After a banner year in 2021 that saw the Belgian driver and his Wright Motorsport team claim multiple titles in Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA’s Michelin Endurance Cup, and in GT World Challenge America too, Jan Heylen also took home the much-prized Porsche Cup. A long-standing highlight for the Porsche marque, awarded to the most successful non-factory-backed driver of the year.
Jan, was that competition something you were conscious of through the year?
“Not really. Because as a pro driver it’s kind of out of your control, right? You do the season and you do the best you can. And at the end of the year, you end up where you end up.
“But we had a strong year and Porsche had mentioned it to me, in the latter half of the season, that I was right up there because honestly, it hadn’t even been a thought for me.
“And so going into Petit Le Mans and scoring well there, and there was still one race, I believe it was the (Creventic) Sebring 24 hours that counted towards the end of the points system.
“So that was kind of a nervous week, you know, to see what was gonna happen there. But it was really cool, I didn’t realise until we had the Night of Champions how big a deal it was to win it. I’m just super grateful that I was able to do that and to do it with one team made it pretty special.”
And it’s a cool prize!
“Yeah, it’s a very cool prize. I think it has changed a little bit in recent years, from what I’ve learned, I think in the, in the old days, they, they gave you a particular car.
“Now they give you a (generous) budget towards a car and you can pick any car you want. So it’s nice to go shopping with a healthy budget.
“Since we were given the freedom to pick any car I’m waiting to hear back from Porsche to see if I can get my hands on a special car, something like a GT3RS or something like that. So, fingers crossed. I mean, honestly, I’d be stoked with any car. But we’re gonna see if we can pick a car that is even closer to home with all the racing.”
As a Pro driver having this on your cv, along with Championship wins is, of course, a good thing and, as with very many pro drivers, there have been years where the opportunities have not come your way but, all of a sudden, we have got very used to seeing your name as a race winner.
“Yeah, it’s funny how that goes. It’s hard to hard to explain, I think when I was younger, I started off very strong, winning a lot of different championships over in Europe, and then came over here to do IndyCar.
“Then, in 2008, when the economy took a hit, things got tough for everybody. And I think it was maybe unfortunate timing for me because I’d only just come to the US and had done very little here up to that point.
“So it took a little bit for me to get established in the endurance scene. I love motorsport, it’s my first passion to this day, but I do enjoy other things outside of this too. And so I’ve also built on some other stuff while I wasn’t racing, and maybe, over some years put my focus in different places so we’ve got a few businesses at home now that we didn’t have a few years ago that has helped in a number of ways.
“But a big plus for me has been to find a very happy home with Wright Motorsports. And I think that’s really the key, you know, to all of this is making a conscious decision to stick with an outfit and ride the highs and the lows with them. It’s been a good I’d say last seven years for the team, and it’s really fun to see what we’ve done from Porsche Cup, GT4, and GT3 across the board to where we are today.”
GT3 is clearly the future everywhere. That must give you the confidence you can be part of this scene for quite a long time to come?
Yeah, I think it’s exciting for everybody. And I think if you asked most everybody here in the paddock I think for a long time, we all knew that this is how it should be. That there should be one class, one structure.
“And for me, having been in the sport now for over 30 years. It’s really nice to see that come together and to see the success that comes with it. So yes, I’m very excited. But I’m also excited about what it means for the sport. I think there’s a lot of good to come.”
