Unitronic JDC-Miller moves up to GS class
The first big movement of the offseason was announced last month when Unitronic JDC-Miller MotorSports’ championship-winning squad announced its move from TCR to GS class with a new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor drove the #17 Audi RS 3 LMS to the TCR Class Championship last season, capping off a five-year run for the team that featured 11 victories, 17 podiums, and 9 pole positions.
Despite having to go to extraordinary lengths to get the parts they needed to simply start the season-opener at Daytona, Miller and Taylor not only won the season-opening four-hour race, but also three out of the next four races on their way to winning the title and ending Hyundai and Bryan Herta Autosport’s five-year streak of championships.
“It’s bittersweet leaving Audi who we’ve had so many great memories with but I couldn’t be more excited about our new Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport,” said Taylor. “Together with all our partners and crew members I think we have built a fantastic operation, and we want to take things to the next level and compete at the highest level we can. GS will be very different to TCR, the way the races develop is very different and there will be a lot of learning, but we have a great driver lineup, the best crew, the best partners and together with Porsche Motorsport North America we believe we can do something great!”
“To be able to continue on with most of the same people and partners that we have had so much success with makes this move particularly special,” added Miller. “We’ve proven that we have a championship-winning combination and I’m excited to see what we can do in the ultra-competitive GS class. I’ve always dreamt of racing a Porsche and I know it will be a very special feeling when I drive the car for the first time. I’m very grateful for all the people who worked hard to make this happen and couldn’t be more excited to get the season started in a couple months!”
RAFA Racing, Smooge Racing merge ahead of 2025 season
RAFA Racing and Smooge Racing have merged operations and will compete across three different IMSA series in 2025. The combined effort will race under the RAFA (Race As Family Always) banner.
RAFA Racing debuted in 2023 with a runner-up finish in the McLaren Trophy Europe Series and expanded into other championships, while Smooge Racing, founded by former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Conway, brings its experience as champions in Lamborghini Super Trofeo and SRO GT4 America.
In Michelin Pilot Challenge, RAFA Racing will run the new Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, which debuts next year using the data gathered through a prototype model racing in the 2024 Super Taikyu Series. An LMP3 programme in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and a multi-car effort in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America will complete the team’s combined efforts.
“This was not necessarily an opportunity we were searching for, but merging our efforts with Kevin’s makes perfect sense for the RAFA Racing team, our program and our future goals,” RAFA Racing founder Rafael Martinez said. “We’ve worked with some fantastic teams over the past couple of years, but this relationship and the existing partnerships with Toyota Gazoo Racing North America and Lamborghini Squadra Corsa are something special. It’s a logical step in our mission, and a great way to make our debut at this level here in the States.”
“I’m looking forward to pairing our efforts with the larger group at RAFA Racing,” Conway said. “The off-track activities that RAFA Racing is already involved in will not only augment our existing relationships but give them a chance to grow. It’s going to be a busy upcoming season, but we’re ready to make a difference immediately both on and off the race track.”
Czabok-Simpson Motorsport signs Morgan Burkhard
19-year-old Morgan Burhard has signed for Czabok-Simpson Motorsport (CSM) on a rare, three-year contract following an impressive rookie campaign in the TCR class with VGRT.
“Morgan embodies the qualities we value most in a driver—raw talent, unrelenting drive, and a level of maturity that exceeds his years,” said Stephen Simpson, Co-Owner of CSM. “He’s already proven himself capable of competing with the best, and we believe this is just the beginning of what he can achieve. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the CSM family and look forward to building something special together. Our focus is to deliver strong results on the track, starting with Daytona, and to support Morgan as he continues to grow as a professional.”
Burkhard stepped up to TCR competition this past year out of the SCCA Spec Racer Ford circuit; he was the 2023 SCCA Jim Fitzgerald Rookie of the Year award winner, given to the most outstanding driver in their first season of national competition.
“To have this opportunity at 19 years old, and so early in my career, is truly a dream come true,” said Burkhard. “Driving a Porsche in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is something I’ve dreamed of since I first watched the 24 Hours of Daytona as a kid. To now be part of a program with Czabok-Simpson Motorsport — a team that shares my passion for excellence and competition — feels surreal.
“I owe this achievement to the incredible people who have supported me along the way. Stephen Simpson, Billy Vincent, Jackson Gardner, and Cliff White have each played instrumental roles in my journey. Their belief in me has been unwavering, and I’m beyond grateful for their guidance and trust. I’m ready to hit the ground running at Daytona and can’t wait to get to work with the CSM team.”
Gordon Scully, who made five starts for CSM last year, will also return to the team in one of its two Porsche 718 Cayman GT4s.
Gou Racing signs on as Cupra’s first US customer
Just a little over a month after Cupra announced it would participate in IMSA ahead of its launch in the US automotive market, Gou Racing announced it would be the Spanish marque’s customer in Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The father/son duo of Eduardo and Eddie Gou will pilot the new #55 Cupra Leon VZ, after recording six top-ten finishes last season in their previous Audi RS 3.
“This step into the TCR class represents an exciting new era for our team,” said the elder Gou, the owner of Gou Racing. “The Cupra Leon VZ is a fantastic machine, and we are confident in our ability to push it to its limits in the 2025 Michelin Pilot Challenge. We look forward to the fierce competition, new challenges, and, most importantly, making our mark in one of the most exciting touring car classes out there.”
KMW Motorsports bids farewell to Alfa Romeo, joins Honda TCR contingent
The black and gold KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering squad will also return to TCR competition next year, but this year, they’ve changed from their Alfa Romeo Giulietta to a new Honda Civic Type R FL5.
“We’ve had an incredible relationship with Alfa Romeo and are proud of the success we’ve achieved together,” said team owner Louis Milone. “Our wins, especially the four straight at Road America, will always be a highlight. However, we’re excited to begin a new chapter with Honda, and we’re eager to see what the future holds with our new partner.”
Over six seasons with Alfa Romeo, KMW Motorsports took nine wins including four in a row at Road America.
Drivers Tim Lewis Jnr and William Tally, who won at Road America this year and finished second in the four-hour race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, return to drive the new #5 Honda in 2025.
“I’m thrilled to be back with Tim and the team,” Tally said. “I truly enjoyed my time with Alfa Romeo, but I’m excited for the new challenges and opportunities that come with Honda. With the team’s experience and expertise, we’re ready to push the Honda Civic Type R FL5 to where it belongs — at the front of IMSA TCR.”
Lewis added, “I’ve known Louis and Kevin for over 20 years, and I’ve been part of every race we’ve done with Alfa Romeo. Through all the highs and lows, we’ve learned a great deal. We’ll be bringing that knowledge and experience into the Honda program. I’m confident in our ability to make the Honda Civic Type R FL5 a serious contender in IMSA TCR.”
Precision Racing LA makes IMSA return with Audi TCRs
Precision Racing LA has confirmed it will return to the IMSA paddock with two Audi RS 3 LMS TCRs in Pilot Challenge, including one driven by IMSA Diverse Driver Scholarship recipient Celso Neto.
“I am pleased to bring our team back to IMSA. We have had six solid years of results in IMSA and other multiple series and look forward to continuing that trend with our new Audi performance cars in 2025,” said team owner Mario Biundo. “With our team’s prior history of racing European machines, this feels like a return home. IMSA and the MPC have always been tough competition, and we are very hungry for an IMSA championship. We will have our work cut out for us knowing who we are up against,” Biundo said.
Precision Racing LA was formed as a spinoff of LA Honda World Racing, which itself was formed out of an alliance between LAP Motorsports – the operators of the former Mini JCW factory team – and Biundo’s LA Honda World dealership. LA Honda World Racing competed in Pilot Challenge from 2019–2023, while Precision Racing LA has run with Toyota in SRO GT4 America and TGR Cup North America.
“I had a great tenure running Honda products the last 3 years,” said Neto. “I learned a lot about the peculiarities of the cars and believe I’ve grown as a driver by adapting to the changes production-based race cars have. With the Audi, I’m most looking forward to the increase in race parts such as higher downforce compared to the previous touring cars I have driven and more advanced electronics such as ABS that are well-tuned in these cars.”
CDR Valkyrie’s IMSA ambitions begin anew – again – with Porsche GT4 effort
After making just one start in Michelin Pilot Challenge with a Toyota GR Supra GT4, and an aborted step up to GTD with a Porsche 911 GT3 R, CDR Valkyrie has hit the reset button on its IMSA plans again for 2025.
The team has announced it will enter a new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 in the Pilot Challenge GS class beginning at Daytona in January. Drivers for the programme will be announced at a later date.
CDR Valkyrie’s striking livery, designed by Jason Dakins and worn by the team’s previous one-off ventures in IMSA, Trans Am, and SRO America will adorn the new #66 Porsche – which is now in the team’s new shop in Santa Cruz, California.
Images © Czabok-Simpson Motorsports, JDC-Miller MotorSports, IMSA, Gou Racing, Precision Racing LA, Dakins Design
