Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Monday, July 3, 2017
Upcoming Events.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Event: Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
Dateline: Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
Date: Sunday, July 9
Track Length: 2.459-miles, 10-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours, 40-Minutes
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 6 of 11
GTD. 7 of 12
Next Round: Northeast Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut, July 21- 22, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Event: CTMP 120, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
Dateline: Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
Date: Saturday, July 8
Track Length: 2.459-miles, 10-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours
Class: GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: 6 of 11
Next Round: Northeast Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, Connecticut, July 21-22, 2017
Porsche Profile.
Event Story Lines.
IMSA at Watkins Glen. Porsche 911 RSR.
This was not a race for the faint-hearted. Right up until the end of Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, the battle for victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) class was still raging.
The No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR was well positioned in third-place, just seconds behind the leader. However, the result this season’s race five Championship was to be turned on its head. Rather than mounting a final attack on the leaders, Gianmaria Bruni was forced to return to the pits due to a punctured tire. The Italian had looked like crowning his debut as a Porsche works driver with a podium, but he and teammate Laurens Vanthoor (Belgian) ultimately had to settle for sixth-place. In the second 911 RSR fielded by the Porsche GT Team, the No. 911 car, Patrick Pilet (France) and Dirk Werner (Germany) finished seventh. The fact that seven of the eight cars led the race on at least one occasion bears testimony to just how fiercely contested the GTLM class is.
The No. 911 car was well placed for much of the race at the iconic 3.4-mile Watkins Glen International circuit in New York. After the first hour of racing, Pilet, who started from fifth on the grid, had climbed into third-place. A few laps later, he was running in second. He handed the 911 RSR over to his teammate Werner in second-place. The German was still running there at the halfway point of what proved to be an exciting and dramatic race, in which numerous yellow caution flags repeatedly caused the field to bunch together. However, Werner would spin off the track in the chicane and damaged his rear-right tire. He managed to regain control of the 911 RSR in the run-off zone and was able to return to the pit lane. He did, however, lose a lap, and with it any hope of a top result.
Laurens Vanthoor took responsibility for the start in the second 911 RSR, before making way for Bruni during the first pit stop after 34 laps. The new Porsche works driver completed his first race laps in the 911 RSR and was able to climb into fourth place. Vanthoor then enjoyed even more success. The Belgian took the lead for the first time after four hours. A scheduled pit stop just a few laps later did initially drop the No. 912 car back into fourth-place, but “Gimmi” Bruni soon got the car back on course moving into third-place in his second stint. With just two laps remaining, the leading trio was separated by a matter of seconds. However, before he was able to try his luck and mount an attack the Italian’s hopes were dashed by a damaged tire.
Round Six of the WeatherTech Championship will be contested on July 9 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
Marco Ujhasi, Director GT Factory Motorsport.
“The 911 RSR was set up very well for the race. We had banked on the temperature being hot, and that worked out superbly. We were very competitive today. However, we then made a mistake as a team and were also unlucky with tire damage. You cannot do much about that, but the combination of factors was simply too much to win such a difficult race against such strong opposition. The pace was there. That was not the issue today. We will build on that and push hard again next week in Canada.”
Patrick Pilet, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“That was not our weekend. We were running second when the puncture cost us the race. We were unable to make up the laps we lost. Maybe we might have had a chance of doing so if it had rained harder at the end. Despite this, we will look ahead, as the pace was good. We will drive in Canada in a week’s time. That circuit is very well suited to the 911 RSR. We saw that during testing.”
Dirk Werner, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I spun in the chicane, after which the rear-left tire was damaged. It is a shame that the race had to end like that for us. It was very unfortunate. The 911 RSR was running very well and the team worked hard to support us, as it always does. Everyone deserved a better result than that.”
Laurens Vanthoor, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“We should really have been challenging for the win at the end. The 911 RSR had the necessary pace. However, everything suddenly went against us. We will now try to do better in Canada.”
Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I am both disappointed and happy at the same time. Disappointed because we had a lot of bad luck and did not get the result we deserved, despite a good performance. I am happy because we showed today what great potential we have as a team. It is a shame that two punctures and a drive-through penalty cost us what would almost certainly have been a podium. That was my first race for Porsche, and my first race after an eight-month break. I cannot tell you how much I have missed this feeling.”
South Canada. Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R has Deep Canadian Ties.
The address for Alegra Motorsports is listed as Tampa, Florida. However, a quick look around the paddock of the No. 28 Porsche 911 GT3 R entered in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class shows a team with deep Canadian ties. The team’s lead driver for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix is Daniel Morad, a native of Toronto. The Porsche Young Driver Academy graduate will share the green, white and gold Porsche with Michael de Quesada. While de Quesada, the 2016 GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Gold Champion, hails from Tampa he has been focused on the 2017 IMSA Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama.
The Carlos de Quesada-owned team has direct ties with Porsche Centre Oakville. The Toronto-area dealership uses the Rolex 24 At Daytona-winning program as a technical and promotional tool in the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada with de Quesada and in the WeatherTech Sport GTD class with the No. 28 racecar. Porsche Centre Oakville is one of the more active Porsche dealerships in North America in continuing Porsche’s longtime and essential tie to motorsport.
Alegra opened the season with a dramatic, and unexpected, victory at their premiere in the GTD class at Daytona. The elder de Quesada brought a unique talent element to join him behind the wheel by entering Porsche factory driver Michael Christensen (Denmark), Morad, the younger de Quesada, Canadian Jesse Lazare (winner of the 2016 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Platinum class). Through consistent driving and attention to detail in the strategy and pit stops the young team beat the veteran drivers.
On to Canada. Two 911 RSR take on Canada’s Oldest Racetrack
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship keeps the revs high for drivers and teams entering the sixth round of the 2017 schedule for GT Le Mans (GTLM) and seventh race of the GT Daytona (GTD) class on July 9. Just one week after the classic Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, North America’s premier endurance sports car race series contests its only event in Canada this season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) in Bowmanville, Ontario.
The Porsche GT Team will field its two 510 hp Porsche 911 RSR in the GTLM class. Traditionally, the competition in this category is particularly tough, guaranteeing action-packed racing from start to finish. Porsche customer teams will campaign three 911 GT3 R in the GTD class.
Porsche has celebrated 13 GT victories on this dauntingly fast 2.459-miles, 10-turn racetrack since 1999. The most recent Porsche win came in 2015 courtesy of Patrick Pilet (France) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) in the previous generation 911 RSR.
Pilet and Dirk Werner (Germany) share the cockpit of the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR. Manning the No. 912 are Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy), who contested his maiden race as a Porsche works driver at Watkins Glen.
Canadian Daniel Morad and teenager Michael de Quesada (Tampa, Florida) will share the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports 911 GT3 R at CTMP. It is the hometown track for Toronto’s Morad and de Quesada is racing in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama giving the Florida-based a very Canadian appeal. CORE autosport drivers Jon Bennett (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina) bring the No. 54 to task in the pro-am format class. Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California) continues his assault for a first WeatherTech GTD victory in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche. It is hoped his season-long co-driver, factory ace Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), will be back behind the wheel of the GT3-spec car in Canada after the popular driver missed the Watkins Glen round for a family emergency.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President and GT Cars.
“This is quite a tough July. Just one week after Watkins Glen we’re heading to Bowmanville, two weeks later we’re competing at Lime Rock. It’s a demanding schedule for drivers and teams. After Watkins Glen we have very few days to prepare for the race in Canada. We’ll use this time well to prepare our two 911 RSR for the ultra fast and challenging race-track.”
Marco Ujhasi, Director GT Factory Motorsport.
“It’s very difficult to overtake on this super swift circuit. With our victory there two years ago, we saw how vital it is to start from pole position. For this reason, we’ll have to find the perfect setup for our 911 RSR in time for the qualifying. In this regard, our recent tests Canadian Tire Motorsport Park definitely helped.”
Sebastian Golz, Project Manager GT Customer Motorsport.
“This high-speed track is particularly challenging for the driver’s concentration. With the many repairs that have been made over the years, the quality of the track surface changes from corner to corner, and hence so does the grip level. This circuit should suit the 911 GT3 R well, particularly with the car’s excellent traction.”
Patrick Pilet, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“This is one of my favorite racetracks. If you want to win there you need a lot of courage. It has tricky bumpy sections and barely any run-off areas, plus lots of fast corners where drivers have to be confident enough to trust themselves. Two years ago I won the race here and ultimately the championship as well. I’m sure that the circuit suits our new 911 RSR perfectly and we hope that we can make the most of its potential.”
Dirk Werner, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“This is a racetrack for the truly courageous. Many of the fast corners practically run into each other so that you have no chance to catch your breath. You have to be totally focused the whole time. It’s great fun driving the 911 RSR there. We’re now entering a critical phase of the season, where we need to earn as many points as possible if we want to stay in the fight for the title. We’ve tested at CTMP and that yielded a lot. Now we’ll attack in the race.”
Laurens Vanthoor, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Watkins Glen and CTMP, two great races within a week – that’s fantastic. The track has a tradition, you notice this at every corner, and it’s super fast. We’ve conducted tests there and we’re well prepared. For me, it’s one of the highlights of the season.”
Gianmaria Bruni, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“This circuit is a constant challenge. With its many fast corners, you hardly get any time to breathe. I have great memories here. 2010 was the last time I drove there and I set pole position. I hope it goes as well this time and that I’ll be back at the front with Porsche.”
Porsche Entries at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
A total of 12 Porsche Motorsport-built racecars across two series: the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series and IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge are racing at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park this weekend.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Total Car Count: Five (5) Porsche entries will be competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship at the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix held at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
GTLM Class – Two (2) Porsche 911 RSR.
No. 911 Porsche GT Team Patrick Pilet (France)/Dirk Werner (Germany)
No. 912 Porsche GT Team Gianmaria Bruni (Italy)/Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium)
GTD Class – Three (3) Porsche 911 GT3 R.
No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Daniel Morad (Canada)/Michael de Quesada (Tampa, Florida)
No. 54 CORE autosport Jon Bennett (Charlotte, North Carolina)/ Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina)
No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Jörg Bergmeister (Germany)/ Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California)
IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
Total Car Count: Seven (7) Porsche Motorsport-produced entries will be competing in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
All – Seven (7)
GT4 Spec – Two (2) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
Grandfathered GS Spec – Five (5) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
No. 4 Team TGM
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland)/ Hugh Plumb (Unionville, Pennsylvania)
No. 12 Bodymotion Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Cameron Cassels (Canada)/ Trent Hindman (Wayside, New Jersey)
No. 21 Muehlner Motorsports America
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Cameron Lawrence (Windemere, Florida)/ Chuck Quinton (Windemere, Florida)
No. 28 RS1
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Dillon Machavern (Burlington, Vermont)/ Dylan Murcott (Ancram, New York)
No. 33 CJ Wilson Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Till Bechtolsheimer (New York City, New York)/ Marc Miller (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
No. 35 CJ Wilson Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Russell Ward (Seabrook, Texas)/ Damien Faulkner (Ireland)
No. 46 TeamTGM
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland)/ Guy Cosmo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
Where to Watch:
All IMSA Series information, audio and live timing and scoring for each on-track session is additionally available on the IMSA App
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Channel/Web Address
Qualifying Broadcast
Saturday, July 8
11:55 a.m. – 1:35 p.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Race Broadcast. Live
Sunday, July 9
11:55 a.m. – 2:45 p.m. ET
12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET
IMSA.tv and IMSA App
FS1
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
Live Qualifying Streaming
Saturday, July 8
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Live Race Video Streaming
Saturday, July 8
2:40 p.m. – 4:50 p.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Television Broadcast
Saturday, July 15
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET FS1
Audio Streaming IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Live Timing and Scoring IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Social Media.
Porsche Cars North America. @Porsche
Porsche GT Team (North America) @PorscheNARacing
Porsche Motorsport – GT Cars. @PorscheRaces
Porsche Racing – 919 Hybrid. @Porsche_Team
Model Hashtags.
Porsche 911 RSR. #911RSR
Porsche 911 GT3 R. #911GT3R
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup #911Cup
Porsche 919 Hybrid. #919hybrid
Event Hashtag.
Mobil 1 Sports Car Grand Prix #Mobil1SCGP
Series Hashtags and Handles.
GT3 Cup Challenge USA. #GT3USA
GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. #GT3CAN
PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East @CaymanGT4CSEast #GT4CSE
Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA @PirelliCupUSA
Future Porsche Events.
FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
Event: Six Hours of Nürburgring, Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit
Dateline: Nürburgring, Germany
Date: Sunday, July 16
Track Length: 3.66-miles, 16-turn
Race Duration: 6-Hours
Class: LMGTLE-Pro (Porsche 911 RSR)
LMGTE-Am (Porsche 911 RSR, MY 2015)
Round: 4 of 9
Next Round: Six Hours of Mexico, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, September 1 - 3, 2017
IMSA ULTRA 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama
Event: Honda Indy Toronto, Toronto Street Course
Dateline: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Race 1. Saturday, July 15
Race 2. Sunday, July 16
Track Length: 3.4-miles, 11-turn
Race Duration: Two, 45-minute races
Class: Platinum (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2017)
Gold (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2014-2016)
Round: Canada. 4 and 5 of 12
Next Round: Canada. Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, August 11-13, 2017
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Event: Northeast Grand Prix, Lime Rock Park
Dateline: Lakeville, Connecticut
Date: Saturday, July 22
Track Length: 1.47-miles, 7-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours, 40-Minutes
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 7 of 11
GTD. 8 of 12
Next Round: Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 3 - 6, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Event: Lime Rock 120, Lime Rock Park
Dateline: Lakeville, Connecticut.
Date: Saturday, July 22
Track Length: 1.47-miles, 7-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours
Class: GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: 7 of 11
Next Round: Continental Tire Road Race Showcase, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 3 - 6, 2017