Wright Motorsport has announced that it has decided to scale down its operations for the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship to a single car as a result of financial woes for sponsor Henry Repeating Arms.
The firearms manufacturer sponsored the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R, which was set for a campaign in the IMSA Weathertech Sprint Cup with Jeroen Bleekemolen and Anthony Imperato, but the team has been forced to withdraw the car as a result of the financial impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“First and foremost we at Henry Repeating Arms send our condolences to all those who lost a loved one during this pandemic,” said Anthony Imperato Sr., President of Henry Repeating Arms. “We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the frontline workers. We are truly disappointed to have to sideline our #91 Porsche for the balance of the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech series.
Our New Jersey factory was shuttered for the past two and a half months and has only recently partially reopened. Our Wisconsin factory, while fully operational has been hampered by parts and materials shortages because of the virus.”
“When our business normalizes, and this pandemic is behind us, we will return to race alongside the Wright Motorsports team as our love for the sport will never waiver,” added Imperato Sr. “Our best to the series, our friends and competitors for a great run for the rest of the season.”
“The personal and economic impact we’ve seen nationwide from COVID-19 has been sad to see,” said Wright Motorsports owner John Wright. “The Imperatos have been a part of our team for many years, and it’s unfortunate Anthony Imperato and Jeroen Bleekemolen won’t be able to drive the No. 91 this season. We’ll continue to support our family at Henry Repeating Arms, and we look forward to their return to our on-track efforts.”
The team has stated that it still intends to enter its other car, the #16 Porsche 911 GT3R, for the remainder of the 2020 campaign. Ryan Hardwick and Patrick Long are lined up to contest the Sprint Cup rounds, with a third driver for endurance rounds to be announced at a later date.
