- Hallowed Laguna Seca venue hosts round four of the season
- Porsche keen to extend its lead in all championship categories
- Porsche Penske Motorsport races on two continents in one weekend
- AO Racing’s ‘Roxy’ Porsche 911 GT3 R contests GTD Pro class
The Laguna Seca Raceway in California hosts round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this coming Sunday (11 May). The factory team will campaign a pair of 485 kW (659 PS) Porsche 963 racers in the top GTP category, with the customer team JDC-Miller MotorSports fielding an additional hybrid prototype from Weissach. Two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars will contest both GT classes at the season’s first IMSA event featuring a 2-hour and 40-minute race. On the same weekend, Porsche Penske Motorsport will tackle the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Porsche tops the leaderboard in all championship standings thanks to victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and most recently the sprint race on the streets of Long Beach. The factory team has prepared for the upcoming IMSA round at Laguna Seca with test drives on the famed Californian racetrack. Felipe Nasr and Nick Tandy will share the wheel of the No. 7 Porsche 963. The duo from Brazil and Great Britain dominated the first three races of the year. In the sister car, Australian Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet from France hope to score their first win of the season. In 2024, the No. 6 Porsche triumphed on the hilly, 3.601-kilometre circuit near the port city of Monterey.
“We’ve enjoyed an incredibly good run in this year’s IMSA series. We want to continue like this,” explains Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “The motivation within our team is at an absolute high. We’ve won on three completely different courses over very different distances – such achievements build confidence. I’m confident our chances look good again next weekend. We want to make the most of those opportunities to repeat last year’s Laguna Seca victory.”
“We finished second in our 2023 debut year at Laguna Seca, last season we came first and third – the circuit and the Porsche 963 are obviously well suited,” states Urs Kuratle. “Our race car is the most successful LMDh hybrid prototype since the introduction of the regulations. We want to defend this position and further extend our lead in all championship standings,” emphasises the Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “Tyre strategy, driver skills, and the team’s pit stop performance play a decisive role on this rollercoaster circuit in California. We’ve been on top of our game in all three disciplines recently. That gives me confidence.”
“Our team was able to finish on the top step of the podium in the 2024 edition of the Laguna Seca race and we have the same goals for this year,” states Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “Execution has been a big part of our results so far in the 2025 IMSA season and the team is on a roll. We can’t wait to get our pair of 963 back on track and continue to keep the pressure on our competitors.”
In the top GTP class, another hybrid prototype from Weissach will compete alongside the two Porsche 963 racing cars from Porsche Penske Motorsport. The JDC-Miller MotorSports customer squad entrusts the No. 85 vehicle to Gianmaria Bruni from Italy and Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands.
“Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R takes a break, identical twin “Roxy” steps in
In the GTD Pro class, fans will miss their beloved “Rexy” at Laguna Seca. The green Porsche 911 GT3 R decked out in its distinctive dinosaur livery will remain in the garage after its Sebring victory and recent success in the GTD class at Long Beach. Luckily, AO Racing has a replacement: for the first time this season, the pink 911, dubbed “Roxy”, will line up on the grid to contest round four. Two former Porsche Juniors will share the cockpit: Austrian Klaus Bachler and reigning IMSA champion Laurin Heinrich from Germany.
In the GTD category, in which professionals and amateurs share a car, the Wright Motorsports customer team will field an identical ca. 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R. Team owner Adam Adelson and fellow American Elliott Skeer will compete in the No. 120 car. The duo aims to repeat last year’s podium result.
The race
The 3.6-kilometre Laguna Seca Raceway features 11 turns, including the famous “corkscrew” passage. The narrow steeply banked left-right combination is often the scene for spectacular overtaking moves. The “corkscrew” section of the racetrack is so unique that Porsche replicated it on its own racetrack in Leipzig.
The tradition-steeped American circuit lies on a plateau just a few kilometres from the Pacific port city of Monterey. The surface of the racetrack built in 1957 now offers plenty of grip thanks to last year’s resurfacing. Persistent winds blow sand onto the track, which results in higher tyre wear.
Drivers’ comments before the race
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): “I’ve celebrated several good results at Laguna Seca, and I particularly enjoyed our overall victory last year. That’s why I’m excited to return there this year. The season started well for our team, but not quite as well for our No. 6 car: Victory has been just out of reach. We now want to be at the top of the podium. That’s our major goal for the coming weekend.”
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “Laguna Seca with its unique surroundings is a wonderful venue for motor racing. Fans unfailingly create a fantastic atmosphere. We’re currently riding a wave of success. I’m so proud of our team. Their unwavering commitment and determination make me excited and confident about this coming weekend. We’ll give it our best shot at Laguna Seca and try to extend our championship lead even more.”
Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 963 #85): “I’m really looking forward to returning to Laguna Seca. The course is very special and one of the most iconic venues on the IMSA racing calendar. I can’t wait to race there again. We’ve seen in previous years that the Porsche 963 is very competitive on the Californian racetrack. Now, as a team, we want to tap the full potential and turn it into a good result.”
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “Laguna Seca has a fantastic track layout set in a stunning landscape – making it one of the most beautiful races on the calendar. I secured my first pole position in the IMSA series there in 2023. AO Racing also achieved its first class victory there last year with ‘Rexy’. Now our green 911 is taking a short break, and we’re bringing out its pink sister, ‘Roxy’. We feel well-prepared and highly motivated. We currently rank second in the championship and we’re eager to forge ahead.”
Adam Adelson (Porsche 911 GT3 R #120): “Laguna Seca is one of the most storied tracks on the calendar. Everyone senses this as soon as they enter the facility. Our first races of the season were great. We want to build on our experience and the lessons learned and achieve a top result. Last year, we finished on the podium at Laguna Seca. Our team will put a fast Porsche 911 GT3 R on the track for us. Elliott and I will then have everything we need to get back into the top three.”
Porsche racing cars at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
GTP class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Matt Campbell (AUS), Mathieu Jaminet (FRA)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Felipe Nasr (BRA), Nick Tandy (GBR)
JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Gianmaria Bruni (ITA), Tijmen van der Helm (NLD)
GTD-Pro class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
AO Racing #77: Klaus Bachler (AUT), Laurin Heinrich (DEU)
GTD class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA), Elliott Skeer (USA)
The schedule (local time = CEST -9 hours)
Friday, 9 May
14:20 – 15:50 hrs: Free Practice 1
Saturday, 10 May
09:55 – 11:25 hrs: Free Practice 2
15:15 – 15:30 hrs: Qualifying GTD
15:40 – 15:55 hrs: Qualifying GTD-Pro
16:10 – 16:25 hrs: Qualifying GTP
Sunday, 11 May
12:10 – 14:50 hrs: Race
