Laguna Seca gets full this weekend

MOTORSPORTS

Three classes will go on track’s new surface

Sebastien Bourdais, shown here before the start of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Jan., teamed with Renger van der Zande last year to win the GTP class last year at Laguna Seca. JAMES GILBERT — GETTY IMAGES

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By James Raia

newsroom@montereyherald.com

LAGUNA SECA >> Out with the old asphalt and in with the new asphalt.

At least that’s the scenario for the next three events of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship — and for three different reasons.

The triple-header of newness, with 34 entries in three classes, begins Friday with a weekend of racing, highlighted the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N. Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro, GT Daytona will make their first official laps on the new surface at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Additionally, the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup will also compete on the new surface for the first time. The series’ 26th consecutive season is scheduled to begin with a track inspection at 6:30 a.m. Friday. The crowded schedule concludes Sunday with the 2-hour-and-40-minute finale beginning at 12:10 p.m.

Numerous racing series have competed on the nearly one-year-old resurfaced track. It occurred just after IMSA weekend.

The $14.9 million project was approved in July 2022 by the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors. The first major changes to the track since 2006 also included a new pedestrian bridge. The upgrades were completed just before the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest in July.

Following this weekend, the series moves to the streets of downtown Detroit. It’s a new venue following the Belle Isle Park street circuit where IMSA raced from 2007 to 2022. The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a year’s absence from the track an hour northeast of Columbus. The road course also has new asphalt.

The Motul Course de Monterey will be the series’ second straight race in California following last month’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande claimed their only win of the season last year in Monterey. But the Cadillac racing duo is favored in the GTP class after winning in Long Beach.

“We did come (to WeatherTech Raceway) and test with both Cadillacs, both BMWs and both Penske Porsches, so we did have time to experiment and try quite a few things,” said Bourdais on motorsport.com. “Grip has gone up a lot. It’s probably going to be at least a couple of seconds faster and it’s always an awesome feeling when you drive on a repaved track.

“I’ve always enjoyed Laguna, but tire degradation was high, and grip was quite low at the end of the cycle of the old pavement. So, now it’s full force, maximum attack and commitment, so it’s a ton of fun to muscle those GTPs around. You should see some pretty incredible speeds around the weekend.”

Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with co-drivers Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron leads the series this season with one win and two third places. It’s the only GTP car to finish on the podium in all three season races to date giving the drivers a commanding 58-point standings lead.

Ben Barnicoat of Vasser Sullivan Racing has won two straight races in different classes. In his full-season ride, the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD PRO class, Barnicoat won at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

With his regular class not competing in Long Beach, Barnicoat teamed with Parker Thompson to win in the GTD class. Barnicoat and GTD PRO teammate Jack Hawksworth finished second in Monterey last year en route to their season championship.

The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) division made its WeatherTech Raceway debut last year. Drivers compete in vehicles with internal combustion engines paired with a hybrid electrified power storage and regeneration system for high-speed pursuits. The Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut at Laguna Seca in 2006. The Lamborghini division is now in its 11th season.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup will not have two top riders, which means rounds 5 and 6 will open the 14-race series to championship hopefuls. The last six championships have been determined in the series finale.

Aaron Jeansonne, 25, of San Francisco, who competes for JTR Motorsports Engineering claimed his first win last year in Monterey after securing the pole position in the round 6 race. He finished second in the season-long championship.

Top drivers Connor Zilisch and Selin Rollan, both of BSI Racing, will not compete. Zilisch has a schedule conflict with another racing series; Rollan also has a conflict with his new job as a commercial pilot.

Rookie Westin Workman, also of BSI Racing, claimed his first series win in March in Round 4 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. He’s never competed at WeatherTech Raceway.

For additional information, visit https://www.co.monterey.ca.us.