Adelson purchases Wright Motorsports

Wright Motorsports has announced that driver Adam Adelson has officially acquired the team from its founder John Wright.

Team manager Bob Viglione, who’s led the technical and operational efforts of Wright Motorsports for the last 14 years, has also been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Wright will remain in the team, continuing to offer his leadership and expertise to the team that has won the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the Twelve Hours of Sebring, and championships in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and GT World Challenge America.

“John built one of the most respected teams in the paddock, and my goal is to build on that foundation, not change it,” Adelson said of his purchase of the team. “With this transition, we’re focused on expanding our customer programs in 2026 and beyond, while ensuring that the quality and family-like culture that defines Wright continues.”

Adelson, who made his professional racing debut as a driver just six years ago in the Porsche Sprint Trophy West, has big ambitions for Wright Motorsports’ future. They include expanding its reach in customer racing across North America and into Europe, as well as potentially into the development of road and race cars.

Adam Adelson (SRO photo)

“I’ve always dreamed of designing and building cars focused on the driving experience. Racing has long served as a proving ground for the future of automotive innovation, and I believe Wright Motorsports has the potential to be a leader in that space again,” said Adelson, who also has a scholastic background in mechanical engineering. “Long-term, we want this to be a place where we not only race and win, but where we design, develop and build performance vehicles that push boundaries. We’re already investing in our race engineering department and laying the groundwork for that future.

“Wright will always be a racing team first,” he added. “Our immediate focus is building race-winning Porsche programs in IMSA, SRO, Carrera Cup and more, while continuing to cultivate drivers and grow our customer ladder. But with the core group of engineers and talent we have, and the ones we plan to bring in, we’re also creating space for exciting engineering work that can shape what the next generation of performance cars looks like.”

Adelson joined Wright Motorsports in 2023, bringing in his GT4 co-driver, mentor and close friend Elliott Skeer to race alongside him in GT World Challenge America’s Pro-Am category. The following year, now in the Pro class, Adelson and Skeer won the GT World Challenge America championship for Wright Motorsports. 2024 also marked Adelson’s IMSA WeatherTech GTD debut with Wright, which saw him take his first win at Indianapolis.

This year, Wright Motorsports has finished second in GTD at the Rolex 24, while Adelson swept the opening weekend of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Daytona as part of a new full-time program in the new GTDX class.

This transaction also sees Adelson follow into a path of sports team ownership like his mother, Miriam, who purchased a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks in December 2023.

“When Adam first came to me and said he wanted to start a race team, it was perfect timing,” said team founder and namesake Wright. “We were already close to a transition — whether I sold the team or pursued a different ownership model. Adam’s vision, his passion for racing, and his ability to grow the team in ways I always hoped made the decision easy. He and Bob work incredibly well together. It felt like the right time and the right people to carry it forward.”

Wright also emphasized the contributions of the people who built and grew the team alongside him since he started the team 25 years ago in Batavia, Ohio.

“From the very beginning, it was the people,” Wright added. “My wife, Kara, is an amazing mother to our incredible three daughters, and she also kept the office running in so many ways while raising our kids. The support of my family set the foundation of this team.

“Bob started as a data and electronics engineer and became invaluable as he grew into a key leadership role that allowed me to focus elsewhere. The mechanics, the engineers, the event staff, the media team; every single person that was a part of our journey is a part of the backbone of our team. That encompasses every single driver that has been in the Wright Motorsports fraternity, including the customer racing programs that became family. Without them and their love and passion for what they do on and off track, I couldn’t have been as successful as I was.

“Drivers like Pat Long and Jan Heylen poured so much of themselves into the team over the years, and that meant something. We also had amazing sponsors and partners like Porsche Motorsport North America, IMSA, SRO, and others that were crucial to our growth, relationships, and track performance. That’s what makes this place special.”

While no longer running the team day-to-day, Wright is excited to be a part of what could potentially come next — including a long sought-after first entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“During the 2021 race season, we secured ten championship titles in IMSA Weather Tech, Michelin Pilot Challenge, and SRO America,” Wright said. “That will always be a highlight I’m incredibly proud of.

“We always wanted to take Wright Motorsports to Europe. We came close a few times, but the timing wasn’t right. Adam’s going to do it. And one day, I hope to see a Wright car at Le Mans. If that happens, I’ll feel like it’s all come full circle. I’m very comfortable releasing control of the team to Adam, who is already so engaged. He’s passionate about making Wright Motorsports succeed.”

New COO Viglione adds: “This is a new chapter, but not a new identity. John may be stepping back as a team owner, but his influence is still felt every day. His voice is in the back of my head on just about every decision. Adam brings a new energy and long-term vision, and while he won’t be in the trenches day-to-day, he’s pushing us to grow in smart, sustainable ways.

“We’re not just going to field cars to field cars. Adam’s made it clear that any program we take on has to be championship-worthy. Our goal is to rebuild a full-season presence in series like Carrera Cup and SRO America and to keep cultivating talented drivers through our development ladder. There’s big potential here, and it’s exciting to be part of it.