PWC SprintX champ Mills Racing elects not to return for 2017

2016 Pirelli World Challenge SprintX champion team Mills Racing has announced that it will not return to defend its title.

"We are disappointed not to return to the series after winning the inaugural championship last season," said team owner and driver Michael Mills, who intends to focus on his coaching business but hopes to return to the series at a later date. "Maybe you will see me in a car at COTA, our home track, but unfortunately we were not able to put together a program to return to SprintX this year."

Last season, Houston-based Mills Racing put together a small crew with Mills and BMW factory drivers Kuno Wittmer and John Edwards behind the wheel, which swept the team's first outing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The team ended the season with victories in three of the six rounds, winning the Team Championship and Sportsman Drivers Championship, Mills' second career Pirelli World Challenge title.

"I am grateful for the way BMW treated a team of our size and for PWC to put the SprintX series together," added Mills, who says . SprintX is a great format and has a very bright future in North America. I wish we were on the grid, but 2017 looks to be an exciting season nevertheless."