Ryan Hardwick stands alongside his No. 912 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R as he prepares for the 2026 IMSA season. (Photo: Babbit Bodner)
Most 35-year-olds are settling into the rhythm of their careers, perhaps trading in old hobbies for more practical pursuits. But a decade ago, Ryan Hardwick decided to start over. He didn’t just pick up a new hobby; he strapped into a race car and began a climb that would eventually lead him to the top step of the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Now 45, the bronze-level driver is preparing for this weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring, returning to North American soil as the reigning champion of the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 class. Driving the No. 912 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Manthey Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, Hardwick represents a unique breed of athlete: the “amateur” who has become a statistical titan in the world of professional endurance racing.
“I’m at the sum of all the choices I’ve made up to this point,” Hardwick said during a recent remote interview. “I’m pretty stoked on where I’m at in life and the opportunities I’ve had.”
Hardwick’s path to the cockpit of a factory-backed Porsche was anything but conventional. While many of his peers were climbing the karting ranks as toddlers, Hardwick was in East Tennessee, tearing up dirt tracks on two wheels and racing jet skis. It wasn’t until ten years ago that he earned his racing license. That background in “losing traction” on dirt bikes proved to be his secret weapon when transitioning to the high-downforce world of GT3 machinery.
“My time on the dirt bike, constantly searching for traction, translated well to four wheels,” Hardwick explained. “Especially in endurance racing where we race in the rain and cold conditions. I’ve been to the track when it was snowing and we were still racing. You’re always kind of losing grip, and that really translated well to the four wheels for me.”
In the complex ecosystem of sports car racing, drivers are categorized by experience: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. While the “Gold” factory drivers are separated by mere hundredths of a second, the “Bronze” drivers, often successful businessmen like Hardwick who started later in life, are frequently the ones who decide the outcome of the race. Under IMSA and FIA regulations, Bronze drivers are required to complete a minimum amount of “seat time,” meaning the professionals can only do so much to save a race if their Bronze teammate falters.
“The real difference is the bronze,” Hardwick said. “If you have a really fast bronze on your team, you’re towards the front. It puts a lot of pressure on you. If I have a bad day or make a mistake, we’re usually struggling in the back because the other two guys have a hard time making up the difference.”
Hardwick proved his worth as a “difference maker” during the 2025 season, completing the unofficial GT triple crown. The pinnacle of that year came during the 8 Hours of Bahrain, the final round of the world championship. After a series of technical issues forced his team to start dead last, Hardwick took the wheel with the title on the line.
Ryan Hardwick (left) celebrates the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship title with teammates Richard Lietz and Riccardo Pera in Bahrain. (Photo: Babbit Bodner)
“I told myself as I’m strapped in that day that I’m going to absolutely leave it all out on the field,” Hardwick recalled. “I was completely comfortable of crashing the car at any moment in time or going to the front, one of the two. I had zero interest in finishing second. Nobody remembers who got second or third.”
Over a grueling three-hour opening stint, Hardwick carved through the field, moving from 18th to seventh and overtaking factory Ferraris and Corvettes. The performance secured the world championship and earned him the Goodyear Wingfoot Award as the race’s most valuable driver.
“It was the best three stints of my life,” he said. “To have a performance like that when the championship is on the line, with my wife and two boys there, was unbelievable.”
While his racing resume reads like a full-time professional’s, Hardwick’s life is a masterclass in what he calls the “three pillars” of balance: family, business, and racing. When he isn’t hitting 300 kph on the Mulsanne Straight, he is co-leading Mountain Motorsports, a business he co-founded with his best friend. What started as a single Honda dealership in East Tennessee has grown into the second-largest motorcycle dealership group in the country, employing nearly 350 people.
Ryan Beyond the track, Hardwick balances his racing career with his role as co-founder of Mountain Motorsports, the second-largest motorcycle dealership group in the U.S. (Photo: Babbit Bodner)
“Mountain Motorsports is a true favorite,” Hardwick said. “It’s very special to me because it’s one I co-founded with my best friend out of our love for dirt bikes and motorcycles and jet skis. We’ve grown… and now we’re headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We sell multiple thousands of vehicles a year.”
That business acumen carries over into his physical preparation. Hardwick is backed by 1st Phorm, a health and fitness company that helps him manage the staggering physical tolls of the sport. The internal environment of a GT3 car is a far cry from the air-conditioned luxury of a road-going Porsche. During a warm race in August, Hardwick noted he lost seven pounds of water weight in just 50 minutes inside a cockpit that reached 143 degrees.
“I honestly took it for granted before I got into the sport,” Hardwick admitted. “The G-forces and the pressure these cars put on drivers is unbelievable. Fitness is a huge key to my success. I prepare a lot, my own body, exercise, training regimens, and hydration is paramount. If you wait until the day before the race, it’s too late.”
Ryan Hardwick’s No. 912 Porsche 911 GT3 R is a carbon-fiber-bodied machine capable of producing up to 565 horsepower. (Photo: Babbit Bodner)
For the 12 Hours of Sebring, Hardwick is piloting the Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992), a masterpiece of German engineering. The car features a 4.2-liter naturally aspirated flat-six engine producing up to 565 horsepower. Unlike the street-legal 911, the GT3 R is stripped to its carbon-fiber bones and features an advanced aerodynamic package designed to “suck” the car to the pavement at high speeds. For a driver like Hardwick, managing the sophisticated electronics, such as the multi-stage traction control and Bosch racing ABS, is part of the “calculative” nature he brings to the track.
“You can’t be like a teenager who got his first car from his father,” Hardwick noted regarding the precision required to wheel a Porsche. “You have to be calm and calculative. In endurance racing, staying calm and collected is a huge positive trait. You’re voluntarily putting yourself into chaos.”
As he heads into the bumps of Sebring, Hardwick is focused on the prestigious North American endurance calendar. While he has already won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the past, one trophy remains missing from his mantle: a win at his hometown race, the Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
“That’s a big goal of mine, to win that race or be in contention at the end of the year,” Hardwick said. “The atmosphere there is electric. Last year we had record-breaking attendance, approaching 300,000 people. As a fan, the cars come by so fast you don’t have to wait long to see them again.”
Hardwick’s return to IMSA also marks a symbolic homecoming to the Porsche family, sporting the iconic No. 912—a nod to the brand’s factory heritage alongside the No. 911 sister car. For a kid from Dandridge, Tennessee, who only saw Porsches on posters, the reality of the 2026 season is not lost on him.
Focused and calculative: Ryan Hardwick credits his “cool customer” demeanor for his success in the chaotic environment of endurance racing. (Photo: Babbit Bodner)
“I would have never imagined it,” Hardwick said. “Racing at this level for a brand like Porsche—no, I’d never have imagined it. I’m just really trying to enjoy every moment.”
As the field takes the green flag at Sebring this weekend, the No. 912 Porsche will be one to watch. Not just because of the machine, but because of the man behind the wheel who proved it’s never too late to start a championship journey. For fans accustomed to the star-studded world of NASCAR or NTT INDYCAR Series, Hardwick offers a relatable entry point into the world of sports cars—a driver who balances a boardroom, a family, and a 500-horsepower race car with equal poise.
“If you haven’t been to an IMSA race, man, you’re missing out,” Hardwick concluded. “More passes, more action, more crashing, and you can get right next to it. Do yourself a favor and come out. I promise you will not be disappointed.”
