DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 30, 2020) – After suffering a practice setback which forced the Black Swan Racing crew to work their own 24-hour shift before The Rolex 24 at Daytona even started, the drivers and crew of the No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 R would take a remarkable fifth in the GTD class, a strong testament to the resolve of the entire team.
“I’ve never felt this kind of reward with a fifth,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner and co-driver Tim Pappas. “Considering our week leading up to it, crossing the line in fifth feels like a win. While I of course appreciate everyone at Porsche Motorsport North America and especially Wright Motorsports for helping make this possible, it’s really our crew that deserve the biggest accolades. To completely rebuild a car overnight, then turn right around and run a 24-hour race, with no major mechanical hiccups, is beyond commendable.”
During the week’s first practice session on Thursday morning, young Porsche standout Trenton Estep would make a small mistake while braking on a wet track, sending the car in to a spin right toward the inside retaining wall of the treacherous Turn One. The impact would cause significant damage to the chassis, well beyond what could be repaired before the race.
With new partner indiGO Auto Group committed to the team for whole of the North American Endurance Championship, the desire to compete in the series’ first round was further enhanced. After examining multiple options, fellow Porsche competitor Wright Motorsports would step up with an arrangement granting the team a spare chassis they had brought, however due to series rules the team would still have to transfer many components over from the previous car. As a result, an exhausting overnight thrash by the team to prepare their new car would prove fruitful, taking to the track on the final Friday practice.
Taking the green flag on Saturday for the 24-hour classic, the true victory would lie in the fact that the team’s major drama was now behind them.
Joining Pappas and Estep, drivers Jeroen Bleekemolen and Sven Muller would prove their status as some of the greatest in the sport, not missing a beat with the new car and setting some of the fastest times in the event.
Over the course of the race, the pace of the team’s Porsche would actually prove strong, routinely setting some of the fastest laps throughout the event, and largely remaining in the hunt through the entirety of the race, which would see a record pace.
Like any race, a series of minor setbacks would ultimately cost the team victory, but the overall pace of the effort coupled with zero mechanical difficulties, a top-five in one of the most competitive years for the category feels like a victory.
“This is a fifth we should all be proud of, what a comeback!” stated co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen. “I’m very proud of the whole team after the setback we had Thursday. The car was great. Had a few small things that prevented us from fighting for the win at the end, but we were so close. We’ll continue the fight at Sebring and beyond.”
As stated earlier, this race would serve as the debut event for a new partnership with the indiGO Auto Group, who will work Black Swan Racing through the entirety of the North American Endurance Championship. The next round will take place in seven weeks’ time on Saturday, March 21, with the 12 Hours of Sebring, one of the most notorious endurance races on the planet.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2019) – Returning to the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship after missing much of the 2019 season, a further setback during Thursday’s practice for tomorrow’s Rolex 24 at the Daytona will not curtail the team’s participation, with the team successful preparing a new chassis for the race. Thanks to a concerted effort between Porsche Motorsport North America and fellow competitor Wright Motorsports, an incident in the first practice was rectified in time for today’s final practice, with the car returning to the track without issue. With Black Swan confirming new partner indiGO Auto Group for the full IMSA North American Endurance Championship, being able to deliver on the first event for the new association will provide welcome relief.
“I’m relieved we overcame our setback, and appreciate the efforts between Porsche Motorsport North America and Wright Motorsports to make sure our car makes the grid,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner and co-driver Tim Pappas. “For 2020, it’s great to be able to get the band back together, so to speak. Following a challenging 2019 season, we will improve each day in 2020. I appreciate the support we’ve had from everyone leading up to this point, and it will be great to see so many old friends. A new partnership with indiGO Auto Group will be an instrumental part of our 2020 commitment, and I look forward to flourishing together.”
During Thursday’s first practice session, on a cold and wet circuit, a small driver error on the part of one of Pappas’ teammates would cause significant damage to the chassis of the of the No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Launched in to a barrier at a high rate of speed, the damage to the tub of the chassis was beyond repair, and as part of a new production line for the marque, the limited availability of any spares put the team’s entry in jeopardy. Working closely with Porsche Motorsport North America to weigh possible options to repair the core of the team’s chassis, fellow competitor Wright Motorsports stepped up with an available spare chassis for the weekend, proving the strength of comraderie among teams. With the green flag for Saturday’s race dropping at 1:40PM ET, the the team worked hard overnight to make sure they rolled out for today’s final practice, successfully ensuring the car was put back together properly.
Looking to the larger picture, the team will take the green flag after a long and arduous 2019. Following a competitive outing at the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Black Swan Racing’s master plan for the season was curtailed one week later, when Pappas would endure a major incident in practice for the Bathurst 12 Hour. Due to Pappas’ time spent in recovery, Black Swan’s 2019 ventures would be limited to only two more events, first at the Six Hours of the Glen in June, and most recently at the growing Encore event held every November in Sebring, Florida.
This year, the Black Swan Team will deliver a strong stable of drivers - mixing experience with raw talent. Dutch driver Jeroen Bleekemolen will return to Black Swan - and the USA - where his career came into prominence. While with Black Swan Racing, the Dutchman enjoyed a fantastic run of victories and championships in the former American Le Mans Series, including wins at Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Long Beach, and a class championship. Most recently, Bleekemolen and Pappas re-united in 2018 for the Intercontinental GT Challenge, where they would take victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour.
New to Black Swan but not Porsche machinery, Sven Müller will join Black Swan as a factory driver whose talent is on the rise. As the 2007 Supercup champion, Müller is enjoying his sixth season in Porsche machinery since joining as a junior in 2014. This young German has competed in many classic endurance events in recent years; his resume will continue to grow with Black Swan.
Finally, Black Swan Racing looks forward to welcoming Trenton Estep, a young American with a burgeoning career. Beginning his career as an accomplished karter, Estep most recently made impressions in the US-based IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series, including winning the 2018 championship on the back of multiple victories and podiums.
Black Swan is energized to partner with indiGO Auto Group, one of the premier luxury dealership group’s in the United States. This partnership is a natural for Pappas’ team. IndiGO, founded by CEO Todd Blue and owned by Pon Holdings of the Netherlands, has Porsche dealerships in North Houston, St Louis, Marin County and Palm Springs, California. Black Swan’s team, and its Porsche 911 GT3 R, are a perfect match for indiGO because of its connection to and passion for the Porsche brand.
IndiGO Auto Group represents 19 franchised dealerships in six United States markets, including Houston, Texas, and St. Louis, MO, Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Riverside, & Marin County, California. Dealership destinations include Porsche North Houston, Lamborghini Houston, McLaren Houston, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North Houston, Porsche St. Louis, Jaguar Riverside, Porsche Marin, Audi Marin, Volkswagen Marin, BMW of Palm Springs, Porsche Palm Springs, as well as Bentley, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Land Rover and Audi of Rancho Mirage.
Live coverage for the Rolex 24 at Daytona will begin at 1:30PM ET on NBC, with full coverage available on a variety of NBC owned properties including NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold.
WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 2, 2019) – Returning to competition for the first time since February, Black Swan Racing and drivers Marc Miller, Marco Seefried, and Dirk Werner would enjoy a strong drive despite minor mechanical issues to finish 10th during Sunday’s Six Hours of the Glen.
“Overall I think we can be happy with our first race back,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner Tim Pappas. “Having not been in IMSA competition since Daytona, you always have the potential to struggle but our guys did a great job all weekend. In many ways it felt like we didn’t miss a beat, and for that I give credit to everyone on the team who’ve continued with us despite a challenging year. Marc, Marco and Dirk all did a great job, and of course we’re extremely appreciative to Porsche Motorsport North America for their continued support.”
With an accident in practice for the Bathurst 12 Hour sidelining Tim Pappas’s own driving efforts, the team’s plan to regroup finally came together for this weekend’s six hour classic. With Pappas out of the car, the addition of Marc Miller created a great opportunity for the No. 540 Porsche 911 GT3 R to run strong, which was demonstrated throughout practice and qualifying as the team consistently remained within the top-10.
As the race began, Marco Seefried would take starting duties, driving an impressive opening stint to stay within sight of the lead pack, putting the team in a prime position to podium.
Following a fairly quiet opening couple of hours, Seefried would hand the reigns to Marc Miller, whom had driven with the team during multiple international races in 2018. Also doing his best to keep pace, Miller simply managed the car and avoided incident throughout his double-stint, knowing that handing a clean car to teammate Dirk Werner would poise the team well for a podium.
Unfortunately, late in Miller’s stint a surprise mechanical gremlin would send him to the pits, with challenges to the car’s front bodywork presenting a race-maligning problem.
With Porsche factory driver Dirk Werner now in the car, the veteran’s expertise on Porsche machinery would show through, with Werner quickly identifying the specific issue with the car and forcing an unscheduled pit stop to fix the issue.
The car would return to the track at full pace, but a lap down and with little opportunity to recover. From that point on, Werner simply managed his machine until the end, taking 10th.
With the team back to form, all focus now turns to their next round of competition, to be announced at a later date.
BATHURST, Australia (February 1, 2019) – FBOSTON (June 21, 2019 )- Returning to racing following a season-altering crash during practice for the Bathurst 12 Hour, Black Swan Racing will return to action during next weekend’s Six Hours of the Glen, the fifth round of the IMSA WeatherTech Championship’s GTD category, and third round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Competing with one of the strongest lineups in GTD, the team will arrive in with the No. 540 Porsche 911 GT3 R, utilizing the talents of drivers Marc Miller, Marco Seefried, and Dirk Werner.
“It’s great to get the team back to action at Watkins Glen,” stated team owner Tim Pappas. “We came in to the 2019 season with big plans on a busy year, and obviously the Bathurst incident caused a dramatic change for us. It was important that, as a team, we made it back on track to not only keep our team in order, but also to honor our commitments to Porsche Motorsport North America, who’ve been an excellent partner through all of our challenges. For our return, I couldn’t be happier with our lineup. Marc Miller joined us for multiple events last year and has always been solid, Marco Seefried will also return to the team as one of the most proven commodities in endurance racing, and Dirk Werner is one of the most decorated drivers in GT racing. It should be a great event for us and we’re all excited for it.”
Taking to the 3.4-mile, 11-turn circuit, the “six hour” is notable for its unrelenting pace at one of the highest speed circuits on the calendar. With the Porsche 911 GT3 R well suited to the characteristics of the course, the team will arrive after a four-month hiatus well prepared to conquer their motorsport return.
Returning to the team after competing in select 2018 events during their inaugural Intercontinental GT Challenge campaign, Marc Miller take part in his first WeatherTech round of 2019. Enjoying a busy season of competition in the Trans-Am and World Challenge America ranks, Watkins Glen will provide a fresh new challenge for the Michigan native.
“I couldn’t be happier to re-join the team,” stated Miller. “The guys at Black Swan Racing were great to work with last year, and even though it’s under mixed circumstances that I’m joining, this should be a really competitive program. You never really know what to expect at an event like this, but we have a great team behind it all. I have to extend a huge thank you to Tim for the phone call, I’m looking forward to it.”
Re-uniting for the second time in 2019, Marco Seefried will arrive as an endurance specialist, having competed at all of the biggest events around the world. With victories at endurance events including the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, Seefried is one of the most renowned endurance GT drivers out there, and with a strong background in Porsche machinery.
“Black Swan is a great team and I’m glad we are able to return to competition,” stated Seefried. “We had big plans for 2019 and of course the year has gone very differently, but I commend Tim and the entire team for sticking with it and making the return. A team’s first race back after a few months away always has potential for challenges, but it’s a very strong group of guys, and of course Marc and Dirk are two very good drivers.”
Completing the lineup is Porsche factory driver Dirk Werner, one of the most sought after GT drivers in the series. A winner of the race 10 years ago in 2009, as a Porsche factory driver the German will join with a strong knowledge of the specific needs of the Porsche GT3 R, providing a critical role in the team’s potential for success.
“I look forward to returning to Watkins Glen,” stated Werner. “It’s a very unique and classic circuit, with high speeds and very close racing. The championship is as competitive as it’s ever been, so it will be critical for us to make no mistakes, but our car and driver lineup should give us a good pace. I look forward to the event, and appreciate Tim and everyone on the team for pushing to return.”
Official practice begins this coming Friday, June 28, with the six hour event beginning at 9:40AM ET on Sunday. Broadcast coverage will be available later that day at 7PM ET on NBCSN, or live via NBC Gold.
BATHURST, Australia (February 1, 2019) – Following a heavy practice accident that has left Black Swan Racing’s No. 540 Porsche 911 GT3 R beyond repair for Sunday’s Bathurst 12 Hour, the team will withdraw from competition. As a defending class winner following last year’s surprise victory, driver Tim Pappas suffered severe contact at an ominous corner known as The Chase during second practice.
“Of course it’s a difficult way to end the weekend,” stated Pappas. “After last year’s victory we came in very confident on the weekend, but ultimately I’m fortunate that the accident wasn’t worse than it was. Thanks to all the guys as well as Porsche Motorsport for putting together a safe car, the injuries could have been more severe. We’ll regroup and see what the next steps are.”
This will serve as the team’s second incident within a week, having suffered heavy contact in rain conditions during last weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, heavily damaging the team’s second Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Future plans for the team will be announced at a later date.