A new season for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins in January and Paul Miller Racing, the reigning GTD class champions, will return to the series in 2019 to defend their title. Champion Bryan Sellers will return for his fourth year with the team, to be joined by 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American and World Champion Ryan Hardwick. Corey Lewis, also a 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Champion, will reprise his role at the team as an endurance driver in the Michelin Endurance Cup.
“Ryan brings a lot of talent, success, and determination to our team and will be a big asset to Paul Miller Racing,” said team owner Paul Miller. “In the coming season, we expect he will be a big help to us in defending our title! Having driver champion Bryan Sellers back as our team leader is also very exciting for our whole team.”
Paul Miller Racing enjoyed great success in 2018, earning eight podiums in 11 races to clinch the GTD Team, Driver, and Manufacturer Championships.
In his previous three years with Paul Miller Racing, Bryan Sellers was a champion in the making. In his 33 races with the team, Sellers has amassed an impressive 13 podiums and 20 top-five finishes, making him one of the most consistent drivers in today’s sports car racing field.
“I’m very honored to be returning to Paul Miller Racing for my fourth season,” said Sellers. “This will be a new program for us and I am extremely excited about pairing with Ryan Hardwick for the season. I was able to watch him race in Super Trofeo last season, and his growth and commitment through the year was impressive. He will be a great fit within our team.”
Following co-driver Madison Snow’s departure from sports car racing to focus on the family business, the team wasted no time in appointing Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Pirelli World Challenge racer Ryan Hardwick to step in the No. 48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO alongside Sellers. Only two years into his motorsports career, the 1st Phorm athlete has already made quite the splash. In his rookie season in the 2017 Super Trofeo series, Hardwick earned five Lamborghini Cup class wins and ten podiums, finishing runner up in both the North American Championship and the Lamborghini World Finals. In 2018, Hardwork moved up to the AM division of the series, earning six class wins and eleven podiums. He clinched the North American Championship, as well as the World Final Championship. Hardwick also raced in the Pirelli World Challenge in 2018, scoring the GT Cup Championship title.
“I could not be more excited about moving up to the IMSA Weathertech Championship and joining Paul Miller Racing in 2019,” said Hardwick. “When I started my journey into racing sports cars, my goal was to one day compete in IMSA. I am honored to have the opportunity to realize that goal by joining such an accomplished team with Paul Miller Racing. I’m also extremely grateful for the opportunity to drive with, and learn from Bryan Sellers. None of this would be possible without confidence that Mr. Miller and Lamborghini Squadra Corse have put in me, and I’m dedicated to helping defend their class championship from last season.”
Corey Lewis first joined Paul Miller Racing at the 2018 Twelve Hours of Sebring, where the team scored the GTD win and took hold of the class points lead. The team held the lead to the final race of the season, where Sellers, Snow, and Lewis finished third at Petit Le Mans, making Paul Miller Racing the 2018 GTD Champions. Snow and Lewis also became the 2018 champions in the Super Trofeo North American Championship.
“I am honored to be back with Paul Miller Racing for all endurance rounds for the 2019 IMSA Championship,” said Lewis. “I want to extend a big thank you to Mr. Miller for the opportunity! The team is still cruising on a high from their driver, team and manufacturer championships, and I look forward to helping to carrying that momentum to help achieve the same success. It’s great to be working with the duo of reigning GTD Champ Bryan Sellers and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Am U.S. and World Champion Ryan Hardwick to help them get the overall drivers title! I just can’t wait to get to work with all the crew and engineering staff at Paul Miller Racing.”
In anticipation for the upcoming season with Michelin as the new GTD class tire manufacturer, this week the team will complete a one day tire test at Daytona International Speedway. The team will return to Daytona again in just a few weeks time for the Roar Before the 24, the first official series-wide test of the 2019 season. The 2019 champions will appear at the January 4 to January 6 test with the new livery for the No. 48 Lamborghini Huracán GT3. The first race of the season will take place January 26, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. For more event and series information, visit http://www.imsa.com.
Source. Paul Miller Racing
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