Heinrich, Estre Complete Wright Porsche Lineups for Indy 8H

Photos: Porsche

Porsche factory stars Laurin Heinrich and Kevin Estre will complete Wright Motorsports’ driver lineups for next month’s Indianapolis 8 Hour.

Announced on Monday, Heinrich, fresh off overall victory in last weekend’s Suzuka 1000km, will team up with GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Pro-Am points leaders Dave Musial Jr. and Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Ryan Yardley in the No. 31 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo for the Intercontinental GT Challenge season finale.

Estre, meanwhile, will partner Thomas Merrill and Therese Lahlouh in the No. 242 entry.

Both cars will compete in the Pro-Am class, although are likely to be in the mix for overall honors.

It will mark Heinrich’s third Indy 8H appearance with the Ohio-based team, with the 24-year-old German the only Porsche driver still mathematically in with a shot of the IGTC drivers’ championship.

“It’s my third time with the team at this race and I’m very excited to be back with a new driver lineup,” said Heinrich. “I haven’t competed with Dave and Ryan before, but we had a great test earlier in the season to prepare and get to know each other’s feedback. We work together very well.

“For me personally, I always love coming back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I did my very first GT race in the United States here and scored the overall pole position.

“I have great memories here and Wright Motorsports is always the team to be with. They provide great cars and know how to execute. We have all the tools we need to be successful and I can’t wait for the race to come.”

Estre, meanwhile, will make his Indy 8H debut, although he and Heinrich will be paired together in the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 in this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Battle on the Bricks event.

“I’m really looking forward to the Indy 8 Hour,” said Estre. “It’s been a while since I’ve driven the GT3 R in a GT World Challenge race, but I’m excited.

“It’s also great to be back with Wright Motorsports for the first time since 2023. It’s going to be an interesting weekend and we’ll have to learn how to work together quickly, but I’m confident that Therese, Thomas, and I can get a good result there and have fun.”

Porsche extended its lead in the IGTC manufacturers’ championship following AO by Absolute Racing’s win in Japan.

Source: Sports Car 365