Race Weekend Central

David Heinemeier Hansson Signs with 3GT Racing for 2018

On Friday morning, 3GT Racing announced that Danish programmer/racer David Heinemeier Hansson has signed to drive full-time for the team in the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.  He will co-drive the No. 15 Lexus RC F GT3 alongside Jack Hawksworth.

For Heinemeier Hansson, the move is a return of sorts.  Prior to joining up with Lexus, 3GT Racing was known as RSR Racing.  Heinemeier Hansson ran four races for the team in the Prototype Challenge class from 2013-2014 with a best finish of second at Sebring in 2014.  He’s happy to be back in the fold.

“I’ve raced with Paul [Gentilozzi]’s team in LMPC a number of times,” Heinemeier Hansson stated.  “I’ve always been impressed with the approach, the dedication and the way of going racing that Paul brought to the scene.  I’m super happy and excited to be with the team for a full season in IMSA and in a car and a set-up and a team that has all the opportunities to run for top honors at Daytona, Sebring and the rest of the championship.”

While Heinemeier Hansson has GT experience, he’s never raced in full GT3-spec equipment.  2018 will be a learning experience.

“[GT3 is] probably the most diverse category in all of racing,” Heinemeier Hansson continued.  “So many manufacturers, so many layouts and setups.  IMSA and so many [others] around GT3 have managed to make these cars equal, so it gives the category real excitement.  I’ve raced GTLM, but I haven’t done a race in GTD.  I have a lot to learn about ABS brakes and the other particulars of the category.  I’m really looking forward to it.”

Heinemeier Hansson has raced on and off in North America since 2011.  He debuted in a Porsche for Napleton Racing at Road America, then competed for Jetalliance Racing in a Lotus Evora.

In 2012, Heinemeier Hansson ran full-time for Conquest Racing in the American Le Mans Series’ P2-class.  Driving the potent Morgan chassis with a Judd engine, Heinemeier Hansson teamed with Martin Plowman to win two races (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Road America) and finish second in points.

Since then, Heinemeier Hansson has competed full-time in the FIA World Endurance Championship.  In 42 WEC starts, Heinemeier Hansson has six career victories (including a GTE-Am class victory in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans) and 21 podium finishes.  He won the 2014 FIA Endurance Trophy for LMGTE Am Drivers with teammates Kristian Poulsen and Christoffer Nygaard in an Aston Martin Vantage.  His best points finish in LMP2 was second in 2013 for OAK Racing.

Outside of motorsports, Heinemeier Hansson is best known as a computer programmer.  He is the creator of Ruby on Rails, a open source web application framework that is used as a base for the building of databases and web pages.

About the author

Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.

Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.

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