I’m just getting back to the East coast after an incredible weekend at Laguna Seca, where I participated in my first-ever Rennsport Reunion. It’s an event that only happens every five years, and this time certainly did not disappoint!
It was the largest crowd I’ve ever seen at Laguna Seca, which was really impressive both in terms of the number of fans as well as the incredible number of cars on hand and activities to do.
My main purpose during the weekend was to support Elias De La Torre and the JDX racing team in the penultimate round of the Carrera Cup championship, but I also got the extremely rare opportunity to campaign the Ingram Collection’s 1967 Porsche 906E in the historic races.
This was a true thrill and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive a piece of motorsport history. I also got to be on track with some of the most iconic race cars you can imagine, like the Porsche 917 and other historic race cars of that era. It’s not every day you get passed by a 917 with a screaming turbo!
Being ontrack with 917s was an awe-inspiring opportunity that makes you appreciate the origins of sportscar racing and current form of GTP prototypes.
It was a true honor to drive the 906E for the Ingrams, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity and the memories it created.
Meanwhile, on the Carrera Cup side, JDX got off to a great start for the event, securing pole position and a front-row lockout in race two. In the rarest scenario you can imagine, we had rain at Laguna! It was the first time I’ve seen that in 15 years of going to that track.
Elias had brilliant pace in practice two in the wet, and he topped the time charts several times throughout the session as the track dried. His steady growth in the car is fun to watch, and he continues to impress as he gains valuable experience during his rookie season.
Elias had a great start to the weekend, showcasing his best pace of the season to date.
Unfortunately, a crash in qualifying sidelined Elias’s momentum for the weekend, and that resulted in him being sidelined from the races, too. I’m confident he’ll be back stronger than ever for the final round, which will be held during the Formula 1 weekend at Circuit of the Americas in a few short weeks.
It was exciting to see JDX take home the win in race two, which was a really satisfying ending to an exciting weekend.
The cars on display were a form of artwork.