Wright Motorsports will contest the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship with a revamped driver squad, while Magnus Racing has announced a switch from Acura to Aston Martin machinery.
The Ohio-based squad will once again field the #16 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD category, but with a significant overhaul to its line-up compared to the 2021 campaign.
Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen, champions in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, will step up to form the team’s full-season line-up. Zacharie Robichon, who won the GTD title with Pfaff Motorsports, joins for the endurance rounds.
Heylen steps up to the full-season line-up after contesting the endurance rounds in 2021. Hardwick meanwhile retakes his spot at the team after an early season injury derailed his plans, after which he opted to focus on the Pilot Challenge for the rest of the year. He effectively replaces Trent Hindman, while Heylen steps up in the wake of Patrick Long’s retirement from professional racing.
“Though the 2021 season just ended a few weeks ago, we’re already in full preparation mode for 2022,” said team owner John Wright. “I’m thrilled to be able to announce that our program is returning with the same support we have from our partners 1st Phorm, Una Vida Tequila, and Mountain Motorsports, with Ryan and Jan as drivers.
“Ryan Hardwick is a huge part of our team’s success this year, and I’m excited for us to build on that in 2022 with him returning to race in GTD, for a third year with Wright Motorsports.
Consistency in excellence and execution has been the focal point of our program for many years, and I’m thrilled to have Ryan and our partners back for a third season together.”
Magnus move to Aston Martin
Elsewhere in the GTD paddock, Magnus Racing has also provided an update to its plans for the 2022 season.
The team has opted to split with partner team Archangel Motorsports after a single season together.
Additionally, the team has opted to switch to the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for the upcoming campaign, moving to the British marque after only a single year with the Acura NSX GT3 Evo.
Aston Martin is the fifth manufacturer that the team has raced with since its founding in 2010. It competed with Porsche machinery for its early years. This was followed by a switch to Audi in 2016 and two years with Lamborghini in 2019 and 2020 before a single year with Acura.
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