Porsche Motorsports Weekly Event Notes: Monday, September 11, 2017
Upcoming Events.
FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
Event: Lone Star Le Mans, Circuit of the Americas
Dateline: Austin, Texas
Date: Sunday, September 16
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: 6 of 9
Next Round: Six Hours of Fuji, Fuji, Japan, October 13 - 15, 2017
Pirelli World Challenge.
Event: PWC at Sonoma, Sonoma Raceway
Dateline: Sonoma Raceway
Date: Race 1. Saturday, September 16
Race 2. Sunday, September 17
Track Length: 2.385-miles, 12-turn
Race Duration: Sprint, GT/GTA. Two, 50-minute races
Sprint, GT4/GTS. Two, 50-minute races
Class: GT (Porsche 911 GT3 R)
GTC (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup)
GTS (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR)
Round: Sprint GT. Rounds 9 and 10 of 10
Sprint GTC. Rounds 9 and 10 of 10
Sprint GT4/GTS. Rounds 17 and 18 of 18
Next Round: Season Finale
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
Porsche Profile.
Event Story Lines.
Texas Hold ‘Em. Porsche 919 Hybrid Sees WEC LMP Shuffling of the Deck.
As we head to Texas so soon after the historic flooding in the neighboring city of Houston, and on the heels of the storm that devastated a large part of Florida this past weekend, our thoughts are with those impacted by the two Category Four hurricanes.
After its one-two race finish in Mexico City, the Porsche LMP Team sees the deck being reshuffled for the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). On September 16, the six-hour race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas will likely be held in demanding heat. In recent years the race started at 5:00 p.m. and ended at 11:00 p.m. Central Time, which meant half the race took place after sundown in cooler temperatures. For 2017, the world’s most advanced racecars have been rescheduled to start at noon and finish at 6 p.m. Last year, the ambient temperatures at 5 p.m. were still over 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 C). In 2014, the race was interrupted because of heavy rain. Everything would seem to be possible in Austin.
In what is the fourth and final season for the innovative prototype Porsche 919 Hybrid, the Porsche LMP Team is aiming to achieve a third consecutive world championship title for manufacturers and drivers. Porsche has now scored 198 points in the manufacturers’ world championship with Toyota at 141.5 points. In the drivers’ rankings, Earl Bamber (New Zealand), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Brendon Hartley (New Zealand) lead with 134 points. After wins in Le Mans, at the Nürburgring and in Mexico, they are 41 points ahead of the best-placed Toyota trio. Neel Jani (Switzerland), André Lotterer (Germany) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain) lie third in the championship (64 points).
Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1.
“I’m very proud of how much energy our team has put in preparing for the second half of the season. After the announcement to withdraw from the championship at the end of the season, the emphasis easily could have dropped. But this didn’t happen. We want to finish off the successful story of the Porsche 919 Hybrid with another two world championship titles.”
Team Principal Andreas Seidl.
“We have a great deal of respect for the race in Austin. The circuit isn’t only regarded as a demanding one from our drivers. it also puts huge loads on our 919, especially if it is as hot as last year and we cannot hope for dropping temperatures for the second half of the race at night anymore. We have done intense preparation work for these conditions at a test in Barcelona, also together with our tire partner Michelin.
The topic of reliability gets a special dimension in the heat. Of course we use the maximum potential to optimize cooling, but the options are limited. Also set-up work requires good compromises to make the car fit for the fast sections as well as for the slower parts. I know our team and drivers will deal with these challenges in the best possible way. Full throttle until the finale – that’s our motto.”
Neel Jani, Driver, No. 1 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“Austin is always cool. The city and the surroundings are just great. To race at the hottest time of the day will certainly be challenging for man and machine. For me personally, visiting the States always means having my wife Lauren’s family around. I have a close connection to the country and enjoy very much being there.”
André Lotterer, Driver, No. 1 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“The last time I won this race was in 2014. It’s a cool circuit. A long lap with a mixture of fast and slow parts on which everything needs to fit. Set-up work is quite a challenge. The first sector is great fun but then a couple of corners follow that are pretty narrow for our fast prototypes. Lapping slower cars is not easy and you have to be careful to not exceed track limits. The heat will make us really sweat with high cockpit temperatures. Hopefully we can get in another top result and make the American Porsche fans happy.”
Nick Tandy, Driver, No. 1 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“I have been a few times to Austin. I had my first race with the Porsche 911 RSR there in 2014 and I have been on the podium twice, never in first-place, but still it’s been a pretty successful racetrack for me. Because of our high downforce configuration, our top speed on the long straights won’t be very high but the cornering forces in the first part of the lap will probably be something I have never experienced in my life and I’m looking forward to this. Austin is a place in the world I really love to visit, one of my favorite cities. I like the atmosphere, the town, the people, the food like a big Texas steak and the way people in America get excited about race events which is different to other countries.”
Earl Bamber, Driver, No. 2 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“I have good memories in Austin. I have won the Porsche Supercup Championship there in 2014 and it is also the place where I took my first ever GT win for Porsche in 2016. It is a track I really, really like. I’m especially looking forward to the triple right-hander at the end of the lap, as this will be quite special in the LMP1 car. I also love the area as well. Austin is always beautiful. I spend quite some time there with coaching local guys.”
Timo Bernhard, Driver, No. 2 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“COTA is a great and challenging circuit. Although it is one of the latest modern Formula 1 tracks, it isn’t boring. The variety of all parts requires very different speeds. The most interesting one is the first sector with the ‘Esses’. It obviously makes a big difference that we don’t race into the night anymore. I think this is a shame. I loved the atmosphere of driving in the dark. The expected heat will have an significant impact on tire choice and car set-up.”
Brendon Hartley, Driver, No. 2 Porsche LMP Team Porsche 919 Hybrid.
“After three wins in a row we head to Austin with confidence and a kick in our step. Austin is a great track and a city we all enjoy visiting. I expect Toyota will be closer than in Mexico and will put up a big fight. Our goal is clear, keep extending our championship lead.”
Facts and figures. Porsche 919 Hybrid in Austin.
- The WEC efficiency regulations limit the amount of energy that can be used per lap. On the 3.43-mile (5.513 kilometers) long lap of the Circuit of The Americas, the Porsche 919 Hybrid can use 5.02 megajoule of electrical power from energy recovery systems and 1.41 kg/0.51 gallons of fuel.
- At normal race speed, the Porsche 919 Hybrid is due for refueling after a maximum of 31 laps.
- A lap on the Grand Prix circuit has eleven right hand turns and six left-handers.
- In the 2016 qualifying, Timo Bernhard/Brendon Hartley finished in third-place. The average time of their fastest lap in the Porsche 919 Hybrid was one-minute, 46.560-seconds. Romain Dumas/Neel Jani qualified fifth with the sister car (average 1:47.331 minutes). André Lotterer took pole position at the wheel of an Audi, managing the overall fastest qualifying lap in 1:45.703 minutes. The average time for pole was 1:45.750 minutes.
- Despite a late start at 5:00 p.m. local time, ambient temperatures were still over 95 F. The more the heat dropped, the stronger the 919 became. Halfway through the race, the trio of Bernhard, Hartley and Mark Webber took the lead and kept it until the finish. Dumas, Jani and Marc Lieb lost some time with two extra stops because of lowering tire pressures. The 2016 world champions finished fourth in Austin.
All scores: http://www.fiawec.com/en/season/result
All results: http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com
USA WEC. Porsche GT Team Comes to COTA for World Championship Push.
The title fight in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) heads into Round Six at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas on September 16. The Porsche GT Team runs two 911 RSR on the track which has already hosted the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Pirelli World Challenge. With the 510 hp racecar from Weissach, Germany, the team is eager to clinch the first win of the WEC season and also advance into the lead from second-place in the Drivers’ and Teams’ classification of the LMGTE-Pro class. In the LMGTE-Am category, Porsche’s customer squad Dempsey Proton Racing takes up the race in Texas as the leader of the FIA Endurance Trophy with a 2015-spec 911 RSR.
The Circuit of the Americas was built for Formula 1 and opened in 2012. In the last two years, Porsche has secured two, one-two finishes on this varied and challenging circuit. The first came in 2015 with the factory team taking the first two positions on the podium. The second the following year when the North American “works” team replicated the one-two in the WeatherTech Championship.
Four “works” drivers will compete for the Porsche GT Team at Austin. Richard Lietz (Austria) and Frédéric Makowiecki (France) share the cockpit of the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class. Their third-place in Mexico City two weeks ago moved them into second-place in the GT World Championship. Their team colleagues Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kévin Estre (France) drive the second new 911 RSR with the starting number 92 in the GTE-Pro class.
In the GTE-Am class, Porsche’s successful customer squads field two 911 RSR from the 2015 model year. Dempsey Proton Racing campaign the No. 77 car with the Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy) as well as Christian Ried and Marvin Dienst from Germany. So far this season, they have achieved victories at the Nürburgring and in Mexico City, and they currently lead the overall classification of the FIA Endurance Trophy. In the No. 86 vehicle, Ben Barker and Michael Wainwright from Great Britain and Nick Foster from Australia compete for Gulf Racing. In Mexico, the trio scored a third=place finish.
The six-hour race in Austin starts on Saturday, September 16, at Noon, Central Time.
Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars.
“In Mexico City we made a successful start into the second half of the WEC season with third-place. We’d like to build on this in Austin and bring home another top result with the reliability of our new 911 RSR as well as a perfect driver and team performance. This would also keep the world championship title fight open and exciting. Porsche has been very successful on the demanding Circuit of the Americas in recent years. We want to continue this tradition.”
Marco Ujhasi, Director GT Factory Motorsports.
“The Circuit of the Americas is a very interesting racetrack. It has slow and fast corners, which makes it difficult to find the perfect setup. We’re expecting high temperatures so the tires will play an important role. I hope that we can make the most of the free practice to line up on the grid with a 911 RSR that is perfectly prepared and set-up.”
Richard Lietz, Driver, No. 91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I very much enjoy racing in the USA. Austin in particular is a very interesting racetrack and we’ve celebrated several top results there over the past years. I hope that we can continue this tradition and bring home our first WEC win with the new 911 RSR against the strong opposition.”
Frédéric Makowiecki, Driver, No. 91 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I’m looking forward to racing again in the USA. Austin is a great circuit. In previous years the race started in the late afternoon and we drove into the night. This time we’re contesting the entire race in the daytime. But I think we will cope well with the modified circumstances and be at least as competitive as we were recently in Mexico.”
Michael Christensen, Driver, No. 92 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Driving in the USA is always great fun. And that is especially true for Austin. This circuit features very fast sectors with zones where you have to brake hard. It’s never boring there. We’re now very familiar with the new 911 RSR, and the team also knows the procedures well. I hope that we can maximize this potential in Austin.”
Kévin Estre, Driver, No. 92 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I look forward to this race all year. Austin is a fantastic city with a lot to do there and the Circuit of the Americas is one of the most interesting tracks on the calendar. I hope we find a good setup, and then we can run at the front with our 911 RSR. In any case, it’ll be an exciting event.”
Matteo Cairoli, Driver, No. 77 Dempsey Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR.
“I have good and bad memories of Austin from my time in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. In 2015, I won the rookie title as a newcomer on this great racetrack and in 2016 I lost the overall title there because of a defect. Now I’m looking forward to competing with the 911 RSR. It would be fantastic if we could clinch the third win of the season in the GTE-Am class after the Nürburgring and Mexico.”
Porsche PWC Closer at Sonoma. Patrick Long Looks for Second World Challenge GT Title.
As the 2011 GT Drivers’ Champion and 2016 runner-up, Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California) knows what it takes to win the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) title. Last season, Long was looking at a second title until the last half of the last lap of the last lap of the year when his No. 58 Porsche Consulting Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R was pushed off course by a driver not in contention for the championship. When he recovered he was unable to catch Alvaro Parente into the final turn. North America’s only Porsche factory driver immediately began planning his 2017 campaign. Now he enters the final two rounds of the GT season at Sonoma Raceway, leading both the Sprint and the Overall Driver Points Standings.
Entering the final two, 50-minute, single-driver races, Long is again going head-to-head in the PWC Overall Championship against Parente. The American leads the Portuguese driver 320 to 292 points. SprintX Champion Michael Cooper is third with 288 markers. Long also leads Parente in the Sprint Championship for Professional Drivers but by a much more narrow margin. The two friendly rivals are separated by a mere five points as they head to “Wine Country”. They are the only two in contention for the title.
James Sofronas (Villa Park, California) clinched the Overall Championship title for GT Amateur (GTA) drivers at the most recent round in Austin, Texas. He leads the GTA Drivers’ Sprint Championship by 30-points in the No. 14 GMG Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Porsche leads the Manufacturer’s Standings by six-points over Cadillac and seven over McLaren. The Porsche 911 GT3 R has won nine Sprint races to-date in 2017.
Porsche In Sonoma. 14 Porsche Racers Entered For Pirelli World Challenge Finale.
Porsche Motorsport-built racers will proliferate the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) grid at Sonoma Raceway this weekend. 14 total cars designed, developed and built in the Weissach, Germany workshops and imported and sold by Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) are entered for the two GT-class Sprint races and two GTS/GT4 rounds. In math terms, 33 percent of the entire PWC entry list are Porsche racecars.
The headline event will be the twin, 50-minute GT races where the Porsche 911 GT3 R has four entries in the Pro category (GT) and three in the Amateur class (GTA). Porsche factory driver Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California) leads the Sprint and Overall Championships for GT Drivers with the Wright Motorsports-entered No. 58 Porsche Consulting 911 GT3 R. Alec Udell (The Woodlands, Texas) has two GTA class victories to open the season and one GT class podium in the most recent Sprint round in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports by GMG.
The No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing 911 GT3 R driven by Jon Fogarty (Bend, Oregon) earned the team’s first GT podium at COTA two weeks ago as the “Red Dragon” closes its first season of PWC GT competition with Porsche.
One of the most exciting entries for Sonoma is the little-known No. 101 Porsche 911 GT3 R of TKO Motorsports. The team is making its debut in the class with Porsche but the true news of the entry comes in its driver selection. Local driver Memo Gidley (Sausalito, California) will pilot the No. 101 in his return to professional motorsports. Gidley suffered serious injuries in the early stages of the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona in a prototype racecar. The popular racer went through extensive recovery and rehabilitation. He first tested karts but earlier this summer began an extensive testing program with TKO and then made his public debut during a PWC promoter test day at Utah Motorsport Campus. His entry in the Sprint Championship final rounds was announced on August 17 by the team.
The GTA class has three Porsche 911 GT3 Rs for drivers who do not make their primary living racing cars. Included is recently crowned SprintX GTA Driver Champion James Sofronas (Villa Park, California) in the No. 14 GMG Racing 911 GT3 R. Sofronas holds a substantial lead in the Sprint and Overall GTA title chase as well. Michael Schein (Glen Cove, New York) challenged Sofronas early in the season driving the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche and looks to close out his 2017 season on a high-note at Sonoma. Dr. Preston Calvert (Potomac, Maryland) is looking for his first GTA podium – after early season GT Cup class wins – in the No. 77 Calvert Dynamics car.
Porsche entries are not limited to the rear-engine, 500 HP 911 GT3 R. An equal number of Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MRs are also entered in the GTS/GT4 class races. The mid-engine Porsche will give seven drivers a chance to conclude the season on a high note. Flying Lizard Motorsports brings two of the Cayman GT4 Clubsport MRs from its on-site shop with Rodrigo Baptista (Brazil) piloting the No. 3 and Nate Stacy (Tulsa Oklahoma) in the No. 14.
Five amateur drivers have entered Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MRs in the GTSA class. Carter Yeung (Los Angeles, California) will drive the No. 7 GMG Racing car while CRP Racing makes its class debut with Alex Lloyd (Livermore, California) in the No. 22. The No. 47 NOLAsport Porsche of Keith Jensen (Dorado, Puerto Rico) has been showing increasing speed while Case-It Racing’s pair of Adam Merzon (Greenwich, Connecticut) and Cameron Cassels (Canada) have been constant challengers in the class with the Nos. 017 and 018 respectively.
Porsche Pair Returns. Bamber and Tandy To Contest Petit Le Mans with Porsche GT Team.
For the 20th running of the Petit Le Mans long-distance classic, the Porsche GT Team has taken on reinforcements in the 911 RSR. Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Earl Bamber (New Zealand), both overall winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will tackle the season finale of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road Atlanta on October 7 with the North American factory team at which both rose to international fame. Tandy supports Patrick Pilet (France) and Dirk Werner (Germany) at the storied Atlanta, Georgia-area track racing the 510 hp No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR. Bamber joins forces with Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) in the No. 912 vehicle.
Bamber won Le Mans in 2015 and 2017 with the Porsche 919 Hybrid. Tandy, Bamber’s teammate at Le Mans in 2015, is a two-time winner of Petit Le Mans (2013 and 2015) including the overall victory in 2015. While both drivers played a role in the development of the new-for-2017 Porsche 911 RSR prior to joining the Porsche LMP Team in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), neither has raced the car to-date.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars.
“They won Le Mans outright and are very excited to be racing the new 911 RSR for the first time, particularly after playing a key role in its development. We couldn’t wish for better support in the fight for the prestigious North American Endurance Cup, which will be decided at Petit Le Mans. We’re delighted to welcome two good old acquaintances to the Porsche GT Team for this classic.”
Nick Tandy, Driver, No. 911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“Clinching the first overall victory for Porsche at Petit Le Mans in 2015 and the first ever win for a GT car at this classic will always be one of the milestones in my career. By returning with the new 911 RSR, I’ve now fulfilled one of my greatest wishes.”
Earl Bamber, Driver, No. 912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR.
“I can hardly wait to drive the 911 RSR again, especially at a great race like the Petit Le Mans. I’m also looking forward to working with the team. In the past, we’ve enjoyed a great and successful time together,”
At Porsche’s CORE. Jon Bennett and CORE autosport.
CORE autosport, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, boasts six IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Team Titles – five in the Prototype Challenge (PC) class and one in the GTLM class as the official “factory” team for Porsche. The Jonathan Bennett-owned team runs three Porsche 911-based racecars in the WeatherTech Championship: the No. 54 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Bennett and longtime co-driver Colin Braun (Harrisburg, North Carolina) in the WeatherTech GT Daytona (GTD) class and the pair of Porsche 911 RSRs, Nos. 911 and 912, in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class.
Like many of his competitors in the GTD field, Bennett comes to racing not from a lifetime of driving but one of business. The likeable Carolinian has an engineering degree, a businessman’s mind and a race driver’s spirit. All combined he built one of North America’s foremost companies in the composite industry – Composite Resources – with a list of Fortune 500 and government contracts. One of his key products is a Combat Application Tourniquet® (C-A-T®). The C-A-T is a small and lightweight one-handed tourniquet that completely closes off arterial blood flow in an extremity. Since 2004, the C-A-T has been issued to over one million military personnel and has been responsible for saving many lives.
When Bennett founded CORE in 2010 it was with the idea to mix business and pleasure. Bennett amassed five consecutive PC titles. He shared each with NASCAR veteran Braun. The pair made the move to the GTD class this season. The current program is searching for its first class victory to add to nearly 40-career podium finishes in prototype racing.
In 2013, looking for a new challenge, Bennett and Team Manager Morgan Brady presented CORE to Porsche to run the German manufacturer’s upcoming factory program. Selected to run the two-car “works” effort in North America starting in 2014, the new team and new car, a Porsche 911 RSR, raced to victory its first event, the punishing Rolex 24 of Daytona. They went on to capture two IMSA Manufacturer Championships (2014, 2015) for Porsche and a Team Championship in 2015.
Today, Bennett spreads his time between his business – housed in the same Rock Hill compound as CORE and the Porsche GT Team – and behind the wheel of both the GTD class 911 GT3 R and a Ford-powered GRC Lites car in the Red Bull Global Rallycross. No easy task but owning and driving the cars each hold their special place to Bennett.
Jon Bennett, Driver/Owner, No. 54 CORE autosport Porsche 911 GT3 R., Principal, Porsche GT Team.
“My first interest in sports car racing started with a childhood neighbor of mine when I was seven or eight years old. My interest in Porsches developed like any young male; I found myself with lots of Porsche posters and knowing more about the models and specifications of Porsches than I knew about algebra or geometry. I’ve always been a fan of Porsches. I knew that if my future included owning one, I needed to refocus on my education. I needed to get a degree and have a good career.”
“My ownership experience is like that of a proud parent. I watch something that ultimately germinated with from an idea of mine, but my employees and their talents and the support of Porsche have grown it into something amazing. It’s fun to watch and have success and it’s heartbreaking when things don’t go well. I enjoy them differently. My first passion is driving. To continue season after season, participating in the highest level of road racing in North America is fantastic. There are times when I wish I could enjoy the ownership aspect a little more, but I’m very fortunate to have Morgan Brady at the helm of that program.”
Porsche Entries at COTA.
FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Total Car Count: Six (6) Porsche entries are officially entered for the Six Hours of Circuit of the Americas – Round 6 of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
LMP1 Hybrid Class – Two (2) Porsche 919 Hybrid.
No. 1 Porsche LMP Team Neel Jani (Switzerland)/ André Lotterer (Germany)/ Nick Tandy (Great Britain)
No. 2 Porsche LMP Team Timo Bernhard (Germany)/ Earl Bamber (New Zealand)/ Brendon Hartley (New Zealand)
LMGTE-Pro Class – Two (2) Porsche 911 RSR. (Model Year 2017)
No. 91 Porsche GT Team
Richard Lietz (Austria)/ Frederic Makowiecki (France)
No. 92 Porsche GT Team Michael Christensen (Denmark)/ Kévin Estre (France)
LMGTE-Am Class – Two (2) Porsche 911 RSR. (Model Year 2015) are officially entered.
No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing
Matteo Cairoli (Italy)/ Christian Ried (Germany)/ Marvin Dienst (Germany)
No. 86 Gulf Racing Michael Wainwright (Great Britain)/ Benjamin Barker (Great Britain)/ Nicholas Foster (Australia)
Pirelli World Challenge.
Total Car Count: 14 Porsche Motorsport racecars will be competing in the Pirelli World Challenge of Sonoma at the Sonoma Raceway. In the Sprint series (Rounds 9 and 10), seven Porsche 911 GT3 Rs will challenge in the GT races. Seven Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MRs will contend for the GT4/GTS honors of the Sprint Championship (Rounds 17 and 18).
GT Class – Four (4) Porsche 911 GT3 R.
No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports by GMG Alec Udell (The Woodlands, Texas)
No. 58 Wright Motorsports Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California)
No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Jon Fogarty (Bend, Oregon)
No. 101 TKO Motorsports Memo Gidley (Sausalito, California)
GTA Class – Three (3) Porsche 911 GT3 R.
No. 14 GMG Racing James Sofronas (Villa Park, California)
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Michael Schein (Glen Cove, New York)
No. 77 Calvert Dynamics Preston Calvert (Potomac, Maryland)
GTS Class – Two (2) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.
No. 3 Flying Lizard Motorsports Rodrigo Baptista (Brazil)
No. 14 Flying Lizard Motorsports Nate Stacy (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
GTSA Class – Five (5) Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.
No. 7 GMG Racing Carter Yeung (Los Angeles, California)
No. 22 CRP Racing Alex Lloyd (Livermore, California)
No. 47 NOLAsport Keith Jensen (Dorado, Puerto Rico)
No. 017 Case-It Racing Adam Merzon (Greenwich, Connecticut)
No. 018 Case-It Racing Cameron Cassels (Canada)
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 Sonoma Raceway. 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/emsonomaraceway/2017porschecupsonomapreevententrylist.pdf
Where to Watch:
All FIA World Endurance Championship information, audio and live timing and scoring for each on-track session is additionally available on the WEC App and at www.FIAWEC.com .
FIA World Endurance Championship. Channel/Web Address
Race Broadcast. Live
Saturday, September 16
1:00 p.m.
FS2
All Pirelli World Challenge Series information, audio and live timing and scoring for each on-track session is additionally available at www.world-challenge.com.
Pirelli World Challenge. Channel/Web Address
Qualifying Broadcast.
Saturday, September 16
GT4/GTS
12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. ET
GT/GTA
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. ET www.world-challenge.com
Race Broadcast. Live.
Saturday, September 16
GT Race 1
5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. ET
GTS Race 1
8:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. ET
Sunday, September 17
GT Race 2
1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. ET
GTS Race 2
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET
Race Broadcast. Television.
GT Races
Sunday, September 17
3:30 p.m. ET
GTS Races
Wednesday, September 27
8:00 p.m. ET www.world-challenge.com
CBS Sports Network
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.
Six Hours of COTA #6HrOfCOTA
Pirelli World Challenge Sonoma #PWCSonoma
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.
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