Black Swan Racing, who fields a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 and SRT Viper GT3 in the Pirelli World Challenge this season, intend to return to IMSA for the 2016 season after the team acquired a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The team is yet to be officially entered for next year's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship but the team has made IMSA officials aware of its intention to return to IMSA competition.
Team principal and driver Tim Pappas as well as president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America Jens Walther recently met at the Santa Ana PMNA office to complete discussions for plans for the upcoming racing season and to finalize the contract.
“I am pleased to be returning to the Porsche Motorsport family, where Black Swan enjoyed its best success and achieved so many of the important milestones in my driving history,” Pappas said.
Pappas will co-drive the 911 GT3 R - the third to be confirmed for next season thus far - alongside Nicky Catsburg, whose highlights of 2015 include an overall win at the Total 24 Hours of Spa and a handful of pole positions earned in various other championships.
Winner of GTC class championships in the 2010 and 2011 American Le Mans Series seasons, Pappas considers Catsburg "one of the best young drivers in the world today."
“Black Swan Racing, no stranger to Porsche or success, returns to the Porsche family at one of our most exciting times," said Walther. "The 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 R racecar, based on our latest generation of Porsche 911 GT3 RS sports car, is specifically designed for upcoming customer FIA GT3 series around the world. We are looking forward to working with Tim and the team again in 2016.”
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Aaron Durant is the editor of the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow him on Twitter at @DoubleA291.