IMSA: JDC-Miller thriving in PC

The new-look IMSA sparked to life in 2014 as a mash-up between existing ALMS and Grand-Am teams with precious few start-up programs sprinkled into the mix. One of the newcomers to make a leap of faith with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship was JDC-Miller Motorsports, and with its current championship lead in the PC class heading into this weekend's event in Monterey, the Minnesota-based program continues to impress despite its relative lack of sports car experience.

With his expansion into IMSA with the Miller family, team owner John Church built upon JDC's success and reputation on the Mazda Road To Indy open-wheel ladder, and in its current guise, JDC-Miller has joined the perennial PC title contenders in the race to capture the 2016 PC championship.

Two PC wins from three races this year, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the recent Long Beach round, has the No. 85 ORECA FLM09-Chevrolet and drivers Misha Goikhberg and Stephen Simpson riding a wave of momentum into Northern California. According to Church, all JDC-Miller Motorsports learned in 2014 and 2015 is starting to pay off as it fights with PC standard-bearers CORE autosport, Starworks Motorsport, and other veteran IMSA teams.

"I think it is just we are planning on doing the same thing we do everywhere else where it takes you a year or two to find your way and find out what matters and what doesn't," Church told RACER. "Getting everybody to buy into that is the hard part. Once you get everybody buying into it and getting on the same page, it starts to work on the sports car side."

Compared to the slam-bang training series where JDC made its name, Church says shifting his team's mindset to surviving races that last between two and 24 hours has been a crucial adjustment.

"Like I have been telling everybody for a couple of years, all you need to do is stay out of trouble and we should be on the podium every weekend," he continued. "We've definitely made our car faster, which is great, and that is what we have been working hard at as well, but even without that you can be on the podium if you keep your nose clean. And nine times out of 10 in PC, you are going to be on the podium if you keep your nose clean no matter how fast your car is. Too often, the younger, less experienced drivers just don't understand that. They just want the speed."

Church's experience working with up-and-coming drivers in open-wheel has clearly translated with young sports car talent like Chris Miller, and Kenton Koch, who were part of the Rolex 24 win and the fourth-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

And, working with Goikhberg, who has quickly risen up IMSA's ladder, has allowed Church to refine the team's approach as the Canadian learns from a proven veteran like Simpson.

"You always need to make the car faster no matter what you are driving, but in this style of racing, I think it is a combination of us making the car better and faster and then finally getting everybody to really only worry about finishing races," he said. "Suddenly, when it all comes together, you look like a hero...but you haven't done anything different. The game plan hasn't changed as much as it is just the execution is finally there. This formula has really started to work for us, but I don't think it's any secret."

Another impressive aspect of JDC-Miller's success in 2016 is the effectiveness of its driving team, which holds an eight-point lead over Renger van der Zande and Alex Popow. Church says holding the early-season championship lead will not alter his approach at the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix Powered By Mazda, or any of the events leading towards the season finale in October.

"Leading is great for us, and if it was two races to go we might look at it differently, but there's still a lot of races to go," he said. "Long Beach was a great race for us obviously, leading most of the race and being in that strong position. That was, in some respects, more rewarding than winning the 24-hour race because [at Daytona] we more or less won that on everybody else's problems.

"Our goal every weekend is trying to be on the podium. If you get a few breaks here or there then you might be lucky enough to win. I think you always have to be smart and keep doing the things we're doing. Hopefully it will work out in the end."