Laguna Seca Thursday Notebook

Photo: Jonathan Grace

***A total of 36 cars are set for Sunday’s Monterey SportsCar Championship, the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, in what marks the first two-hour and 40-minute race of the season and a number of driver changes since the last event on the streets of Long Beach.

***Frederik Vesti will make his first sprint race start in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, subbing for Earl Bamber, who is one of several regular WeatherTech Championship drivers on duty in the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.

***Action Express, which finished fourth at Long Beach, is seeking its 100th IMSA podium this weekend, and was one of several teams to test on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit that was repaved in June 2023.

***AXR race strategist Peter Baron said: “We had planned to go to Watkins Glen in May, but with our Le Mans invitation we had to move that around. Laguna Seca is a critical track for us with understanding the newer surface, so we’re curious what happens with the track with another year of seasoning on it.”

***McLaren factory driver on loan, Marvin Kirchhofer, is subbing for Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in GTD Pro, as Barnicoat continues his recovery from a mountain biking accident in the build-up to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. Sportscar365 understands that Barnicoat could be back behind the wheel for the next round in Detroit.

***Darren Turner, meanwhile, is subbing for the WEC-bound Tom Gamble in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo alongside Casper Stevenson. Turner, who drives for the team in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS full-time this year, said he’s excited for the “extra race” in what will mark the Englishman’s first start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca since 2013.

***Turner has credited the Ian James-led Heart of Racing squad for getting him “back into actually really loving racing again” after several challenging years with full-season deals falling through.

***He said: “That might sound a bit weird, but there’s a period when you’re sort of a top dog and you you’re the guy that’s sort of at the front of the team and then the next generation wave of drivers come through and it’s quite a hard transition for drivers to get their head around and actually going out and having no pressure that I had when I joined at Heart of Racing was a really good thing. It just reinvigorated myself and I’ve not looked back since then.”

***Sportscar365 understands that Roman De Angelis is likely to return to the GTD ranks for the round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the second clashing WeatherTech Championship/WEC weekend of the year, as the GTP class is not part of the race North of the Border.

***Riccardo Agostini, who is fresh off LMGT3 class victory in last weekend’s European Le Mans Series round at Paul Ricard, is making his first WeatherTech Championship sprint race start, in the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside Onofrio Triarsi. Agostini was part of AF Corse’s lineup for this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and last drove for the Florida-based Triarsi team at the six-hour Battle on the Bricks last year.

***The No. 023 entry, which was originally entered for the Michelin Endurance Cup races only, joins the team’s season-long No. 021 Ferrari of Sheena Monk and Stevan McAleer. “I’m happy to be back in America with Triarsi Competizione,” said Agostini. “I know Onofrio is an excellent Silver-rated driver, and together we can aim high.”

***The other notable change since Long Beach is confirmation of Alec Udell in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the remainder of the sprint season alongside Robert Wickens, who made his GTD class debut last time out. Udell was already set to contest the full Endurance Cup season with the David Askew-owned team.

***Laguna Seca also marks three livery changes in GTD Pro, with Pfaff Motorsports running a fan-voted Motul-themed design on its Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 and AO Racing switching from a green to pink-colored Porsche 911 GT3 R for ‘Roxy’ the dinosaur, as well as new colors on DragonSpeed’s Ferrari that are set to be unveiled on Friday.

***The factory-backed Corvettes, meanwhile, have returned to its traditional yellow colors after special Mobil 1 liveries at Sebring.

***Jenson Altzman is set to pull double duty for the first time, between WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge competition, with the Ford Performance Junior Team driver making his second start in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 alongside Robert Megennis, who is also entered in both races.

***While Megennis is in the No. 2 CSM Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, Altzman will be at the wheel of Mustangs in both series, teamed up with fellow Junior Team driver Sam Paley in the No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4, also in the GS class.

***Altzman said: “It’s nice to have my first race with Mustang GT3 under my belt. We’ve done a good amount of preparation since Long Beach, and now with the help of Ford Performance, Gradient Racing is feeling confident going into the weekend. I’m looking forward to my first regular length sprint race and pulling double duty in Michelin Pilot Challenge as well.”

***Eric Filgueiras received a late call-up to drive the No. 19 Unitronic/JDC Miller Motorsports Porsche GT4 entry in Pilot Challenge alongside Chris Miller in place of reigning TCR class co-champion Mikey Taylor, who is missing the round due to the birth of his son on Wednesday.

***In a statement on social media, Filgueiras said: “I’m looking forward to getting rolling with Chris and the entire team and happy to be back with the Porsche brand.” Filgueras notably won all three of his SRO America championships in Porsche machinery.

***WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca announced earlier this week a multi-year naming rights sponsorship of the circuit’s ‘tire bridge’ between Turns 3 and 4 with Tire Rack, which also includes the title sponsorship of this weekend’s race.

***Porsche Cars North America, Inc., meanwhile, has become the ‘Official Car’ of Laguna Seca, replacing Lexus. Since 2011, Laguna Seca has been home to the Rennsport Reunion, the world’s largest ticketed gathering of Porsche enthusiasts. As part of the sponsorship, Porsche will support Friends of Laguna Seca in its commitment to revitalize the circuit and recreation area.

***Additionally, a Porsche Driving Center will also launch at the circuit next year. Customers will be able to choose from introductory courses, which start with the basics of vehicle control, through intermediate and advanced training for those seeking to sharpen existing skills.

***This weekend’s pace car is a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS with a livery reminiscent of the Porsche Penske RS Spyder that made its debut in the 2005 American Le Mans Series finale at Laguna Seca before going on to capture three consecutive LMP2 class titles.

***BMW M Team RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal celebrates 50 years of visits to Laguna Seca this year since his 1976 debut in Formula Atlantic. He’ll serve as grand marshal this weekend.

***Veteran sim racing commentator Arjuna Kankipati has joined the IMSA Radio team beginning with this weekend’s round. Kankipati will serve as the pit lane reporter, with John Hindhaugh and Ryan Myrehn in the Ford Performance global broadcast booth.

***The WeatherTech Championship has a single, 90-minute practice session on Friday, scheduled from 2:20-3:50 p.m. PST (5:20-6:50 p.m. EST). Pilot Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Mustang Challenge will all be out in action for practice and qualifying sessions as well.

Jonathan Grace contributed to this report