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Porsche as far as the eye can see: Five years after the last event, more than 90,000 motorsport enthusiasts gathered for the seventh race meeting at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in California (USA) last weekend. From the first Porsche 356 to various racing cars such as the 952 or 962 and the latest GT3 models, Porsche fans have everything to make their hearts beat faster.
A paradise for Porsche fans
Our party visit begins on Friday morning: When we arrive it becomes clear that this weekend is all about Porsche. When we reach the top we can see the entire area. Countless Porsches of all eras, in various shapes and colors, litter the dusty field near Monterey. “Being here is a must for every Porsche fan. This is the best meeting in the world,” shouts a visitor in his old 911.
As you walk around the paddock, you can smell exhaust fumes, burnt tires, as well as burgers and fries. In the race teams’ pits left and right, drivers are all working on their cars themselves. The view is acoustically accompanied by race cars roaring on the race track. We say: This is a paradise for every racing fan. Visitors range in age from toddlers with pacifiers and headphones to toothless grandfathers who enthusiastically come up with lots of “you know what” stories when they see the many historic cars.
Fans are coming in droves
The Porsche brand also dominates the visitor parking areas. Never before have we seen such density and variety of 911s, 356s or other Porsche models such as the 914, 928 or 944 from all series and years. Funny: Parking spaces are sorted by model and year of construction. Besides the “normal” 911s, we also explore more exciting and special models such as various 918 Spyders, Carrera GTs and some 911 Speedsters.
On Saturday morning, people arrive in droves: 55,000 visitors in one day alone; All tickets are sold out! And this is despite $160 ticket prices and the rain passing in the morning. Porsche fans also prove their love for the German sports car brand by queuing for up to three hours at a Porsche store without complaint to get their hands on the latest fan gear.
Imagine the legends
Fans also have to endure long wait times for autograph sessions by various former and active racing drivers. We speak to Derek Bell (81), who won the Le Mans endurance classic four times with Porsche between 1981 and 1987. “It’s absolutely wonderful and beautiful to see so many like-minded people coming together,” enthuses the Englishman. Then we discover former German racing driver Jochen Mass (77). It raced at Le Mans for Porsche at least seven times between 1978 and 1987, including the 936, 956 and 962C models. “This is the most incredible event in the world,” says Mass enthusiastically. He tries to describe the event as “similar to the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, England, but with a completely different character.” “Here you enter the world of a brand that has built an incredible history throughout its 75 years of existence.”
Mark Webber (47), who competed in the World Endurance Championship for Porsche from 2014 to 2016, is also present at the Porsche class meeting. “No other brand can compete with the reliability of Porsche racing and road vehicles,” the Australian is convinced. “The best proof of this is the many old Porsches still hanging around here.”
Motor sports from old to new
But we don’t just encounter legends in the pits. Legendary cars such as the Porsche 917 K in Gulf Racing livery or the various Porsche 935s thunder down the track at racing speed to the delight of spectators. Old 911s, RSRs and 924s compete in exciting races and spectacular overtaking maneuvers in the so-called Weissach Cup. This isn’t always completely safe, especially on the famous corkscrew bend down the mountain.
There is room for new cars as well as lots of history. The Porsche GT3 R celebrates its racing world premiere and completes its first laps on the racetrack. Limited to 77 pieces and costing over a million francs, the car not only looks amazing but sounds amazing too. Other race cars without official road homologation, such as the 919 Hybrid, the V8-powered 963 and the all-electric GT4 e-Performance, are making their hot laps.
There are enjoyable moments and images in the last tractor race, where 23 old Porsche tractors competed. In a typical Le Mans start, drivers run straight from the start-finish line to their tractors and then take off. The drivers’ field is very famous: Porsche drivers Felipe Nasr (31), Matt Campbell (28) and Nick Tandy (38), among others, show off their skills. A large cloud of exhaust gas covers the area of the vehicle, followed by a strong diesel smell. On time? Of course not. But we think this kind of nonsense should be featured at the Rennsport Meeting every five years.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
