How the Porsche 963 means big things for MAAP interns.
If you are a motorsport fan, you have got to be feeling pretty jazzed right now about Porsche’s groundbreaking announcement. On June 24th, Porsche unveiled the new Porsche 963, – a number not insignificant in itself – a prototype not seen by Porsche in over 30 years. The Porsche Penske Motorsport team will send the HYBRID vehicle to hunt for overall victories in the world’s greatest endurance races, beginning in 2023. It’s first race: 24 Hours of Daytona here in the US.
What’s even more exciting is that a day later, MAAP-partner IMSA team JDC-Miller made headlines with its own announcement. “JDC-Miller confirmed as first Porsche 963 customer team.” So, what does this all mean for Porsche, motorsport in America, and most importantly for MAAP? Here we break it all down.
For Porsche
- Porsche’s first prototype racing car in 38 years to hit the scene. The last being the 962 in 1984. That car went on to be the most successful car in motorsport history.
- The hybrid LMDh-spec prototype will be the most expensive Porsche ever sold.
- More history making. This is the first time the hybrid component has been added to the drive train making it much more complex.
For Motorsport
- The introduction of the 963 is a step in moving toward a world standard of cars. Higher standard = better racing and therefore better fan experience.
- This opens the door to participate in other races worldwide besides Le Mans.
- Additionally, the sport will see more European teams coming to Daytona, adding to the action and ultimately the quality of the events that IMSA produce.
For MAAP
- This is the JDC-Miller team’s first connection to Porsche which will draw a lot of interest to the team.
- The team was chosen by Porsche because of their previous success and great potential.
- The JDC-Miller team is only 1 of 2 customer teams in North America that will race the 963 in 2023.
Ultimately, this means that MAAP and its interns will have direct, working access to this new car and its cutting-edge technology, supported by the world-class brand that is Porsche. What college student can say that??? And frankly, even if you aren’t a motorsport fan now, you might just want to become one.