
'It's all basketball': LaMelo says no rift with Bam
LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.
Julien Andlauer will race against Lauren Heinrich at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after Heinrich is loaned to JDC-Miller MotorSports. This change follows their successful start in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Motorsport photo
Julien Andlauer will go from sharing a race seat to potentially trading paint with Lauren Heinrich at this weekendās Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
The two drivers, along with FelipeĀ Nasr, shared driving duties in Porsche Penske Motorsportās (PPM) #7 Porsche 963 that was victorious in the opening two rounds - Rolex 24 At Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring - to start the 2026 campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With the schedule shifting from the endurance rounds to the first sprint race of year that limits two drivers per car, Heinrich was, moreless, loaned out to privateer JDC-Miller MotorSports and will co-drive the #5 Porsche 963 alongside Tijmen van der Heim.
Although the situation could deliver some complexities related to the overall championship standings,Ā Andlauer is looking at the positives.
āIt's going to be more of a fun scenario,ā saidĀ Andlauer, 26. āWe talked about it recently and it's great for him to get more track time in the car, even though he doesn't need it because he's already flying.
āI think it is going to be cool to have another Porsche fighting maybe a bit more up front. Yeah, I don't know what to think on the other hand; hopefully it's not going to be too quick on the other car! And don't take our points. But no, I have to say it's cool for it. It's gonna be great for him just to be even better for the end of the season together with us for the last round.ā
Not only will it be interesting to see how Heinrich gets on as he navigates the historic 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit for the first time in his career, but doing so with a Porsche 963 without this yearāsĀ Evo updates. As a factory outfit, PPM moved forward with the latest aero updates, while JDC-Miller Motorsports opted to stick with the 2025 specifications due to cost. In some ways that could become favorable for him as the latest Balance of Performance (BoP) hit PPM harder than JDC-Miller MotorSports.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a prominent motorsport event that features various racing series, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Lauren Heinrich is racing for JDC-Miller MotorSports due to a shift in the race schedule that limits each car to two drivers, leading to his temporary loan from Porsche Penske Motorsport.
The drivers sharing the #7 Porsche 963 are Julien Andlauer, Lauren Heinrich, and Felipe Nasr.
Heinrich's loan to JDC-Miller MotorSports could complicate the overall championship standings due to the change in driver lineups for the race.

LaMelo Ball relieved Bam Adebayo's injury isn't serious after tripping him in game.

Get ready for $150 train fares from NYC to MetLife Stadium for World Cup matches!

Texans and Will Anderson Jr. agree to historic $150M extension!

Avalanche lead Stanley Cup odds, but Sabres intrigue bettors
Will Anderson's new contract with the Texans sets an NFL record!
Donnie Freeman's transfer decision favors Kentucky while UConn faces setbacks and Alabama's future remains unclear.
See every story in Sports ā including breaking news and analysis.
#5 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963: Tijmen van der Helm, Nico Pino, Kaylen Frederick
Following a dominant victory at Sebring where PPM led all but 60 of 343 laps,Ā IMSA handed the factory squad a weight increase of 45 kg for an unprecedented total of 1,100 kg, along with a 5.4 percent reduction in first stage power and 2.9 percent for the second stage. Meanwhile, JDC-Miller MotorSports was given a different BoP, adding just an additional 5 kg to total 1,060 kg; and were hit with a 1.7 percent first stage reduction and 1.1 percent for the second stage.
TeamĀ Penske President Jonathan Diuguid, who also calls strategy on PPMās #6 entry, believes JDC-Miller MotorSports could be a threat.
āJDC has been very competitive at racetracks over the years with the 963,ā Diuguid said. āI don't count them out at all. Laurin is a strong talent.
āI'll give that group a very good benchmark to set up their car around and he comes with experience from working with our team for three races now between Bahrain at the end of last year (in theĀ FIA World Endurance Championship) and then Daytona and Sebring and he knows how the car should feel. He tested the previous spec bodywork a couple times towards the end of last year so he understands the differences there also.
"I only view it as for the Porsche group as a whole to have somebody like Laurin in the car giving feedback to the group.ā
Read Also:
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.