DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Laurin Heinrich is set to complete the full 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season after all in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) after all.
After being confirmed for a longer IMSA schedule than initially planned, Heinrich was initially slated to miss the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International due to a schedule conflict. However, the team he was set to race for at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Schumacher CLRT, confirmed Frederic Makowiecki will fill in for him in the team’s No. 22 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
That ensures Heinrich will run alongside an anticipated duo of Tijmen van der Helm and Kaylen Frederick in the No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963. Heinrich led the GTP points after his win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in early May, but a tough Detroit knocked him back to second,
“Wish you all the best, team!” Heinrich wrote in response to the Schumacher CLRT’s confirmation post of Makowiecki on social media.
He added on his Instagram story, “Wishing to Schumacher CLRT all the best at this year’s Spa 24H. Thanks to all for the support!”
Coincidentally, Heinrich does have a CrowdStrike racing component he is participating in this week. The German is making his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut aboard the No. 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca 07 Gibson in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) Pro/Am alongside George Kurtz and Alex Quinn.
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The team release came out confirming the change:
JDC-Miller MotorSports is pleased to announce that Laurin Heinrich will drive the No. 5 Porsche 963 at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen alongside Tijmen van der Helm and Kaylen Frederick. As previously announced, he will continue to drive the No. 5 at Road America and Indianapolis, then rejoin the Porsche Penske No. 7 team for the season finale at Petit Le Mans.
After winning at Daytona, Sebring, and Laguna Seca, Heinrich is currently 2nd in the Driver’s Championship of the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Porsche is 2nd in the manufacturer’s championship, just 25 points out of the top position. Heinrich is the reigning IMSA GTD-Pro class champion.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be held on June 28th on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course at Watkins Glen International Raceway. TV coverage will be on Peacock, starting at 12:00PM EDT.
John Church, Managing Partner, No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963:
“We are very pleased to have Laurin join us for Watkins Glen. A huge thank you to Porsche Motorsport for this opportunity. Laurin has really “clicked” with our team. He brings more than just amazing driving talent. He has a “can-do” attitude in and out of the car, which makes the whole team stronger.
The remainder of the season is on tracks where we have had success in the past, and having Laurin onboard gives us that much more confidence for the rest of the 2026 season.”
Laurin Heinrich, Driver, No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963
“I’m very happy to be racing at Watkins Glen with JDC-Miller MotorSports. It is a great opportunity for me to continue my championship fight in IMSA. I want to say a big thank you to Porsche Motorsport and my GT team in Spa, Schumacher CLRT, for working with me to make this last-minute change. I’m looking forward to my first endurance race with JDC-Miller MotorSports in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Porsche 963. “