Overview
- Heinrich, loaned from Porsche Penske to JDC-Miller for the IMSA sprint round at Long Beach, set the fastest time in opening practice on his first visit to the street circuit.
- IMSA’s revised Balance of Performance after Porsche Penske’s Sebring sweep put the factory 963s at 1,100 kg with deeper power cuts, while JDC’s 963 runs at 1,060 kg with smaller reductions.
- JDC chose the 2025-spec bodywork instead of Porsche’s 2026 ‘Evo’ aero to save costs, which also placed the car under a lighter BoP load than the factory entries.
- Co-driver Tijmen van der Helm qualified 10th of 11 GTP cars, and Long Beach’s tight layout and single scheduled pit stop make passing difficult and execution critical.
- Team voices framed the switch as healthy intra-brand competition, with Penske’s Jonathan Diuguid calling JDC a strong benchmark, and Heinrich slated to do the sprint rounds and Road America with JDC, miss Watkins Glen for Spa, then rejoin Penske for the Road Atlanta finale.