Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Monday, August 21, 2017
Upcoming Events.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Event: Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, VIRginia International Raceway
Dateline: Alton, Virginia
Date: Sunday, August 27
Track Length: 3.27-miles, 17-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours, 40-Minutes
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 9 of 11
GTD. 10 of 12
Next Round: Continental Monterey Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California, September 22 - 24, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Event: Biscuitville Grand Prix, VIRginia International Raceway
Dateline: Alton, Virginia
Date: Sunday, August 26
Track Length: 3.27-miles, 17-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours
Class: GT4/GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: GT4/GS. 8 of 10
Next Round: Continental Monterey Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California, September 22 - 24, 2017
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
Event: GT Challenge at VIR, VIRginia International Raceway
Dateline: Alton, Virginia
Date: Race 1. Saturday, August 26
Race 2. Sunday, August 27
Track Length: 3.27-miles, 17-turn
Race Duration: Two, 45-minute races
Class: Platinum (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2017)
Gold (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2014-2016)
Round: USA. 11 and 12 of 14
Next Round: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California, September 15 - 17, 2017
Porsche Profile.
Event Story Lines.
Rennsport VI. Porsche Announces Rennsport Reunion VI to be Held September 2018.
Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on August 15 announced the next Porsche Rennsport Reunion will take place at the famed California racetrack in 2018. The upcoming Family Reunion has been expanded to four days and will be held September 27-30, 2018.
In what has become a tradition, Rennsport Reunion VI will bring together an extraordinary gathering of significant Porsche racecars, as well as those who have designed, engineered, and driven them to victory in the world’s most famous sports car races. Hosted by PCNA, the four-day program of on-track competition will be complemented by a Concours d’Elegance, which is open to invited race participants.
After staging the first three events in the east, with the inaugural at Lime Rock Park in 2001, followed by two events at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida in 2004 and 2007, Rennsport Reunion IV moved west in 2011, tapping into a vast array of west coast car aficionados and Porsche enthusiasts. Returning to a three-year interval, this incomparable event has turned into a world-wide happening.
During Porsche Rennsport Reunion V in 2015, over 1,300 Porsche Club of America (PCA) member-owned Porsche models helped fill the show fields, race classes, and parking lots of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to overflow capacity. For the upcoming sixth rendition, the PCA will once again play an integral role in the festivities.
Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.
“Choosing the Monterey Peninsula once again for our unique Porsche family reunion builds upon what we learned from previous Rennsport Reunions,” said “We had close to 60,000 fans, enthusiasts and owners come through the gates of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to celebrate with us in 2015, and California’s picturesque central coast provides an ideal backdrop. The Golden State as a whole has always been like a second home to Porsche.”
Gill Campbell of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
“We are honored to have been selected once again as the host circuit for Porsche Rennsport Reunion,” said “This prestigious event has created a tremendous impact on motorsports around the world in the past and we are eager to bring it back to life again in partnership with Porsche. It is truly the most rewarding event I have ever had the pleasure of being involved in.”
Porsche Goes for Overall. 911 RSR Looks for Second Overall IMSA Win at VIR.
Fielding two new Porsche 911 RSR racers, the Porsche GT Team tackles Round Nine of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) on August 27. The 510 hp racecar, which faces strong competition in the fiercely contested GTLM class, was completely redesigned by Porsche Motorsport in Weissach, Germany based on the high-performance 911 GT3 RS sports car. On July 22 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, the 911 RSR scored its maiden victory worldwide.
Porsche’s customer teams are also strongly represented on the tradition-steeped 3/27-mile, 17-turn racetrack in southern Virginia, campaigning four 911 GT3 R in the GTD class. Like at Lime Rock, the prototypes will not contest the third to last race of the season, which means that overall victory will definitely go to a GT vehicle.
Porsche legends Hurley Haywood and Peter Gregg occupy a very special place in the eventful history of the Virginia International Raceway. When the first IMSA GT race was contested on the circuit in 1971, they won in the Porsche 914-6 GT.
The winners of the Lime Rock race, Patrick Pilet (France) and Dirk Werner (Germany), share the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR at VIR. Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) finished in second-place at both Lime Rock and Road America – the most recent round of the WeatherTech Series – in the second 911 RSR, the No. 912.
Four customer squads will campaign the 911 GT3 R. The No. 73 Park Place Motorsports entry shared with Porsche factory driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California) won the class at Lime Rock. North America’s sole representative on the Porsche “works” squad, Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California) returns to the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports 911 GT3 R. He and co-driver Daniel Morad (Canada) shared the Alegra entry at Lime Rock, finishing in third-place. The Tampa, Florida-based program won the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 54 CORE autosport entry will be driven by Jon Bennett (Charlotte, North Carolina) and Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina) while the No. 50 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R races with Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Illinois) and Gunnar Jeanette (Salt Lake City, Utah) as it did at Road America.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars.
“Gripping races with innovative racecars on a storied racetrack such as in Virginia, which has retained its charm and character over the years, are what make the IMSA SportsCar Championship so incredibly appealing. And fans really get their money’s worth, especially with the GT classes. After a heart-stopping sprint to the finish at Road America recently, our 911 RSR was only six-tenths of a second off claiming our second win of the season. The fight for honors in Virginia will definitely be just as tough. However, this time we’re aiming for a better ending for us.”
Marco Ujhasi, Director GT Factory Motorsports.
“Precision is what’s needed on the Virginia International Raceway. The drivers are advised not to stray from this beautiful, typically American racetrack onto the grass of the run-off areas, because it’s really difficult to save the cars. Normally at this time of year it’s very hot with high humidity. This makes things even more demanding for everyone. It’s not easy finding a perfect setup for this track, but we’re confident that we’re well prepared for this race.”
Sebastian Golz, Project Manager GT Customer Motorsport.
“There are no paved areas next to the track. One minor error and two wheels over the white line at the Virginia International Raceway means you’ll very likely take a trip into the greens. There’s a very fine line between a fast lap time and losing traction. The 911 GT3 R won at Lime Rock and came second at Road America. Our customer teams are fully prepared to continue this series of successes in Virginia.”
Patrick Pilet, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I have fond memories of this storied racetrack deep in the heart of America. In 2015, we celebrated one-two finish there with Porsche. It’s an old school circuit with many fast curves where you can’t afford to make one mistake. If you end up on the grass, you might as well drive straight back to the pits to get the radiator cleaned. And you won’t be able to make up the time you’ve lost. I’m keen to see how our new 911 RSR performs on this demanding track.”
Dirk Werner, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“In Virginia things get really serious in the fight for the championship. At this stage you can’t give away any points, otherwise you lose contact with the frontrunners for the final stage. We’ve never race the new 911 RSR in Virginia. For this reason, we’ll start with a baseline setup, which we’ll then modify from session to session. And the tire choice on this unforgiving racetrack will also play a decisive role.”
Laurens Vanthoor, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Racing the new 911 RSR on this fantastic racetrack will definitely be great fun. I’m very much looking forward to it and to build on our good performances from Lime Rock and Elkhart Lake, where we finished second at both events. Perhaps we’ll manage to bring home our first win of the season from Virginia.”
Gianmaria Bruni, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“This is a new race for me. I’ve never competed on the Virginia International Raceway, but I’ve heard a lot of positive things about this demanding racetrack from my teammates. It would be awesome if we could perform strongly there like we did recently at Lime Rock and Road America.”
Patrick Long, Driver, No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“It is great to be back in the car at VIR after racing there in Pirelli World Challenge earlier this season. I am looking forward to rejoining Alegra and Daniel [Morad] after a successful race together at Lime Rock. We are hoping the twist-and-turn nature of VIR will complement the 911 GT3 R. This season the GTD class in IMSA has been very, very competitive and we will do our best to continue forward with the momentum for the team and manufacturer championships.”
Jörg Bergmeister, Driver, No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“The Virginia International Raceway is one of the racetracks in the United States that I particularly enjoy. It’s fast and challenging and every tiny mistake costs you time. I love such tracks. The team at Park Place Motorsports was elated with our win at Lime Rock Park. I hope that this euphoria will buoy us along to clinch another podium result in Virginia.”
GT3 Has Three to Go. GT3 Cup Challenge USA Travels to VIR.
With only three races remaining in the 2017 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, the season championship, which seemed to be moving toward consistent conclusion, changed dramatically after the triple-header weekend at Road America in Wisconsin. What happens this weekend at VIRginia International Raceway's (VIR) unforgiving 3.27-mile road course could well set the tone for the remainder of 2017.
The August 4 - 6 event at Road America included the usual pair of races from the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA schedule, plus a makeup race that was rescheduled from Watkins Glen International in New York due to an early incident that left nearly a dozen cars unable to continue.
Jake Eidson's early-season dominance has been threatened late in the season by several steadily-improving drivers and teams. Eidson, the Littleton, Colorado driver of the No. 24 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, is the first recipient of the annual Hurley Haywood GT3 Cup Scholarship, effectively funding the season for Eidson. He hit the ground running with five victories, including the single race at Watkins Glen that made it to completion.
At Road America, Corey Fergus (Columbus, Ohio), driver of No. 00 Moorespeed entry, clearly took the month off between races to regroup with his team, and came out of the gate on top, but only after the racers completed the postponed Watkins Glen race on an unusual Friday outing. In that event, it looked like just more of the same, with Eidson in charge from flag to flag, with Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) driver of the No. 3 JDX Racing/Hertz car, in second.
But Saturday was another day. Fergus set fast time in qualifying, then led the entire race to notch his second victory of the year, following his triumph at Circuit of The Americas in Texas. Eidson was a solid second.
Sunday, it was the same story: Fergus dominated, holding off a hard-charging Eidson. But it was what happened just behind Eidson that added a new element in the season competition. Sebastian Landy (Great Falls, Virginia), pilot of the No. 49 Alex Job Racing car, finished third in both races, his first podium finishes of the year. It shouldn't be surprising, as Landy has shown improvement all year, aided by his Alex Job Racing team, one of the most experienced and successful Porsche teams in history.
In both races, Landy had to fight off young McKay Snow, a member of the Lehi, Utah Snow Racing family that includes his brother Madison, who races in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series.
That's how it stands in the Platinum class, which races brand-new 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars that debuted just this year. Which brings us to VIRginia International Raceway, a genuine favorite of the teams and drivers. All the major players in all the classes have filed an entry for the two 45-minute sprint races that could well see some of the closest competition of the season.
Porsche Entries at VIRginia International Raceway.
A total of 33 Porsche Motorsport-built racecars across three series: the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series, IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge are racing at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend and the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Total Car Count: Six (6) Porsche entries will be competing in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship at the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.
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 – Four (4) Porsche 911 GT3 R.
No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Daniel Morad (Canada)/ Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California)
No. 50 WeatherTech Racing Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, Illinois)/ Gunnar Jeanette (Salt Lake City, Utah)
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: Six (6) Porsche Motorsport-produced entries will be competing in the Biscuitville Grand Prix.
All – Six (6)
GT4 Spec – Three (3) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
Grandfathered GS Spec – Three (3) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport
No. 4 Team TGM
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Guy Cosmo (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)/ Hugh Plumb (Unionville, Pennsylvania)
No. 12 Bodymotion Racing
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Cameron Cassels (Canada)/ Trent Hindman (Wayside, New Jersey)
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. 38 BGB Motorsports
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR James Cox (Nokomis, Florida)/ John Tecce (Gladwyne, Pennsylvania)
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.
A total car count of 21 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will compete in the two rounds of the United State’s one-make Porsche series at Road America. 11 of the cars are 2017 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars and comprise the Platinum class. The Gold class utilizes model year 2014 – 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. Ten (10) Gold entries are entered for the 45-minute races.
The full GT3 Cup Challenge USA entry list can be found here:
https://porschegt3cupusa.imsa.com/sites/default/files/event-weekends/2017/emediteventweekend/emmichelingtchallengeatvir/2017porschecupvirpreevent_entrylist.pdf
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. August 26
12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Race Broadcast. Live
Sunday, August 27
1:25 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. ET
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
IMSA.tv and IMSA App
FS1
Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.
Live Qualifying Streaming
Friday, August 25
7:10 p.m. – 7:25 p.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Live Race Video Streaming
Saturday, August 26
2:00 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. ET IMSA.tv and IMSA App
Television Broadcast
Sunday, September 3
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.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.
Michelin GT Challenge at VIR #MichelinVIR
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 Mexico, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Dateline: Mexico City, Mexico
Date: Sunday, September 3
Track Length: 3.4-miles, 20-turn
Race Duration: 6-Hours
Class: LMGTE-Pro (Porsche 911 RSR)
LMGTE-Am (Porsche 911 RSR, MY 2015)
Round: 5 of 9
Next Round: Six Hours of COTA, Circuit of the Americas, September 14 - 16, 2017
Pirelli World Challenge.
Event: PWC at COTA, Circuit of the Americas
Dateline: Austin, Texas
Date: Race 1. Saturday, September 2
Race 2. Sunday, September 3
Track Length: 3.4-miles, 20-turn
Race Duration: SprintX, GT/GTA. Two, 60-minute races
SprintX, GT4/GTS. Two, 60-minute races
Sprint, GT4/GTS. Two, 50-minute races
Class: GT-X (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
GTC-X (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup)
GTS-X (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR)
GTS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR)
Round: SprintX GT-X. Rounds 4, 9 and 10 of 10
SprintX GTC-X. Rounds 4, 9 and 10 of 10
SprintX GTS-X. Rounds 4, 9 and 10 of 10
Sprint GT4/GTS. Rounds 15 and 16 of 18
Next Round: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California, September 15 - 17, 2017
IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
Event: Sonoma Raceway
Dateline: Sonoma, California
Date: Race 1. Saturday, September 16
Race 2. Sunday, September 17
Track Length: 2.385-miles, 12-turn
Race Duration: Two, 45-minute races
Class: Platinum (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2017)
Gold (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, MY 2014-2016)
Round: USA. 13 and 14 of 16
Next Round: Petit Le Mans, Braselton, Georgia, October 4 - 7, 2017
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Event: Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Dateline: Monterey, California
Date: Sunday, September 24
Track Length: 2.238-miles, 11-turn
Race Duration: 2-Hours, 40-Minutes
Class: GTLM (Porsche 911 RSR)
GTD (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Round: GTLM. 10 of 11
GTD. 11 of 12
Next Round: Motul Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia, October 4 - 7, 2017
IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge
Event: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 240, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Dateline: Monterey, California
Date: Saturday, September 23
Track Length: 2.238-miles, 11-turn
Race Duration: 4-Hours
Class: GT4/GS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport)
Round: GT4/GS. 9 of 10
Next Round: Road Atlanta 120, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia, October 4 - 7, 2017