Porsche Paradise: Rennsport Reunion VI
Starting this Thursday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is the return of Rennsport. The Rennsport Reunion VI returns to the rolling hills of Salinas in what will be a full sensory overload of all things Porsche. It is a living and breathing display of Porsche history for four full days that will by all predictions, rival and surpass anything in the automotive and motorsports world. We covered the last Rennsport Reunion back in 2015 and were blown away at the size and atmosphere of the event. We live and breath cars and car culture, but we left the last one in utter silence taking days to process what we witnessed. It was so much we wrote about it in two separate post here and here.
This time around, Rennsport could be even bigger, if that’s even possible. This year is also the 70th anniversary of the brand, creating what is sure to be additional motivation to make it an unforgettable weekend. The theme this year is “Marque of Champions” which will highlight the legends of the brand: championship-winning Porsche race cars, the engineers who designed them and the men who drove them to victories around the world. Approximately 50 legendary drivers, 500 historic and customer cars, including 350 cars in competition, and the full Porsche Factory racing team will be in attendance. As a highlight, the original 356 “No. 1” Roadster will be on display, giving all Porsche enthusiasts a look at the car whose shape, dynamic design, and lightweight construction has inspired all Porsche sports cars.
This year will also feature a historic line up of Porsche drivers. Hurley Haywood, the most successful American endurance driver ever; Brian Redman, co-creator of Porsche Rennsport Reunion and racing driver extraordinaire, Vic Elford, who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his legendary 1968 season, Norbert Singer, lead engineer known as the father of the Porsche 962 as well as the man behind the Carrera GT V10 engine; and Jacky Ickx, six-time Le Mans winner. Overall, there will be 50-plus legendary drivers on hand.
Twelve current Factory Drivers will also be at the Monterey track, including Patrick Long, Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro winning trio of Kévin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Michael Christensen.
Porsche will also demonstrate something unexpected, Tractors. Porsche manufactured tractors until 1963 in partnership with industrial firm Mannesman, and on Saturday and Sunday two Porsche tractors will take to the track, Le Mans style as drivers will run to their tractors and start the engines in a race over the first five corners of the track. The race is expected to take 15 minutes.
We will bring you sights and sounds from that snails paced spectacle and from any others that happen over the weekend. Stay tuned on our Facebook and Instagram pages if you want to follow along. We will bring you all the Porsche action we can this weekend and in the weeks to follow.
Schedule:
FRIDAY, September 28, 2018
7:00am Gates Open
7:00am - 5:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside 8:00am - 8:25am Practice Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup
8:35am - 9:00am Practice Group 7 - Flacht Cup
9:10am - 9:35am Practice Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup
9:45am - 10:15am 919 Exhibition Laps
10:15am - 10:40am 917 Exhibition Laps
10:50am - 11:15am Practice Group 3 - Eifel Trophy
11:25am - 11:50am Practice Group 2 - Werks Trophy
11:50pm - 12:55pm LUNCH
12:00pm - 12:20pm PCA Parade Lap (120)
12:20pm - 12:45pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps
12:55pm - 1:20pm Practice Group 4 - Weissach Cup
1:30pm - 1:55pm Practice Group 5 - Gmund Cup
2:00pm - 2:20pm 918, 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps
2:20pm - 2:45pm Practice Group 7 - Flacht Cup
2:55pm - 3:20pm Practice Group 3 - Eifel Trophy
3:25pm - 3:45pm Parade/Exhibition laps of Porsche Racing History
3:45pm - 5:45pm Concours on Pit Lane
4:00pm - 5:30pm Photo & Video track time
SATURDAY, September 29, 2018
7:00am Gates Open
7:00am - 5:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside
8:00am - 8:25am Qualifying Race Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup
8:35am - 9:00am Qualifying Race Group 5 - Gmund Cup
9:10am - 9:35am Qualifying Race Group 4 - Weissach Cup
9:35am - 10:20am 919 Exhibition Laps
10:20pm - 10:45am Practice Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup
10:50am - 11:10am 918, 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps
11:15am - 11:40pm Qualifying Race Group 3 - Eifel Trophy
11:50am - 12:15pm Qualifying Race Group 2 - Werks Trophy
12:15pm - 1:55pm LUNCH
12:25pm - 12:50pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps
12:50pm - 1:10pm PCA Parade Laps (120)
1:15pm - 1:45pm Tractor Race
1:55pm - 2:20pm Qualifying Race Group 7 - Flacht Cup
2:25pm - 2:45pm 959 Gathering, R Gruppe & 356 Outlaw Parade Laps
2:50pm - 3:15pm Qualifying Race Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup
3:20pm - 3:40 pm Parade/Exhibition laps of Porsche Racing History 3:40pm Pre Race
3:45pm - 4:10pm RACE Group 3 - EIEFEL TROPHY
4:20pm - 4:45pm RACE Group 2 - WERKS Trophy
4:55pm - 5:15pm 917 Exhibition Laps
5:30pm - 6:10pm Photo & Video track time
SUNDAY, September 30, 2018
7:00am Gates Open
7:00am - 12:00pm Registration: Embassy Suites, Seaside
8:00am - 8:25am Warm-up Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup
8:35am - 9:00am Warm-up Group 5 - Gmund CUP
9:00am - 9:20am PCA Parade Laps (120)
9:25am - 9:50am Warm-up Group - 4 Weissach Cup
10:00am - 10:25am Warm-up Group 7 - Flacht Cup
10:25am - 10:45am Parade/Exhibition of Porsche Racing
10:45am - 11:10am Warm-up Group 6 - Stuttgart Cup
11:10am - 11:35am 959 Gathering, R Gruppe & 356 Outlaw Parade Laps
11:35am - 12:00pm RACE Group 1 - PCA Sholar-Friedman Cup
12:05pm - 12:30pm 911RSR Exhibition Laps
12:10pm Podium, Race Group 1, 2, 3
12:30pm - 1:00pm 919 Exhibition Laps
1:00pm - 2:20pm LUNCH
1:10pm - 1:35pm 917 Exhibition Laps
1:40pm - 2:10pm Tractor Races
2:25pm Pre Race
2:30pm - 2:55pm RACE Group 4 - WEISSACH CUP
3:05pm - 3:30pm RACE Group 5 - GMUND TROPHY
3:35pm - 4:00pm 918 911R & GT2RS Parade Laps
4:05pm - 4:30pm RACE Group 6 - STUTTGART CUP
4:30pm - 5:00pm Photo & Video track time
4:45pm Podium, Race Group 4, 5, 6
5:00pm - 5:25pm RACE Group 7 - Flacht Cup
5:35pm Podium, Race Group 7
