Hanley Motorsports and DXDT Racing Join Forces for Massive 2027 IMSA Expansion with BMW Factory Support

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — North American sports car racing is set for a seismic shift on the horizon. Hanley Motorsports Incorporated (HMI) and DXDT Racing have officially announced a landmark partnership to launch a sprawling, multi-tier IMSA program for the 2027 season. Competing entirely under the HMI banner, the newly minted powerhouse will field a three-pronged attack across the premier IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, backed by heavy factory support from BMW Motorsport.

The ambitious enterprise is not merely a collaborative entry; it is a structural restructuring of the paddock. To anchor its footprint, HMI is taking over the operational assets of Paul Miller Racing—including its headquarters in Buford, Georgia—while a permanent, state-of-the-art facility is finalized nearby in Flowery Branch. This transition inherits the operational infrastructure of the very squad that captured the 2026 IMSA GTD Pro championship with drivers Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen, immediately vaulting HMI into the upper echelon of professional sports car racing.

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Main Facts: The 2027 HMI-DXDT Blueprint

The scope of the HMI-DXDT venture positions the combined organization as one of the most comprehensive operations in the IMSA paddock. Starting in January 2027 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the team will execute a robust three-tier campaign:

• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD Pro: Spearheaded by factory backing from BMW Motorsport, utilizing the formidable BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
• IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD: Expanding the BMW presence with customer and team-supported entries drawing from DXDT’s recent IMSA foundation and Paul Miller Racing’s championship pedigree.
• IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge – GS Class: Maintaining a presence in the fierce production-based sports car support series with the BMW M4 GT4 platform.
• Infrastructure: The acquisition of Paul Miller Racing’s Buford facility provides an immediate, proven operational base, which will eventually transition to a newly constructed permanent headquarters in Flowery Branch, Georgia.
• Leadership: Team founder Robert Hanley takes the helm as the primary stakeholder, supported by David Askew of DXDT Racing. The operational side will be directed by Team Principal Mitchell Simmons and Competition Director Bryan Sellers.

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Chronology of an Evolution: From Dirt Tracks to GT Super-Team

To understand the magnitude of HMI’s 2027 expansion, one must look at the rapid trajectory of team founder Robert Hanley. Hanley’s roots in motorsport trace back more than 30 years to the rough-and-tumble world of dirt track racing. After stepping away from active competition to concentrate on his family and business ventures, Hanley made a triumphant return to the sport in 2019, securing a Masters Championship.

His re-entry into professional sports cars accelerated rapidly in 2023, when he fielded entries in the Porsche Sprint Challenge and various SRO championships. The momentum snowballed through the 2026 season. Hanley deepened his involvement in endurance racing through a minority partnership with DXDT Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD category, concurrently executing a joint venture with Bryan Herta Autosport and PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports in the prototype-heavy LMP2 division.

DXDT Racing, founded by David Askew, brings its own rich history of rapid growth to the partnership. After dominating the SRO GT3 Pro campaign in 2024 with an astounding eight victories, DXDT transitioned full-time to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025. The team quickly proved its mettle against factory-backed efforts, collecting six top-10 finishes in its debut season, before breaking through in 2026 with a breakthrough pole position at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and a hard-fought podium finish at Motul Petit Le Mans.

Under the new agreement, HMI takes a majority stake in the combined effort, effectively merging DXDT’s rising-star momentum with the championship-winning operational muscle inherited from Paul Miller Racing.

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Supporting Data and Leadership Pedigree

An operation of this scale requires a leadership team with deep trenches of endurance racing experience. HMI has answered that call by appointing Mitchell Simmons as Team Principal and former IMSA champion Bryan Sellers as Competition Director.

Simmons boasts an extensive engineering background that bridges the gap between elite international single-seaters and North American sports cars. His career includes software development work for Formula 1 programs, stints across European, Asian, and domestic junior formulae, and over a decade embedded within Paul Miller Racing. Simmons’ resume is studded with multiple IMSA titles, culminating most recently in the 2025/2026 GTD Pro championship success.

Sellers transitioned to the management side of the pit wall at the conclusion of the 2024 season, bidding farewell to a legendary driving career. As a driver, Sellers established himself as an endurance racing legend, securing two IMSA GTD drivers’ championships and collecting iconic victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Twelve Hours of Sebring, Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, Motul Petit Le Mans, and a record-setting three consecutive wins on the streets of Long Beach.

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Official Responses: Stakeholders Speak on the Future

The announcement has sent waves of optimism through the North American motorsport community, with key figures from HMI, DXDT, and BMW Motorsport expressing high expectations for 2027.

Robert Hanley, HMI Founder:

"This is a dream come true for me. When I started Hanley Motorsports, the intent was always to compete at the top level in all of our endeavors. With the expertise brought by Dave, Mitchell, and Bryan, we believe we are aggressively building an organization that is capable of delivering sustained success at the highest level of sportscar racing in North America: The IMSA WeatherTech Championship. There is no question our goals and aspirations will not be easily achieved, as we are fully aware of the tremendous competitors—for whom we have a great deal of respect—that will challenge us at every opportunity. We are committed and energized by what is ahead of us."

David Askew, DXDT Racing Founder:

"This is such a great opportunity for all of us at DXDT Racing to grow and become something bigger than our initial foray into the IMSA paddock. We’ve really been working on setting a strong foundation in our first two years in the series, and now that we have that, it’s time to take the next step. I really think this partnership with Robert will help facilitate that. I’m excited to see what’s to come for HMI and really thrilled to be along for the journey as part of this team."

Mitchell Simmons, HMI Team Principal:

"Robert Hanley is assembling a super team for this push into IMSA for 2027 and beyond. He’s brought on some of the best of the best across Paul Miller Racing and DXDT for this endeavor, and I’m really excited to oversee such an expansive and ambitious program. IMSA is the top level of sports car racing, and I know all of us want to see Hanley Motorsports out in front of such a competitive field. I’m looking forward to the challenge!"

Bryan Sellers, HMI Competition Director:

"This kind of opportunity is exactly what I envisioned when moving over to the management side at the end of 2024. It’s really exciting to see these two impressive team owners come together to form HMI and set their sights on such an ambitious racing program in 2027. Both Robert and Dave excel at everything they do both in competition and in their business lives, and it’s been such a great experience working with them to put this deal together. Plus, reuniting with Mitchell after all of our success together is a cherry on top. I can’t wait until we get our BMWs on the track and go wheel-to-wheel with the best of the best in IMSA."

Adam McGregor, BMW NA Motorsport & Customer Racing Manager:

"BMW Motorsport is happy to welcome Hanley Motorsports to our racing family. As I have gotten to know Robert and the whole Hanley organization, it has become clear that they share the same drive for excellence on the racetrack that BMW Motorsport does. Therefore, they are perfect to continue to build our legacy in the GTD Pro class with the M4 GT3 EVO. It is also exciting to see HMI planning to expand BMW’s presence in the GTD and GT4 classes of IMSA. The Rolex 24 is right around the corner, and I cannot wait to see BMW M4s in HMI’s livery on the pavement in Daytona!"

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Implications for the IMSA Paddock

The formation of the unified HMI operation carries significant ripples across the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship landscape:

1. Shift in the Manufacturer Landscape: DXDT Racing’s departure from its previous equipment (notably the Corvette Z06 GT3.R platform) consolidates more weight behind BMW Motorsport’s customer and factory racing efforts. With HMI campaigning the updated BMW M4 GT3 EVO in GTD Pro alongside entries in GTD and the Michelin Pilot Challenge, BMW reinforces its presence as a dominant force in North American GT racing.
2. Continuity of Championship DNA: By acquiring Paul Miller Racing’s operational footprint, HMI avoids the typical growing pains associated with new team entries. The engineering minds, mechanics, and logistics personnel who secured the 2026 GTD Pro title remain largely intact, ensuring that the team hits the ground running.
3. Raised Competitiveness in GTD and GTD Pro: The combination of Hanley’s financial backing, Askew’s entrepreneurial drive, and the tactical leadership of Simmons and Sellers creates a formidable competitive threat. Established front-runners in both GT classes will undoubtedly have to adjust their strategies to account for the incoming super-team.

Hanley Motorsports will make its official competitive debut under the expanded structure at Daytona International Speedway in January 2027. Full driver line-ups across the GTD Pro, GTD, and GS entries are anticipated to be announced in the coming months, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most anticipated campaigns in recent IMSA history.