-factory driver lineup will feature Romain Dumas (France), Dirk Werner (Germany) and Fred Makowiecki (France) the wheel of the No. 911 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
This event molds together both new and familiar pieces as the trio of Makowiecki, Werner and Dumas—who have driven the greater half of the IGTC season with Manthey Racing— join the John Wright-led team for what will be the group’s second consecutive California 8 Hours.
After a full season of IMSA competition with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, the Wright Motorsports team is eager to prepare the same chassis as the No. 911 and put their wits up against global competition.
Returning to Wright Motorsports for his second go at the event is none other than Romain Dumas. Known for his recent Porsche LMP1 success, the Frenchman brings a wealth of stateside experience to the table as he’s sprayed champagne at not only Laguna Seca, but prestigious endurance races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans
New to the Ohio-based group, is Dirk Werner, who certainly doesn’t lack experience driving Porsches at North American venues. Hailing for Germany, Werner has seen four podiums at Laguna Seca and will be on the hunt for his first top slot come next Sunday night.
Still fresh off of Saturday’s Petit Le Mans victory, Fred Makowiecki joins the team with a good bit of momentum rolling. The Frenchman, who like Werner has yet to see a victory at the famed Monterey road course is no stranger to the podium with two Laguna Seca celebrations to his name.
The California 8 Hour weekend is set to begin with practice sessions on Friday (Oct. 26) and qualifying is set for Saturday (Oct. 27). The second annual California 8 Hours will begin at 9:15 a.m. PDT on Sunday (Oct. 28).
Driver Quotes:
Romain Dumas | Driver, No. 911 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R— “I’m very happy to be back at Laguna Seca. This will be my second time doing the same event with Wright Motorsports and it was a very good experience last year. We unfortunately didn’t finish the race last year, so of course this year’s first target will be to finish and be competitive to the end. I’m also very excited to try a different car and team; to see a different setup. I’m confident that we’ll all have good fun, good pace and get a good result.”
Fred Makowiecki | Driver, No. 911 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R— “Going to Laguna Seca is always special because it’s a really awesome place with a lot of history. For us it will be a nice experience to drive with Wright Motorsports. We have a lot of motivation to do it well because it will be the last race of the season and to get a result would be really awesome there. We know that that’s the same case for everyone, but I have a lot of confidence that we can get into a good rhythm with this group.”
Dirk Werner | Driver, No. 911 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R – "I am looking forward to working with Wright Motorsports at Laguna Seca for the last IGTC race in 2018. I think we will have a good time and perform well. Everybody involved knows the race car and the track very well. It’s also always interesting to work with a new team and learn from their experience. I really enjoy racing at Laguna Seca. The track has a good flow and I really like the whole area. To do an eight hour race on this track will be interesting because overtaking isn’t very easy and one mistake can put you in the gravel trap, but with a clean race I think we have a chance for a strong result."
About Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio near Cincinnati, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015. In 2017, the team secured the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer's titles. With two podiums on the season, the group currently campaigns a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship for Patrick Long and Christina Nielsen. For more information see wrightmotorsports.com and follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.