Round four at WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca, brought adrenalin levels back up to “red line” for Porsche enthusiasts lucky enough to watch the weekend unfold. This iconic course near the Monterey peninsula has challenged the world’s greatest racers since 1957 when it took over the duties from nearby Pebble Beach, and its famous Corkscrew corner is always a crowd favorite for catching the action (search 1996 CART Laguna Seca – “The Pass” on YouTube).
In all three classes, Porsche didn’t perform well. But with a 2-hour and 40-minute race ahead, anything was possible. In the top hybrid GTP class, Mathieu Jaminet’s best lap time behind the wheel of the #6 Porsche Penske Racing 963 was 1:12.664 seconds, good enough to earn a fourth-place qualifying position on row two. Two Cadillacs and a BMW outperformed him, leaving Porsche enthusiasts wondering what went wrong.
