Hardwick to sit out Sebring as he continues recuperation
Wright Motorsports’ Ryan Hardwick has elected to stand down from the team for the Sebring 12 Hours as he continues his recuperation following a couple of hard crashes at Daytona in January.
Hardwick suffered a big accident in the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 R during night practice in the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona, forcing Wright Motorsports to take over Black Swan Racing’s similar car which had been pulled due to team owner Tim Pappas testing positive for COVID-19.
However, Hardwick then suffered concussion in an accident in Wright’s Porsche Cayman in the Michelin Pilot Challenge less than a week later, leading to an overnight stay in hospital. Thus 2019 IMSA GTD champion Trent Hindman was drafted in to join Hardwick’s fulltime co-driver Pat Long, endurance extra Jan Heylen and fourth man Klaus Bachler in the #16 1st Phorm Porsche.
Now Hardwick has revealed that he will also skip the second round of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Sebring 12 Hours, where he, Long and Heylen are defending winners.
“There is nothing that I want more than to get back in the driver’s seat after what was a disappointing early end to my Daytona race weekend,” said Hardwick. “I’ve been working diligently in physical and cognitive therapy sessions over the past several weeks and making great progress.
“It was a tough decision, but I’ve made the call to sit this next one out at Sebring. I’m glad that Trent is stepping in once again, and I know he gives our team the best shot at becoming back-to-back Twelve Hours of Sebring race winners.
“I am focused on being back in the racecar with my Wright Motorsports team at Mid-Ohio [May 14-16], and going after the IMSA Sprint Championship this season.”
Hindman said: “I’m incredibly fortunate to be back with Wright Motorsports in the 1st Phorm/Mountain Motorsports/Una Vida Tequila Porsche 911 GT3 R. Extraordinary circumstances in Daytona gave me a peek inside this team and I see why they’re the defending Twelve Hours of Sebring winners.
“Massive thank you goes to [team owner] John Wright, Ryan Hardwick, and the entire Wright Motorsports team for their faith and trust in me to get the job done. Cannot wait to get back to work with these guys!”
Looking ahead to the race, Long commented that Sebring “has to be one of the most difficult tracks to pull a perfect lap together with bumps and varied surfaces from different decades.
“I believe the additional car count and influx of new drivers will bring a new tempo this year’s race, but in the end, it’s really you against the track.”
Added Heylen: “I feel confident that we will have a car to fight for the top step of the podium. I’m incredibly grateful to be here with Wright Motorsports, Patrick, Ryan, and all our partners who make this happen. We wish Ryan was in the car with us, but we’re also happy to welcome Trent back.”
Related video
Rolex 24 winners seek ideal “trade-off” over Sebring bumps
Tandy hopes to “bring magic”, earn Corvette its 12th 12hr win
IndyCar star Herta's brush with Supercars
A recent trip to Australia for IndyCar star Colton Herta included a tour of the Dick Johnson Racing factory.
IMSA teams chasing LMDh reliability ahead of Rolex 24
Next month’s overall Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner could be decided by reliability of IMSA’s top-class cars, as teams battle to get on top of issues with their new-era hybrid machinery.
Sam Hunt Racing expands Xfinity operation for 2023
The Toyota-backed Sam Hunt Racing team will field two full-time cars next season.
Vanthoor, Weerts join BMW as 2023 works drivers
Former Audi stalwarts Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts have joined WRT in making the switch to BMW as the German brand's latest works drivers for 2023.
The long road to convergence for sportscar racing's new golden age
The organisers of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship worked together to devise the popular new LMDh rule set. But to turn it from an idea into reality, some serious compromises were involved - both from the prospective LMDh entrants and those with existing Le Mans Hypercar projects...
How Porsche's Le Mans legend changed the game
The 956 set the bar at the dawn of Group C 40 years ago, and that mark only rose higher through the 1980s, both in the world championship and in the US. It and its successor, the longer-wheelbase 962, are arguably the greatest sportscars of all time.
Why BMW shouldn't be overlooked on its return to prototypes
OPINION: While the focus has been on the exciting prospect of Ferrari vs Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year, BMW’s factory return to endurance racing should not be ignored. It won't be at the French classic next year as it focuses efforts on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but could be a dark horse in 2024 when it returns to La Sarthe with the crack WRT squad.
The British pair at the heart of Lexus's sportscar push
Have you heard the one about two British guys driving for a Japanese manufacturer in America’s top sportscar series? Time to sit down and talk with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat about racing across the pond… and your accent being mistaken for Australian!
Why Peugeot couldn't afford to take a Le Mans gamble in 2022
Ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of its new 9X8 Hypercar, Peugeot revealed that it would not be entering this year's Le Mans 24 Hours with its incoming machinery. Although development restrictions for homologated cars are partially responsible, the French marque can draw on its own lessons from its history in sportscars
Why the GTP name undermines convergence between IMSA and WEC
OPINION: The adoption by IMSA of the GTP name for its forthcoming LMDh versus Le Mans Hypercar era in 2023 appeals to fans of nostalgia - but it undermines the commonality achieved by bringing its rulebook into line with the WEC. GTP or Hypercar, both sides should settle on a single name
Celebrating the weird and wonderful monsters of sportscar racing
Few disciplines of motorsport offer better possibilities to build a colossus of the track than sportscars. For Autosport's recent Monsters of Motorsport special issue, we picked out some of the finest (and not so fine) that have graced sportscar classics including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring
How Castroneves and Meyer Shank conquered another US classic
Helio Castroneves continued his fine start to life with Meyer Shank Racing that netted the 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory by prevailing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours together with teammates Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud. As Cadillac fell by the wayside, the Brazilian veteran won out in an all-Acura duel to the finish