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JDC/Miller MotorSports to Expand to Two Cars in 2018

On Friday, Minneapolis-based JDC/Miller MotorSports announced that they will field two full-time entries in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Prototype class in 2018.  Recently, the team purchased a new ORECA 07 chassis and will take delivery of the new car in the fall.  Like the current No. 85, the new car will be a global LMP2 entry powered by a Gibson V8 engine.

JDC/Miller MotorSports co-owner John Church is very excited about the 2017 season in general, and the future of JDC/Miller MotorSports.

“This year has been a big step up for everyone but we have been proud of how the team has been able to handle the transition,” Church stated.  “Moving to the premier prototype class with a new car and new equipment has been a significant undertaking but we have a great group of people and we were confident we could be competitive.  Campaigning a second car next season is the logical next step in our goal of becoming one of the strongest professional sports car teams in North America.”

Currently, JDC/Miller MotorSports’ Mikhail Goikhberg and Stephen Simpson are third in Prototype points, 26 behind Jordan and Ricky Taylor.  Their best finishes of the year are a pair of seconds at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.  The Goikhberg-Simpson pairing is considered to be a Pro-Am driver lineup.  As a result, they are eligible for the Jim Trueman Award for Pro-Am Prototype teams.  The winner gets one of IMSA’s automatic invites to next years’ 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Church has already indicated to IMSA that if they win the award, they’re taking the invite.

JDC/Miller MotorSports’ announcement means that they join Team Penske with new full-time Prototype entries for 2018.  No drivers, number or sponsors were announced.

About the author

Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.

Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.

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