Porsche and Laguna Seca, like peanut butter and jelly
For a lot of Porsche followers, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on the Monterey Peninsula in California has primarily served because the German automaker’s unofficial dwelling base. That is because of not simply many Porsche sports activities automobile victories on the monitor over the a long time but additionally its latest position as host for a number of editions of Porsche’s haloed Rennsport Reunion, multi-day gatherings of rabid Porsche followers and astounding Porsche vehicles from across the globe.
Properly, that unofficial marriage simply obtained a bit extra actual, as Porsche Automobiles North America officers introduced on Might 5 that its storied marque is now The Official Automotive of the raceway, which is itself experiencing a renaissance in management and course.
Now you possibly can wring out a brand new Porsche at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
So what does this all really imply? For one, it hyperlinks Porsche to the raceway in a extra formal sponsorship partnership, which is able to embrace a Porsche (no phrase on which mannequin, however I would vote for a 911 GT3 RS) serving because the official security automobile for the TireRack.com Monterey Sportscar Championship IMSA race weekend, Might September 11. The race might be broadcast dwell on Sunday, Might 11, at midday PDT/3 p.m. EDT on NBC.
However actually much more thrilling for Porsche-philes is phrase that the monitor will play host to a different location for the automaker’s thrill-a-minute Porsche Driving Expertise, which gives house owners and would-be house owners alike a bunch of driving college choices that vary from suggestions for teen drivers to hardcore on-track tutorials from execs. The present PDE places are on the firm’s HQ in Atlanta as nicely at its Porsche Driving Expertise Los Angeles monitor in Carson.
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For longtime Porsche racer, restorer and monitor board member Bruce Canepa, the partnership is a pure
“Lots of the biggest moments in motorsport historical past have occurred at Laguna Seca,” Timo Resch, President and CEO of PCNA, mentioned in an announcement. “We’re excited to be an element within the monitor’s thrilling plans for the long run and to permit the subsequent era of fanatics to get behind the wheel of a Porsche.”
The partnership little question was inked with the deft stewardship of ex-racer, famous traditional automobile restoration store proprietor and Porsche devotee Bruce Canepa, who helped Invoice Gates and others with the importation of Porsche’s rest-of-the-world supercar, the 959, and at present is the only real distributor for Kalmar, a high-end Porsche restomod (assume Singer, however from Europe).
“We’re thrilled to welcome Porsche because the official automobile of Laguna Seca,” mentioned Canepa, who additionally serves as a Associates of Laguna Seca board member. “I’ve been a fan and proprietor of their vehicles for 5 a long time. This partnership brings collectively two iconic manufacturers, and we’re excited to rejoice our collective histories and race into the long run collectively.”
Ever heard of The Corkscrew? There’s nothing fairly prefer it in North America
Porsche’s legacy is intensive at this historic monitor, which opened in 1957 as a proper location for races that beforehand had wound by the Del Monte forests close to Pebble Seaside. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has up to now hosted 4 Rennsport Reunions relationship again 15 years.
In 2023, Rennsport Reunion 7 featured historic and new Porsches, prime Porsche firm officers, and 91,000 followers throughout the four-day occasion. As well as, final 12 months Porsche notched it is 600th and 601st IMSA victories on the monitor, whereas final February a Taycan Turbo GT turned the quickest series-production EV to lap Laguna with a time of 1:27.87.
For these of you who’ve been to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, all about The Corkscrew, a sinuous left into a tough proper that drops precipitously on the bottom of the monitor, a well-known flip that requires you to goal the nostril of your automobile not at a cone however relatively a hillside tree, so steep is the dropoff. And so enjoyable.
In the event you’ve by no means skilled it, Porsche’s new driving college at Laguna Seca will treatment that pronto. This system is slated to open up in 2026. Get in line now.
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