News
Preview
After the street race through the harbour district of Long Beach, the IMSA SportsCar Championship returns to a classic racetrack on 1 May. Laguna Seca Raceway in the dunes of Monterey (CA) hosts round four of the sports car race series contested throughout the USA and Canada. In the GTLM class, the
The race
The trademark of this 3.601-kilometre circuit is the legendary corkscrew corner, which winds steeply downhill from the highest point of the track. A truly daunting corner. The challenging Laguna Seca Raceway is situated in the hills east of Monterey, two hours’ drive south of San Francisco. John Steinbeck immortalised this coastal city with his world renowned 1945 novel “Cannery Row”.
The
Four
The
For 2016, the
The schedule
The GTLM and P classes start on Sunday, 1 May, at 11.15 hrs local time (20.15 hrs CEST). The GTD and PC classes take off at 15.45 hrs local time. All races run over two hours and will be broadcast live outside the USA on www.imsa.com.
Pre-race quotes
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Manager GT Works Motorsport: “The race is shorter than last year’s, so that makes it all the more important to have an excellent strategy worked out and not make any mistakes. The highlight is the corkscrew, of course. Such a corner is unique in the world. We’ll work out some special set-up details especially for this section of the track.”
Patrick Pilet (911 RSR #911): “This is one of the most beautiful races of the season. The circuit is located in a magnificent setting and it’s very demanding. The track is like a rollercoaster, and the tyres come under extreme stresses. It’s crucial to find a good compromise with the car’s setup and tyre choice. Last year we launched our catch-up campaign at Laguna Seca, which ultimately led to the title. Hopefully this is a good omen”
Nick Tandy (911 RSR #911): “I have fond memories of Laguna Seca. In 2013 I scored my first U.S. victory there in the GTC class. Because the wind constantly blows sand on to the track, conditions can change from lap to lap. That makes it difficult, but also interesting.”
Earl Bamber (911 RSR #912): “I’ve never actually raced at Laguna Seca. I only know this wonderful circuit from last year’s
Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR #912): “I also turned a couple of demo laps with the 911 RSR on this great racetrack at last year’s
Jörg Bergmeister (911 RSR #73): “Laguna Seca is a racetrack that’s great fun. The famous corkscrew poses a very special challenge, of course. We approach it in fifth gear at 210 kph and suddenly you’re looking at the sky. The only landmarks at this point are a couple of trees. So it’s not at all easy to perfectly negotiate this corner.”
This is the IMSA SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship is a sports car race series contested in the USA and Canada, which was run in 2014 for the first time. The series was formed from the merger of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Series. Sports prototypes and sports cars start in four different classes: GTLM (GT Le Mans), GTD (GT Daytona), P (Prototype) and PC (Prototype Challenge). The
Model range 911 (Type 991 II): Fuel consumption combined 9.3 – 7.4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 216 - 169 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): F – D
911 GT3 RS: Fuel consumption combined 12.7 l/100 km; urban 19.2 l/100 km; extra urban 8.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 296 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): G
Tous les rapports de course de la saison précédente peuvent être trouvés dans nos archives.