Tijmen van der Helm Bio
Tijmen van der Helm (born 26 January 2004) is a Dutch racing driver currently competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with JDC-Miller MotorSports in a Porsche 963. A graduate of European single-seater racing, he has transitioned successfully into endurance and sportscar competition since 2022, racing prototypes across the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series, and IMSA.
Born in Delft and raised in nearby Den Hoorn, South Holland, van der Helm began his motorsport journey in karting before climbing through Formula 4, the Toyota Racing Series, and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. His career has been shaped by a steady progression through junior formulae and a willingness to embrace new categories, including LMP2, LMP3, and the top-tier GTP class in North America.
Early Life and Background
Tijmen van der Helm was born on 26 January 2004 in Delft, in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. He grew up in the nearby community of Den Hoorn, where his early interest in motorsport was nurtured by his family environment. The racing culture of the Netherlands, with its strong karting tradition, provided an accessible entry point for young drivers during his formative years.
His career was directly influenced by his father, Gerard van der Helm, who competed in the Dutch Volkswagen Endurance Cup. Watching his father race in an endurance format sparked Tijmen’s interest in long-distance competition, a path that would later define his professional career. This family connection to motorsport encouraged his early involvement in karting, where he would spend several years developing the fundamental race craft that continues to shape his driving style.
From an early age, van der Helm showed the discipline and focus required to progress through the competitive European karting scene, laying the groundwork for a transition to single-seater racing as a teenager.
Path to Professional Racing
Van der Helm made his single-seater debut in 2019, contesting the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Xcel Motorsport, where he finished 10th overall with a race win and three podiums. Later that same year, he joined MP Motorsport for the 2019 Spanish F4 Championship, taking eight podium finishes and ending the season fourth in the drivers’ standings.
In 2020, the Dutchman expanded his program by racing in both the Toyota Racing Series with Kiwi Motorsport, where a victory helped him to 14th in the championship, and the Formula Renault Eurocup with FA Racing. In the Eurocup, he finished 12th overall with a podium, scored 45 points, and outperformed his more experienced teammate Amaury Cordeel by two positions in the standings.
On 12 February 2021, van der Helm was announced as a driver for MP Motorsport in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, partnering Alpine juniors Caio Collet and Victor Martins. Across the season, he was often outpaced by his teammates and did not score championship points, but the experience in a high-level international junior series prepared him for a shift toward endurance racing.
Tijmen van der Helm Career
Sportscar Breakthrough (2022)
Van der Helm made his endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona at the start of 2022, marking the beginning of his sportscar phase. Shortly afterward, the ARC Bratislava team signed him for the FIA World Endurance Championship campaign, where he was paired with Mathias Beche and Miro Konôpka. He competed for the team in three of the first four rounds, including a fourth-place finish overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with TDS Racing, before ARC Bratislava withdrew from the series due to logistical reasons.
During the same year, he also took part in the European Le Mans Series, driving for TDS Racing x Vaillante alongside Beche and bronze-rated Philippe Cimadomo. Competing in the Pro-Am category, the team finished fourth in the class standings, while van der Helm’s best results of tenth in the opening two races placed him 22nd in the overall drivers’ championship.
JDC-Miller MotorSports Era (2023–Present)
Van der Helm began 2023 by stepping down to the LMP3 class, finishing fifth in the 24 Hours of Daytona for JDC-Miller MotorSports despite a series of technical issues. He then returned to the LMP2 class with Panis Racing in the European Le Mans Series, partnering Job van Uitert and Manuel Maldonado. The trio finished third in the Pro class standings, reinforcing van der Helm’s reputation as a reliable endurance talent.
Later in 2023, he was confirmed for JDC-Miller’s GTP program alongside German veteran Mike Rockenfeller. The team entered the IMSA SportsCar Championship from round four onward, and a best result of fourth helped the pairing finish ninth in the GTP standings. For 2024, van der Helm remained at JDC-Miller MotorSports, this time partnering Richard Westbrook for the full season, with Phil Hanson joining for the endurance rounds. He drives the No. 44 Porsche 963 in the premier GTP category.
Driving Style and Strengths
Van der Helm has developed into a measured and consistent endurance driver, comfortable across multiple prototype classes and adaptable to changing co-driver dynamics. His background in single-seater racing has sharpened his race craft, while his sportscar experience has built strong skills in tire management, stint length, and traffic navigation, all of which are essential in long-distance events.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his career highlights, van der Helm counts a fourth-place overall finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022, a third-place finish in the LMP2 Pro class of the European Le Mans Series in 2023, and a top-five result at the 24 Hours of Daytona. His progression from LMP3 to LMP2 to the GTP class within just two seasons stands as a clear marker of his rapid development in North American and European endurance racing.
Tijmen van der Helm Career Highlights
Across karting, junior single-seaters, and sportscar competition, van der Helm has accumulated a versatile record that includes race victories in Formula 4, the Toyota Racing Series, and the Formula Renault Eurocup, as well as a Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals title in karting. In endurance racing, his results include a top-five finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona and a top-five class finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Sportscar Highlights
In the FIA World Endurance Championship, van der Helm’s strongest result came at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished fourth overall. In the European Le Mans Series, he has scored Pro class podiums and a third-place championship finish in 2023 with Panis Racing. In IMSA, his GTP results with JDC-Miller MotorSports have established him as a regular contender inside the top ten of the championship standings.
Tijmen van der Helm Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Van der Helm comes from a family with direct ties to motorsport. His father, Gerard van der Helm, raced in the Dutch Volkswagen Endurance Cup, exposing Tijmen to endurance competition from a young age and influencing his eventual move into sportscar racing. This family heritage has remained a key part of his identity as a driver rooted in Dutch racing culture.
Personal Life
Born and raised in the South Holland region of the Netherlands, van der Helm continues to represent his home country on the international motorsport stage. He is known publicly through his professional racing career, with his social media presence focused on his ongoing commitments in endurance and prototype racing.
2025 Season Performance
Entering 2025, Tijmen van der Helm continues with JDC-Miller MotorSports in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 44 Porsche 963 in the GTP class. The program builds on the foundation established in 2024, when he partnered Richard Westbrook across the full season and was joined by Phil Hanson for the endurance rounds. Continuity within the team is expected to support a stronger run at consistent top results in the highly competitive GTP field.
The 2025 IMSA calendar features the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and the endurance events that have traditionally suited van der Helm’s driving style. His experience across LMP2, LMP3, and GTP prototypes gives the team flexibility in race strategy and co-driver rotation. With each season in North America’s premier sportscar category, his comfort level with the Porsche 963 continues to grow.
Looking ahead, van der Helm’s outlook for 2025 centers on converting the team’s improving pace into regular top-five and podium finishes, with a long-term goal of establishing himself as a leading endurance driver in both the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championship arenas.