How Manthey Porsche will function its ‘first’ IMSA marketing campaign

One of many largest names in GT racing is venturing into North America this yr to contest the endurance leg of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. Manthey Racing will area a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R entries within the 5 long-distance races that type the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Manthey’s IMSA programme will probably be spearheaded by Porsche-contracted driver Klaus Bachler, 2023 GT World Problem Dash Cup champion Ricardo Feller and 2023 DTM champion Thomas Preining, who will share the long-lasting ‘Grello’ #911 Porsche within the GTD Professional class.

In the meantime, Ryan Hardwick, Riccardo Pera and Morris Schuring will share the #912 Porsche, which will probably be run below the Manthey 1st Phorm banner. Manufacturing facility Porsche drivers Ayhancan Guven and Richard Lietz will be a part of the #911 and #912 automobiles respectively for the Daytona 24 Hours.

Though Manthey is coming into the Endurance Cup below its personal identify for the primary time, this isn’t its first expertise in IMSA. Whereas its final two Daytona entries within the late 2010s led to retirement, the German squad has continued to supply engineering help to a number of IMSA groups, together with KCMG.

Even so, operating two automobiles in IMSA’s largest endurance occasions represents a serious step – one which the crew believes it is able to take.

“Now we have been in IMSA for a very long time. Now we have our engineering help and we have now engineers who’re in IMSA for a very long time,” Patrick Arkenau, Manthey’s director of racing, instructed Motorsport.com.

“We, as Manthey, operated automobiles in IMSA and Daytona in 2017 and 2018, however since 2020 we supplied engineering help to clients in IMSA, so we have now a number of years of expertise in IMSA.

“The IMSA paddock is completely not new to our guys operating the automobiles; we’re fairly skilled there.

“For positive, to function the entire effort is one thing completely different. There will probably be a studying curve, however because of the expertise we have already got… it’s difficult, however it’s not the place we are saying, ‘okay we can have a tough first studying yr after which we’ll see’. We anticipate to be on level from the Daytona race.”

#59 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R: Steve Smith, Harald Proczyk, Sven Muller, Matteo Cairoli

Picture by: Artwork Fleischmann

Manthey loved a vastly profitable yr in 2025, clinching the Le Mans 24 Hours/LMGT3 title double for a second consecutive yr, whereas additionally returning to championship glory within the DTM with Guven.

North America stays the final frontier for a squad majority owned by Porsche, and its IMSA growth can also be pushed by business concerns.

“North America is essential for our road automobile enterprise in order that’s the rationale [we are joining IMSA],” Manthey managing director Nicolas Raeder instructed Motorsport.com. “It is pushed by the road automobile division that we have now. We need to promote our kits extra within the US, and that is the rationale why we go to IMSA.”

To help its Endurance Cup effort, Manthey has established a secondary base in Miami, inserting it near the 2 Florida endurance classics that kick off the season.

The crew, nevertheless, received’t be completely based mostly within the US. The crew that may work on the IMSA programme, composed of engineers who already work within the WEC and DTM, will journey from its Meuspath headquarters as required.

In contrast to the WEC, the place the automobiles are loaded onto a ship instantly after a flyaway spherical, Manthey will probably be allowed to move its IMSA-based automobiles to Miami between races.

“We can have a workshop based mostly in Miami the place our gear and for positive the automobiles will probably be stationed,” defined Arkenau.

“However the common intention is that we function it as we additionally function different championships. We won’t have a full second base with an American crew. It is going to be dealt with by our common crew who’re in control of all our racing actions.

“We can have the identical key personnel that we have now in WEC and even in DTM, so it is going to be simply operated out of our core crew and will probably be operated like we function the WEC with [crew] flying in and flying out.

“For positive, the crew can have just a little bit prolonged keep with the intention to do the upkeep on the automobiles, which is a bit simpler than if it’s important to do it within the WEC at abroad occasions, [where you operate the car] on the racetrack.

“So there [in IMSA], we will use the time within the US. However basically, we deal with it like WEC in the best way it is operated from our core crew in Germany. It is simply that it is just a little bit simpler as a result of the whole lot is stationed within the US.”

#911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Ryan Hardwick, Thomas Preining

Picture by: Brandon Badraoui / Lumen by way of Getty Photographs

Counting on a confirmed WEC/DTM crew for the IMSA foray makes full sense for Manthey, particularly with the 5 endurance rounds unfold out via the yr. However this operational mannequin additionally made it unimaginable for Manthey to undertake a full IMSA marketing campaign this yr.

“We will solely function it in that method if we give attention to the 5 endurance races,” Arkenau defined. “If we’d do the entire season we’d actually need an American crew, individuals being there on a regular basis, and open a second base.

“Presently, with all of the packages we’re doing, this isn’t on our agenda.”

Raeder added: “For us, the standard is basically essential. We can’t scale up the amount on the identical high quality. Now we have to do it step-by-step.

“What’s essential is that we do not do something that we won’t do. If we do it, then we have now to do it in a correct approach, that we imagine that we have now the chance to be in entrance or to win the races. If we do not imagine in that ourselves, then we do not do it.”

Nonetheless, Manthey hasn’t dominated out the potential of a full-season IMSA programme sooner or later, supplied it will possibly make a enterprise case for it.

“We’ll see the way it’s operating,” Raeder stated of the endurance programme. “The entire world is altering a lot and within the quick US market it is vitally essential [to do well].

“Hopefully, we will activate the road automobile components [through IMSA], and if we will measure that we promote extra road automobile kits via the IMSA involvement, then for positive we’ll attempt to enhance it [the programme].”

The Daytona 24 Hours will happen on 24-25 January, with Manthey competing for high honours in each GTD Professional and the professional/am GTD divisions.

#911 Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Ryan Hardwick, Thomas Preining