IMSA at Laguna Seca

After controversy in Long Beach between Porsche and Corvette, we go to yet another historic track on the calendar. Laguna Seca. Will the Wayne Taylor team get two wins in a row? Or will their rivals Action Express take the glory?

Do Corvette and Porsche have any tension left? Or will we see a new make join the winners circle for 2016.

(These races are split into 2 races due to lack of pit stalls)

P, GTLM 2:00 P.M. ET FS1
PC, GTD 6:30 P.M. ET FS2

Should be an interesting race. Corvette is off to a great start to the season but Porsche looks strong as well, and Ford, BMW, and Ferrari want to get their first wins with new cars. GTD will be wide open as usual and will see a new entry, LoneStar Racing with a Viper. TRG returns after skipping Sebring, and the driver lineup of the #11 Lamborghini (which merged into Change Racing earlier this year) is TBA.

The Lamborghinis will be hard to beat, but I would imagine that Alex Job Racing, Black Swan, and Park Place will put up a fight, as well the Audis from Stevenson and Magnus.

JDC Miller has been on a roll in PC, but CORE will be trying to take back their crown. And in Prototype, the Corvettes will be tough to beat, but this is a good track for P2s, and Michael Shank's Ligier and the Mazdas could be a factor.

MSR's car would win....but they have John Pew. BMW usually gets a win in the middle of the season, so as of right now, I see a Vette taking it in GTLM. GTD is mighty competitive this year. It's been a blast to watch

Michael Shank Racing finally returns to victory lane with flawless performances in the DP category by co-drivers Oswaldo Negri, Jr. and John Pew. Negri, Jr. took the lead from the DeltaWing with a bold move to the inside of the final corner shortly before the halfway point, and the #60 went virtually unopposed from their. I've rooted for the #60 car ever since its most recent win (the 2012 Rolex 24), so that made the race that much better for me personally! Also, car #90 started from the pit lane (and served a subsequent drive-through on lap 2), but came back to finish in 2nd-place. Meanwhile, the #5 Action Express car spun off of turn 10 after an aggressive battle between Christian Fittipaldi and the #70 Mazda got out of hand. Car #5 retains the Prototype points lead, but only by three markers over its teammate; the #31.

On track at the same time as the Prototype cars, the GT Le Mans race was a fight between the #68 Ferrari 488 for Scuderia Corsa and the #67 Ford GT for Ganassi. At the end of the race it was Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook scoring the first win for the new GT in only the fourth race for the new Ganassi GTLM program! All the while, the Corvettes and the 911s slugged it out not too far behind them, with a few instances of them running each other into the sand. The #912 eventually beat the #3 for the final podium position.

The evening race saw the PR1/Mathiasen #52 of Robert Alon and Tom Kimber-Smith lead the second half of the event in Prototype Challenge, although the Starworks #8 car of van der Zande and Popow came out of nowhere in the closing minutes. The #8 challenged for the lead with the help of some GTD traffic only to watch the #52 pull away again en route to scoring the victory.

The Alex Job #23 Porsche took the win in GT Daytona, driven by Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas. Scuderia Corsa finished in the runner-up position for the second time in one afternoon, with their #63 Ferrari 458 of Nielsen and Balzan.

Throughout the TV coverage of both races, it seemed that there was always close racing to watch (and I imagine that there were a lot more battles to follow for the fans who were at the track in person). I know that double-headers take a lot more time to run and to cover, but it makes it easier to focus on only two fields and, to me, made each race more enjoyable!

The next race is at Belle Isle Park on June 4, where the field minus the GTLM cars will be racing for a 100-minute event.