Westbrook, 48, who partnered Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn in Chip Ganassi Racing’s sole Cadillac entry in this year’s WEC – and scored a podium finish in the Le Mans 24 Hours – will pilot JDC’s Porsche 963 in the second season of GTP competition in America’s premier sportscar series.
Ganassi confirmed Westbrook's exit from its lineup on social media:
Thank you to @RWestbrook1 for an incredible 5 seasons with CGR! Wishing him all the best as he gears up to compete in IMSA’s GTP class. Too many great memories to fit in one post but here are some of our favorites.
— Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams) November 14, 2023
Stay tuned for our 2024 WEC driver lineup announcement. 🔜 pic.twitter.com/UyPmbh9PiZ
The Briton, who has three IMSA prototype race wins to his name from the DPi era, will partner Dutch teenager Tijmen van der Helm and take the place of Mike Rockenfeller – who has jumped across to Ford’s factory GTD Pro lineup.
Westbrook's fellow Englishman Phil Hanson joins the team for the Michelin Endurance Championship rounds, while American sportscar veteran Ben Keating will be the fourth driver at the season-opening Daytona 24 Hours.
Westbrook drove for JDC in 2022 when it ran a Cadillac in the final season of DPi competition, sharing with Tristan Vautier, when they finished sixth in points.
The Minnesota-based team was the first to run a customer Porsche 963 LMDh car this year, joining the season from the fourth round following supply chain issues with the new hybrid system that delayed the chassis’ delivery.
In the hands of Rockenfeller and van der Helm, the #5 car finished fourth at Watkins Glen and Mosport, and ended the season with a top-five finish at Petit Le Mans, where Jenson Button was third driver.
“We were very pleased with our 2023 season with the Porsche 963 GTP,” said John Church, the managing partner of JDC-Miller MotorSports. “Everything was new for all the GTP teams last year and we all gained a huge amount of knowledge.
“For 2024, we will have a balance of youth and experience, but more importantly, all our drivers will have extensive prototype experience in IMSA. This driver line-up, coupled with the support of Porsche Motorsports North America, will put us in the position to compete for wins in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship.”
