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Marshall Pruett December 5, 2018 10:33 AM The JDC-Miller Motorsports team will return in 2019 with two new Cadillac DPi-V.Rs and a number of new drivers to wage its efforts to secure an IMSA championship.The Minnesota-based team has also shuffled some of its existing drivers to fill the No. 84 Cadillac which will have 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race-winner Stephen Simpson and Simon Trummer in the car for the full season. The duo will have Chris Miller on board for the endurance events, and Mazda Road To Indy veteran Juan Piedrahita will complete its Rolex 24 at Daytona lineup.
More IMSA!
JDC’s use of the No. 84, rather than No. 99 as seen last season, comes in the wake of former sponsor GAINSCO opting to withdraw from all racing activities.With Trummer slotting in alongside Simpson, JDC’s Misha Goikhberg has moved to the No. 85 where he’ll have former Spirit of Daytona Cadillac DPi driver Tristan Vautier as his new season-long teammate. For the Rolex 24, the two will have Formula 1 iron man Rubens Barrichello making his first appearance with JDC, and Devlin DeFrancesco, who contested two round with the team last year, taking the final roster position.After Daytona, Piedrahita will move into the third-driver role at the remaining endurance rounds in the No. 85.“We are very excited about our driver roster for the Rolex 24 and the whole season,” said JDC-Miller MotorSports team owner John Church. “We announced our purchase of the Cadillacs in September. We’ve been working steadily all fall to put together a stealth group of drivers to compete for race wins in 2019. Chris, Misha, Stephen and Simon were very competitive last year.“Devlin had two great runs with us in 2018, and Juan and Tristan have raced with us in the past as they developed their driving careers. It’s great to welcome all of them back. Last, but certainly not least, we’re thrilled to welcome Rubens to the team. It’s an honor for us, it’s a great opportunity for our team and we look forward to providing him with a very competitive effort.” Simpson, who emerged as one of IMSA’s breakout stars in recent years, welcomes the changes.“I am very excited to have Simon as my team mate for the new season,” he said. “Simon had some very strong performances in his debut season in IMSA and showed his potential. We get along very well, we have good chemistry and I am looking forward to getting to work. It will be great to have Juan join us for the Rolex 24 in the No. 84. I have known Juan for a handful of years and was previously his coach when he raced in Indy Lights. I know he is going to be a strong addition. Additionally, I am very happy to be continuing to share the car with Chris for the long races. Chris is quick and a great teammate. This will be our sixth season driving together in the long races, we will both miss Misha but are excited for the whole team and driver pairings.” JDC’s highest profile driver is looking forward to having a solid shot at winning his first Rolex 24.“I am super excited to compete in the Rolex 24 again, I love this race,” Barrichello said. “In fact, I love the series and I almost won the Rolex 24 once with the Taylor brothers. I know JDC-Miller had a good event last year with sixth place, so I hope we can really enjoy our weekend and give our best for the best possible position. I am really excited, and I can’t wait for it!”