Laguna Seca 240 - Street Tuner Class -2017

A Mini chases a Porsche Cayman into Turn Six during the four hour race.

This is the second of two blogposts on the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 240 which is part of the Continental Tyre SportsCar Challenge series.  It was a four hour race and this post concentrates on the Street Tuner class. The ST or Street Tuner class is for four and six cylinder production models with just minor modifications.  The cars have up to 280 bhp and are capable of up to 155 mph.  I spent the four hour race walking around the entire circuit and took pictures from every conceivable spot accessible to the paying public, so I hope you enjoy the variety of shots.

The ST cars come around onto the start/finish straight for their rolling start and the green flag.  The field featured cars from Audi, Porsche, Mazda, Nissan and BMW.

A GS class McLaren mixing it with the ST class Mazdas and Mini at the Andretti Hairpin.

A BMW 228i chases a Mini JCW out of turn six.

The Street Tuner cars exit the famous Corkscrew.

Some of the same group continue the battle a few laps later at Turn Eleven.

A view up the start finish straight.

A wide angle view of the Andretti Hairpin during a pace car period.

A view of turn six and up the hill towards turn seven and the Corkscrew.

A view from the inside of turn six as a Porsche Cayman races by.

The Podium

The podium with the drivers of the Street Tuner Class.   Note Liam Dwyer, second from left.  He lost his leg in Afghanistan but now races cars!   True Marine grit. 

The Top Three Cars

The winning Audi S3 exits Turn Five.  It was driven by Roy Block and Pierre Kleiubing.

The second placed Mazda MX-5 of Andrew Carbonell and Liam Dwyer.

The third placed Nissan Altima of Sarah Cattaneo and Owen Trinkler.

The battle for the podium positions
After the last caution the battle got interesting!

The Mazda nips up the inside of the Nissan at Turn Eleven.

For the Grand Sport class, click here.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

The winning car awaits scrutineering in the IMSA Inspection tent.

Laguna Seca 240 - Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge 2017 - Grand Sport

A McLaren 570S GT4 entering the fast and tricky turn six during the four hour race.  The No.69 car eventually finished seventh.

The feature race on Saturday of the Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix weekend was a four hour race around the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca for sports cars from manufacturers worldwide featuring cars straight from the showroom racing against cars with minor modifications.  This blogpost features the GS or Grand Sport cars which are essentially cars complying with international GT4 specifications.  It is the first season of GT4 regulations in the GS class of the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series.  The race contained cars from McLaren, Aston Martin, Porsche, Maserati and Ford.  A great field and one that really respects the origin of sports car racing.  There was also a lot of close racing action and incidents that kept us entertained the whole race.

The cars come onto the start / finish straight for the rolling start and green flag.  It is Aston Martin vs McLaren at the front of the field. 

End of lap one at turn eleven and Aston Martin leads from McLaren, Ford and a whole bunch of Porsches.

Later on the Gregory Milzcik/Brandon Davis Aston Martin gets beached in the gravel at Turn 8 - the Corkscrew.

Maserati leading McLaren at the Corkscrew.

The Results at the end of the four hour race.
The top six cars overall and in the Grans Sport class.

1st - Automatic Racing, Al Carter/Steven Phillips, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, 137 laps.

The winning Aston Martin chasing the pack at the Andretti Hairpin early in the race after a spin.

2nd - Bodymotion Racing, Cameron Cassels/Trent Hndman, Porsche Cayman GT4 CS, 137 laps.

The second placed Porsche chases an ST class Mazda through Turn Four.

3rd - KohR Motorsports, Jack Roush Jnr/N.Stacy/S.Maxwell, Ford Mustang GT4, 137 laps.

The third placed Ford Mustang on the entry to the Andretti Hairpin.

4th - RS1, Dylan Murcott/Dillon Machavern, Porsche Cayman GT4 CS MR, 137 laps.

The fourth placed Porsche lapping an ST class Audi on the entry to the Rainey Curve.

5th - C360R, Mathew Keegan/Nico Rondet, McLaren 570S GT4, 137 laps.

The fifth placed McLaren cuts the apex in the Rainey Curve.

6th - CJ Wilson Racing, Russel Ward/Damien Faulkner, Porsche Cayman GT4 CS, 137 laps.

The No.35 car took sixth despite this spin at turn eleven.

The Podium

The Grand Sport Podium.

John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost.  However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.

John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.

Action at turn five with a McLaren overtaking a Porsche.