- The Porsche 963 has always won at Elkhart Lake
- Porsche Penske Motorsport aims to extend championship lead
- Both driver pairings strong contenders for the IMSA title
- AO Racing targets GTD Pro class lead with “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R
Road America hosts round eight of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this coming Sunday (3 August). The Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team returns to the legendary circuit with fond memories – and an unbeaten record to protect. In 2023, the Porsche 963 clinched victory in its debut year on the track near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The following season, the team achieved an even greater feat – a one-two finish with the two ca. 500 kW (680 PS) hybrid prototypes from Weissach. In the top GTP category, customer team JDC-Miller MotorSports fields another Porsche 963. Two Porsche 911 GT3 R entries will also line up on the grid to tackle both GT classes.
In the manufacturers’ standings and the overall team classification, Porsche and the Porsche Penske Motorsport outfit top the leaderboard. Ahead of the eighth round of the North American season, Australia’s Matt Campbell and Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet lead the drivers’ championship, just ahead of their Porsche teammates Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Nick Tandy from the United Kingdom. After a challenging outing at the previous endurance round in Watkins Glen, the works team is determined to return to the podium in the 160-minute sprint race at Road America.
“Road America is not only a beautiful, fast circuit in a picturesque setting, it has also been the stage for major successes with the Porsche 963,“ states Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “We won there in the last two years, so we’re unbeaten on this circuit since the introduction of the LMDh regulations. We want to keep this winning streak alive and clinch another victory. We’re hoping for a balanced field in the GTP class and to treat fans to some exciting and open racing. The championship battle is now heating up as it enters the final phase – we’re ready for it!“
“The Porsche 963 and Road America – it’s simply a perfect match,“ explains Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “We’ve won on this very special track for the past two years, and our goal for the coming weekend is clear: another triumph. We haven’t been quite as competitive as we’d hoped in recent races, but I’m confident that as the season approaches the final stretch, we’ll be consistently fighting at the front and playing a strong role in the bid for this year’s title.“
“There’s been a longer break between the races over summer, and the team has wasted no time conducting a private test to make sure we’re prepared to fight for a win,“ states Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “With only three races left in the championship, it’s important to continue to execute and capitalise on the opportunities that present themselves. We are looking to stretch the legs of our 963 on the long straights of the iconic Road America circuit.“
Sharing the cockpit of No. 6 car are current championship leaders Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet. In the No. 7 Porsche 963, reigning IMSA champion Felipe Nasr joins forces with “Mr 24 Hours“ Nick Tandy. JDC Miller MotorSports’ customer run hybrid prototype from Weissach will be driven by Italy’s Gianmaria Bruni and Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands.
GT classes: “Rexy“ determined to reclaim GTD Pro points lead
In the GTD Pro class, AO Racing is fighting for the crown with its up to 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R. Former Porsche Juniors Laurin Heinrich from Germany and Austria’s Klaus Bachler share driving duties in “Rexy“ – the much-loved 911 sporting a striking dinosaur livery. The duo currently sits second in the drivers’ standings, just 39 points off the leader. In the GTD category, customer outfit Wright Motorsports fields another Porsche 911 GT3 R. At the wheel of the No. 120 car are Americans Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer.
The race
Road America is a favourite among many drivers. The 6.515-kilometre circuit featuring 14 turns blends perfectly into the park-like landscape near Elkhart Lake. The undulating course offers several overtaking opportunities and daunting passages – one of which is the so-called “kink“ on the back straight, an extremely fast right-hander with minimal run-off zones. The venue, located around 25 kilometres west of Lake Michigan, was opened in 1955.
For the 2023 season, the racetrack was resurfaced, further increasing the already high average speeds of up to 215 km/h (2022 DPi class qualifying). In 2024, Porsche works driver Matt Campbell from Australia lapped the circuit in qualifying with an average of well over 217 km/h. Fans love the circuit’s atmosphere: On both sides of the track, walking paths come just centimetres from the barriers for long stretches –there are few other IMSA venues where fans feel the incredible speed of the race cars this close. Shady picnic spots along the undulating circuit are perfect for visitors to relax and soak up the atmosphere.
Live stream of the race
The race will be broadcast live in full via a free stream on imsa.tv for viewers outside the USA and Canada. Live timing is available at scoring.imsa.com. The final IMSA sprint race of the season (over 2:40 hrs) gets the green light on Sunday, 3 August at 13:10 local time (20:10 CEST).
Driver comments ahead of the race
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): “We’re now on the home straight of the season, with just three races to go. Road America is the final sprint race of the year. Last year, we scored a one-two finish there, which was great, but it doesn’t help us this season. We’ve had some tough races recently, so I hope we can get back on the winning track. We need to make the most of our opportunities and score plenty of points to stay at the top of the championship.“
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “It’s fantastic to be heading back to Road America finally. The circuit layout is simply brilliant – fast and extremely flowing. It’s always huge fun to compete there. The race promises plenty of action for the fans across all classes. Our goal with car number 7 is clear: to get back to the top of the drivers’ standings and extend Porsche’s championship lead.“
Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 963 #85): “Road America is one of my absolute favourite circuits on the IMSA calendar. I’m really looking forward to racing there again next weekend. I can’t wait to get back racing in the Porsche 963. Last year, we finished fifth, and in qualifying, we were fourth – I’m hoping for a similar result this year with the JDC-Miller MotorSports team and my teammate Tijmen van der Helm.“
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “Road America is a beautiful circuit and definitely one of the best in North America, in my opinion. All classes will be racing together again after the GTP category missed Mosport recently. I’m sure it’s going to be super exciting. Our team has consistently proven this year that we’re one of the top contenders in IMSA. I’m optimistic we can fight at the front with our Porsche 911 GT3 R once again.“
Adam Adelson (Porsche 911 GT3 R #120): “It’s hard to ignore that the past few races have been particularly difficult for us at Wright Motorsports. We’ve been performing well, but that hasn’t converted into good race results. I’m looking at Road America as an opportunity for us to turn that around. We’ve been working exceptionally hard behind the scenes to analyze our performances this year, and how to maximize them moving forward to bring home some more hardware. Road America wasn’t kind to us last year too, so I’m feeling extra hungry for redemption. I’m super excited to get back on the track, and I know the whole team is motivated more than ever.“
Porsche’s racing cars in Elkhart Lake
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:
AO Racing #77: Klaus Bachler (AUT), Laurin Heinrich (DEU)
GTD class:
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA), Elliott Skeer (USA)
Schedule (local time = CEST -7 hours)
Friday, 1 August
14:00 – 15:30 hrs: Free practice 1
Saturday, 2 August
09:05 – 10:35 hrs: Free practice 2
16:40 – 16:55 hrs: Qualifying GTD
17:05 – 17:20 hrs: Qualifying GTD-Pro
17:55 – 18:10 hrs: Qualifying GTP
Sunday, 3 August
13:10 – 15:50 hrs: Race
