Porsche through the famous “Corkscrew” under new conditions

by Thomas Moore

Preview, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Round 4, Monterey, Calif.

  • Porsche seeks to extend record performance on newly repaved track
  • Porsche Penske Motorsport WeatherTech series leader entering round four
  • Eight Porsche race cars entered in IMSA championship round
  • JDC-Miller MotorSports celebrates full year as Porsche 963 customer team
  • Porsche Motorsport plays global tripleheader

Atlanta. For Porsche, the abrasive surface and challenging layout of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca have been a successful combination over the decades. The freshly repaved track promises to be faster but, still challenging. Porsche has more race wins- 28 - at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit on the Monterey Peninsula in California than any other marque and brings eight cars spread across three classes with the singular goal to extend that IMSA record May 10 – 12. The Course de Monterey, round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, sees the return of all classes – GTP, GTD Pro and GTD – for the first two-hour and 40-minute sports car race of the season.

Porsche Penske Motorsport brings two Porsche 963 entries to Monterey. The No. 6 driven by Mathieu Jaminet (France) and Nick Tandy (United Kingdom) pursues its first victory of the season while the No. 7, shared by California native Dane Cameron (now living in Huntersville, North Carolina) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil) are looking for a second victory (the first coming at the 24 Hours of Daytona). The No. 7 is also eager to continue it streak of podium finishes which dates to the season-opener in Daytona. Also, in the GTP category, the No. 85 customer team of JDC-Miller MotorSports – driven by Tijmen van der Helm (Netherlands) and Richard Westbrook (United Kingdom) – celebrates its one-year anniversary of racing the 963. Proton Competition will campaign the No. 5 Porsche 963 for drivers Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Bent Viscaal (Netherlands).

The Porsche 911 GT3 R is the choice race car for four privateer entries in the GTD Pro and GTD classes. AO Racing fields its popular No. 77 “Rexy” liveried entry for Laurin Heinrich (Germany) and 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Seb Priaulx (United Kingdom) in the GTD Pro category. The GTD class – using the same Porsche 911 GT3 R race car but with a Pro-Am style driver lineup – enjoys three entries: the No. 43 of Andretti Motorsports for Jarett Andretti (Indianapolis, Indiana) and Gabby Chaves (Columbia), the MDK Motorsports/High Class Racing No. 86 for Anders Fjordbach (Denmark) and Kerong Li (China) as well as the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche driven by Adam Adelson (Los Angeles, California) and Elliott Skeer (San Diego, California).

Chasing 600.

Porsche is not only pursuing a record-extending 29th win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WRLS), but also its 600th career IMSA victory there. The milestone can come with an overall victory by the Porsche 963 in the GTP class or a Porsche 911 GT3 R win in the GTD Pro or GTD classes.

Porsche partner Team Penske is one pole position away from 100 sports car poles, as well as one victory away from 100 sports car wins. Forty of those wins and 46 of the total pole positions came in Porsche equipment. This adds to the five sports car championships Penske and Porsche have shared; two in the Can Am Series and three in the American Le Mans Series. The Porsche and Penske relationship dates to 1972 when the pair cooperatively fielded a Porsche 917/10 in the Can Am series.

Past successes.

A potential harbinger of success for the 2024 weekend are the results Porsche enjoyed here in 2023. The No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, then shared by Matt Campbell (Australia) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil), set the fastest qualifying lap earning the overall pole position last season. Meanwhile, in the GTD qualifying session, a Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Kellymoss with Riley and driven by Alec Udell (The Woodlands, Texas) and Julian Andlauer (France) charged to the GTD class pole position. A second 911 GT3 R race car shared by Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) and Kay van Berlo (the Netherlands) won in the GTD class race for Kellymoss with Riley.

Three-wide.

Porsche Motorsport is facing one of its most intense weekends of the year. Over the three-day span between May 10 – 12, the sports car manufacturer from Stuttgart, Germany will be competing almost simultaneously with its factory teams in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The aim is to achieve top results with the Porsche 963 at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Laguna Seca as well as with the Porsche 99X Electric at the Formula E home race in Berlin.

Porsche “works” drivers head into the weekend leading the championships in all three top racing series. Porsche Penske Motorsport also occupies the top spot in the team standings of the FIA WEC and the North American IMSA Championship thanks to victories in Daytona (IMSA) and Qatar (WEC) and podium finishes in all other races so far this season.

The hybrid prototypes from the German sports car manufacturer can call on a maximum output of 685 HP (511 kW) in the IMSA series. In the two GT classes, GTD Pro and four partner teams will each enter a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport.

“Porsche doesn’t engage in motorsport as an end in itself. It has to be relevant to the company and its goals, for example through fielding electric vehicles. The coming weekend emphasizes this very clearly. Our works teams will be competing at three venues with hybrid or fully electric racing cars. We’re looking forward to this challenge. The knowledge and experience gained in motorsport will also be incorporated into the development of our road vehicles. We’re proud of our extensive motorsport programs and are heading into the coming weekend with total dedication.”

Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport.

“Laguna Seca has undergone a fresh resurfacing since we raced there in 2023, and this will bring a new set of challenges. Porsche Penske Motorsport and all our GTP competitors tested there for two days to get our first exposure to the new surface level. The grip level of the track has increased significantly and should produce higher cornering speeds, quicker qualifying times, and great racing. Our team is pushing to remain at the top of the points championship.”

Felipe Nasr, Driver, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

“After our strong start to the season, we want to carry that momentum into Laguna Seca. The track is steeped in tradition and very demanding. We had the opportunity to test on the new asphalt. The results were positive and gave us important insights for the upcoming race. The entire team continues to work tirelessly on optimizing our Porsche 963. Based on the test results and our good performance last year, we’re aiming for overall victory at Laguna Seca.”

The schedule (local time)

Friday, May 10

1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.: Free practice 1

Saturday, May 11

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.: Free practice 2

4:35 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.: Qualifying GTD Pro and GTD class

5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.: Qualifying GTP class

Sunday, May 12

12:10 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.: Race (2 Hours, 40 minutes)

  • Image courtesy of Porsche.

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