Porsche, BMW GTPs Slowed in Laguna Seca BoP

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

The Porsche 963 and BMW M Hybrid V8 have both received Balance of Performance hits ahead of next weekend’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Confirmed in the latest Balance of Performance issued by IMSA on Wednesday, the Porsche 963, which has been so far undefeated in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition this year, has been given a hefty 11 kW (14.7 hp) reduction in first-stage power.

While it remains at the same 1049 kg minimum weight as run in Long Beach, the second-stage power has been increased by 0.5 percent.

This compares to the BMW, which gets 6 kg of additional weight, a 5 kW (6.7 hp) increase in first-stage power but a 2.7 percent decrease in top-end power.

Both the Acura ARX-06 AND Aston Martin Valkyries, meanwhile, have received 8 kg weight breaks, along with increases in first-stage power, to the tune of 7 kW/9.38 hp (Acura) and 13 kw/17.4 hp (Aston). Both, however, receive reductions in second-stage, at -3.7 percent and -3.3 percent, respectively, compared to the most recent round at Long Beach.

The Cadillac V-Series.R, meanwhile, remains the most stable in BoP, with its getting only a 3 kg increase in weight and a 1 kW (1.3 hp) boost in first-stage power, at speeds below 190 km/h.

The speed threshold between V1 (first stage) and V2 (second stage) power levels has been adjusted to 190 and 200 km/h, respectively, from 230 to 240 km/h that was used in the first three WeatherTech Championship races.

The same revised thresholds have been implemented for GTD Pro and GTD competitors, with seven of the nine GT3-spec cars undergoing minimum weight adjustments since Long Beach, along with power adjustments for all cars except the Porsche 911 GT3 R at V2 levels.