By Chadd Randall, USA Editor Pitlane-News
The 2025 edition of the TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship delivered an exciting, caution-free 2 hours and 40 minutes of multi-class racing on the 2.238-mile rollercoaster that is WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Falling on Mother’s Day weekend, the event served up a fierce showdown in IMSA's GTP and GT categories — and ended with a familiar trio atop the podium.
GTP: A Porsche Duel Becomes a Porsche Domination
The opening laps were electric, with Dries Vanthoor in the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 defending fiercely from the no.7 Penske Porsche of Felipe Nasr, who dove under the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 of Matt Campbell to take second in the early corners. Within the first 30 minutes, Nasr showcased blistering pace, pushing Vanthoor to the limit. The BMW held strong, until Nasr finally broke through with a daring outside move in Turn 5 to claim the lead.
Elsewhere, the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 Colin Bruan endured yet another rough outing. After dropping a wheel in Turn 6 and suffering rear-end contact from a Corvette at Turn 11, the wounded prototype limped to pit lane for extensive bodywork repairs after receiving a mechanical black flag from the officials. Then later received a drive through penalty for the team losing control of a changed tire during the pit stop.
At the front, strategy took center stage. With 56 minutes remaining, Matt Campbell's no.6 Penske Porsche 963 leapfrogged Nick Tandy in the No. 7 Porsche with a perfectly executed undercut during pit stops and driver changes which was possible because of early race issues that caused the no.6 Porsche to pit out of sequence early in the race. What followed was an all-out intra-team battle this time for pride and championship points.
For the no.6 Penske Porsche 963 winless but consistently close all season, The pressure to convert performance into victory had reached a boiling point. With half the season now behind, Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet needed to stand atop the podium or risk slipping further in the title hunt. And then came the fireworks.
With just six minutes to go, a nail-biting trio emerged: Jaminet leading, followed by Tandy and Vanthoor — all within a mere 1.283 seconds. On the final lap, it all came to a head. Vanthoor got a slingshot exit out of Turn 10, catching Tandy defending as the No. 7 Porsche got momentarily slowed behind a GTD-Pro backmarker the no.9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. The result? A wild three-wide charge into the final corner.
Contact was inevitable. Vanthoor, hung out wide on the outside, was forced off-track but managed to rejoin in third — salvaging a podium thanks to the healthy gap to fourth place. Tandy, muscling his way through the chaos, held on for second, boosting the championship lead for himself and Nasr.
At the flag, it was redemption for Campbell and Jaminet, who finally converted their speed and strategy into a well-deserved overall win — exactly as they had done in 2024.
GTD Pro: ROXY Roars to Victory
Giacomo Altoè, in his first Motul Pole Award-winning performance, led the GTD-Pro field early in the No. 81 Dragonspeed Ferrari 296 GT3, but Dan Harper in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW was slapped with a drive-through penalty after jumping out of formation before the start line. That opened the door for the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3R to take the lead with a bold undercut strategy.
From there, Laurin Heinrich, behind the wheel of the fan-favorite pink Porsche known as “ROXY”, laid down lap after lap of clean, dominant driving. His gap over the Ferrari grew to 10 seconds, and he and co-driver Klaus Bachler never looked back — clinching victory in GTD-Pro and continuing AO Racing’s stellar 2025 campaign.
GTD: Winward Wins With Control
In GTD, Winward Racing executed a textbook race. After claiming pole, the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Russell Ward and Philip Ellis stayed clear of the chaos that often plagues the multi-class fields. It was a calm and commanding drive to the checkered flag — a shining example of how staying out of trouble can be just as important as raw speed.
Final Thoughts
The 2025 TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship saw no cautions, but plenty of chaos — especially in the closing moments. For the No. 6 Penske Porsche squad, the win at Laguna Seca was not just a result — it was a statement. After months of playing second fiddle, Campbell and Jaminet are back in the championship hunt with a vengeance.
Meanwhile, Porsche power dominated both GTD-Pro and GTP, with Mercedes taking the GTD spoils. With the IMSA season now at its midpoint, the road to the title is narrowing — and the margins for error have never been slimmer.
Top Class Winners:
- GTP: No. 6 Porsche 963 – Matt Campbell / Mathieu Jaminet
- GTD-Pro: No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3R – Laurin Heinrich / Klaus Bachler
- GTD: No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG – Russell Ward / Philip Ellis
Stay tuned as the IMSA circus heads to Motown for a 100min. street circuit race where strategy, and surviving will once again be put to the test.
ARTICLE SPONSORED BY TOORACE
