LMP3 team Jr III Racing is set to pause its IMSA race programme at the end of the 2023 season, following the news that team principal Billy Glavin has taken a new role with United Autosports, overseeing the British-flagged team’s forthcoming two-car LMP2 WeatherTech effort.
The new LMP2 programme for United will be run out of the Jr III Racing shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, which will serve as the team’s North American headquarters.
Several members of Jr III Racing’s staff will be dedicated to the project, including Glavin. This has prompted the team to make a change in direction, coninciding with the LMP3 class being removed from IMSA WeatherTech’s class structure.
However, Jr III Racing will continue to operate as a separate entity, and continue with its vintage preparation work and anticipates growth for the restoration side of the operation as a result.
Jr III Racing first started in IMSA competition in 2019 with a one-off entry in the IMSA Prototype Challenge category. The team quickly flourished, developing a winning program and building on that to grow and move into the IMSA WeatherTech Championship ranks in addition to fielding a championship-leading VP Racing Fuels programme.
“We have been very fortunate to develop the client base that we have, both on the vintage racing side as well as our pro racing efforts in IMSA with the WeatherTech programme and in VP Fuels Challenge,” said Glavin.
“With the team taking on this new project in partnership with United Autosport, we are going to pause the Jr III IMSA programme for the 2024 season but will continue to prepare and support our vintage efforts. We are also working through some very cool restoration projects as we work to expand in this area for Jr III Racing.”
The team will field two LMP3 entries in the WeatherTech championship this weekend as the series returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time since 2014.
“This is a different path for the team and I think everyone is excited about what is in front of us,” said Glavin. “But first we are focused on these last two IMSA weekends as we are in the VPRC championship lead and in the hunt with our WeatherTech campaign so hopefully we can continue that with some good results here in Indy and then at Road Atlanta to close things out.”
