BOSTON (January 14, 2018) – Following a successful test at the season-opening Roar Before the 24, Black Swan Racing is pleased to reveal their commitment to a full effort in the 2019 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, as well as the upcoming Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Running nine races across five countries for a grand total of 115 hours of endurance racing, the team’s pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R’s will be put to the test for what is shaping to be a busy year.
 
“I couldn’t be more excited to embark on our 2019 adventure,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner and co-driver Tim Pappas. “We’re taking on the two premier endurance categories for GT3 racing, and feel as prepared as we can. The all-new Porsche 911 GT3 R has proven incredible in testing so far, and when combined with their heritage in endurance racing we’re set for a strong season. In IMSA, having Dirk Werner and Marco Seefried as teammates for the year, not to mention Matteo Cairoli for the Rolex 24, is a fantastic opportunity. In the IGTC, the band is “back together again” with Jeroen, and the combination of Dirk and Marc Lieb throughout the year creates a dream scenario. Having someone with the experience of Owen Hayes in the fold only adds to our potential. Additionally, we’ll be running the Champion Porsche badge throughout our IMSA campaign, which is of course an honor we hope to meet by continued results.”

In just two 12 days’ time, Black Swan Racing’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup will kick off with their return to the prized Rolex 24 at Daytona. Returning as a team entry for the first time since narrowly missing victory in 2016, the series’ flagship race will see the return of the No. 540 with Pappas being joined by full endurance-season teammates Dirk Werner and Marco Seefried, and for Daytona-only Matteo Cairolli. Werner joins as a seasoned veteran of the series, having competed at a factory level in IMSA and the former GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series for many years, including taking the 2007 and 2009 GT titles. Marco Seefried will make his Black Swan debut as an endurance specialist, having previously won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2016, as well as 12 Hours of Sebring in 2014. Matteo Cairolli will make his Daytona debut this year, having been part of the Porsche factory program since entering as a junior in 2016. Cairolli has two class wins in the World Endurance Championship, as well as a title in the Italian Carrera Cup championship.
 
Following Daytona, the team will compete for the full IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup title, competing at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, Six Hours of the Glen, and concluding with Petit Le Mans, with Werner, Seefried, and Pappas taking the reigns. Throughout the team’s IMSA campaign they will carry the logo of famed motorsport icon Champion Porsche, a company with rich heritage in international sportscar racing, which will be especially poignant as the group honors the memory of owner Dave Maraj.

Following the Rolex 24, team attention will turn to their second championship, the Intercontinental GT Challenge. A GT3-based series that will see five endurance races in five separate continents, Black Swan will begin their campaign from January 31 through February 1 at the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, where drivers Tim Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Lieb will look to defend their 2018 class title. Following Bathurst, the IGTC will then travel to the 8 Hours of California in Monterey, the 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, the Suzuka 10 Hours in Japan, and the Kyalami 9 Hour in South Africa. Long-time teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen will join Pappas for the entirety of the calendar, while Porsche veteran Marc Lieb will take part in Australia and Belgium, meanwhile Dirk Werner will be on board for California, Japan, and South Africa.
 
While much of the same championship-winning crew will see after the team’s pair of Porsches, Black Swan has also bolstered their program with the addition of Owen Hayes to help oversee the team. Hayes, a long-time member of the Porsche family, has served roles that include serving as an engineer for Porsche’s LMP1 and LMP2 projects, Porsche’s GT3 R hybrid project, and beyond.
 
Black Swan Racing’s current schedule is as follows:
 
January 24-27, 24 Hours of Daytona (IMSA)
February 1-3, 12 Hours of Bathurst (IGTC)
March 13-26, 12 Hours of Sebring (IMSA)
March 28-30, California 8 Hours (IGTC)
June 28-30, Six Hours of the Glen (IMSA)
July 25-28, 24 Hours of Spa (IGTC)
August 23-25, Suzuka 10 Hours (IGTC)
October 10-12, Petit Le Mans (IMSA)
November 21-23, Kyalami 9 Hour (IGTC)
 
Additional updates will follow as the races draw closer.

BOSTON (October 23, 2018) – Following a mixed season of competition in the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), including a class victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour, Black Swan Racing  and the No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 R will close their 2018 campaign by entering the premier all-pro category for this weekend’s California 8 Hour. Taking place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the lone U.S. round,  the team will add Porsche factory driver Patrick Long to share duties with the full-season duo of Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Recognizing that an all-pro entry would allow the team to maximize their potential for Pappas to take the series’ Bronze category title, all focus is on both race victory and Pappas’ championship quest.

“When it was revealed to us that the Bronze title wasn’t exclusive to competing in the Pro-Am category, bringing Patrick to our team was a no-brainer,” stated team owner / driver Pappas. “All three of us have a tremendous amount of experience at Laguna Seca, which should give us a major step on the competition at what is effectively our home track. It’s a favorite visit for any racer worldwide, so to close the season in the U.S., and with a real shot at doing well, it’s an event we’re all looking forward to.” 

As a four-round championship taking place on four separate continents, the IGTC has quickly earned its place as a premier championship for GT3 racing machines. Taking place at such historic events as the Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia, 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium, and Suzuka 10 Hour in Japan, the lone U.S. round will close the season with the second running of the California 8 Hour. As a 2.5-mile circuit nestled in the hills of California’s Monterey Bay, Laguna Seca is one of the most scenic tracks in the world, and located just a few hours from both Pappas’ and Long’s Southern California homes.

Competing against factory-supported efforts from a number of marques, the challenge of Sunday’s finale cannot be understated. With notoriously few safety car periods in the all-GT event, ultimate pace will place a critical role, as all-pro lineups will dominate the top-tier category.

In search of the Bronze Driver title, Pappas’ currently sits second and just 20 points shy of the lead. While a challenging gap, the fact that the points are based on overall finishing position and not Pro-Am allows Pappas to maximize his effort for this weekend’s finale.

For Jeroen Bleekemolen, all focus is on finishing on a high.

“We’re all looking forward to closing on the team’s home soil,” stated Bleekemolen. “It’s been a fun year, with a lot of highlights. The IGTC has really put together a highlight of some of the most fantastic GT3 events in the world, and starting with a win in Bathurst meant we had a great season regardless of whatever else happened. The guys have worked hard all year, and now we’re just hoping we can reward Tim with the Bronze title.”

For Patrick Long, who has driven a number of events with Black Swan Racing over the years, a return to the team at what is effectively a home track is always a fun opportunity.

“WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca always offers a lot of promise for Porsche, and it could be a competitive effort for us,” stated Long. “Competing against all-pro lineups will definitely be a challenge, but we all have a lot of experience here and that should play to our favor. The IGTC is a pretty unique championship, and we want to deliver the best result possible both for Porsche but of course Tim as well.”

Practice begins on Friday, October 26, with race action taking place on Sunday, October 28. 

SUZUKA, Japan (August 29, 2018) – Taking part in the third round of Intercontinental GT Challenge competition, Black Swan Racing would enjoy a fourth-place finish during Sunday’s Suzuka 10 hour. Debuting in their No. 54 Black Swan Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R at the famed Japanese circuit, drivers Tim Pappas, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Miller would enjoy a trouble-free run with zero mistakes.

With the field in front also enjoying running without incident, the team had to rely on outright pace which was heavily compromised by the current balance-of-performance regulations with all Porsche machinery. Adding to the challenge, not only was the overall finish a blow to Tim Pappas’s pursuit of the bronze cup, but the overall standings would also highlight a major flaw in the structure of the championship.
 
“As a team, we can walk away satisfied with our weekend,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner and co-driver Tim Pappas. “Overall, it was a flawless performance by everyone within Black Swan. We should all be proud of the effort, and with a little more attrition it could have been a podium. The problem, however, is that attrition is literally the only way we could have prevailed. It was a challenging weekend for all Porsche teams if you look down the order. I’d say we collected good points as well, however with the recent discovery that bronze drivers can run in all-pro entries, we now are at a deficit in the championship for something that could easily be rectified. Regardless, the enthusiasm of the crowd was unlike anything we’d ever experienced, and it was a fantastic memory for everyone involved. Suzuka is a really fun and challenging circuit, and the heat and humidity of the weekend only added to the challenge.”

With co-driver Marc Miller taking the green flag, the frantic pace of the 3.6-mile circuit became immediately evident. As a circuit known for only a few straights and an endless series of flowing and switchback patterns, the ability to pass was at a premium, with all three drivers doing their best to exercise patience throughout the 10-hour event.
 
With only one caution period throughout the entirety of the race, the focus on pace was at a premium. Unfortunately, every Porsche competitor on the grid appeared to struggle for outright pace over the weekend, with the best finish of any Porsche team, including all-pro teams, being 11^th overall.

Doing their best to stay in the mix, the key to the team’s result was a completely mistake-free run. With no major off-course excursions, no penalties, and no major pit errors, both drivers and crew settled in to a pace to ensure a strong result, hoping for attrition to carry the rest of the way.
 
With a vast majority of the cars finishing the race, the team seemed settled in to their position by the end, eventually crossing the finish line in a comfortable fourth-in-class.
 
Unfortunately, for driver Tim Pappas’s pursuit of the prestigious Bronze Cup, awarded to the highest points-finishing bronze driver after all four rounds of the championship, a significant blow was dealt after the revelation that a rival contender was allowed to retain points earned in a different class. With the title being awarded to the top points-earning bronze driver overall, the assumption has always been that bronze drivers would compete in the bespoke Pro-Am category, retained specifically for bronze drivers who want a fair shot at winning. The rule neglected, unfortunately, to exclude points from bronze drivers in the pro category, which means a bronze driver can finish in in a higher overall position, and therefore take more points, by running in the pro ranks with an unrestricted co-driver lineup.
 
For Marc Miller, a satisfying weekend was one to remember.
 
“It was a great weekend, we just came up short of the podium,” stated Miller. “It was a very difficult race. 100+ degrees, 90% humidity and great competition! We were in the hunt for a podium but just didn't quite have enough to fight for it. It was a great experience, with over four hours behind the wheel. Truly a blessing to have the opportunity to race a Porsche GT3R in Japan. Always a dream of mine, thanks to the entire Black Swan team and my teammates Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Looking forward to the next one!”
 
For Jeroen Bleekemolen, a similar sentiment is shared.
 
“Suzuka was great!” stated Bleekemolen. “We had a good race, running close to the podium. This track in the dark was a cool experience. A big thanks to Black Swan Racing for all the hard work, I’m looking forward to Laguna Seca next.“
 
With the team packed up and the car now traversing the Pacific Ocean, the next round of competition will be in two months’ time, returning to the California 8 Hour for the second-ever running. Serving as the event that Black Swan made its IGTC debut in 2017, hopes are high for a return to their winning ways on home soil. Practice begins on Friday, October 26, with the eight-hour race taking place on Sunday, October 28.

BOSTON (August 22, 2018) – Following a win at the Bathurst 12 Hour and a competitive showing at the most recent 24 Hours of Spa, Black Swan Racing and No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 R will head to this weekend’s Suzuka 10 Hours in Japan ready to take on the next round of International GT Challenge (IGTC) competition. With long-time pairing Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen once again joined by Marc Miller, the trio are ready to take on a very strong field in the series’ Pro-Am category.
 
“It’s going to be a tough event, but one we’re all really looking forward to,” stated Black Swan Racing team owner and driver Tim Pappas. “Suzuka is one of the most infamous circuits in the world, notoriously very fast and very demanding, but also one of the most historic events we could be a part of. The heat and humidity we faced in Spa was definitely a challenge, but it’s said Japan this time of year will be even more difficult. As one of the shorter events of the year it will be critical for us to be perfect, but we’re confident in our ability to not only find speed but make the right strategic calls.”
 
As a 3.6-mile, 18-turn course, the demands of Suzuka are unlike any other on the IGTC calendar. With a near endless series of flowing, switchback corners, Suzuka is famous for not only its challenge for drivers but also high speeds. Returning with Porsche, it’s always an unknown just how the unique characteristics of the GT3 R will fair, but optimism remains high.
 
For Jeroen Bleekemolen, despite his years of experience in sportscar, Suzuka presents a new challenge.
 
“I’ve actually never been to Suzuka, but it’s one of those circuits every driver wants to do,” stated Bleekemolen. “It’s tough to say how we’ll run, but it should be a really fun circuit in the Porsche, and with a little luck on our side I believe we can show well.”
 
For Marc Miller, another event to add to his bucket list is one he’s greatful.
 
"I have always been a very big fan of the Japanese auto and motorsport culture, not to mention cuisine, so this will be an amazing event to be a part of on a personal level,” stated Miller. “The three of us have never been there so I spent a considerable amount of time preparing on the simulator and studying video. It is supposed to be hot and possibly rainy so each lap we make will be important. I feel, however, that we will be in contention for a solid finish when it comes down to it."
 
Returning with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, the No. 54 crew arrived this week prepared to take on the heat and humidity, with Sunday’s 10-hour placing a unique challenge of speed against endurance.
 
Practice begins this Friday, August 24, with the race taking place on Sunday, August 26. With the difference in time zones, in U.S. terms the race will actually start at 10PM ET on Saturday, August 25.