Strolling across the IMSA paddock with a sports activities automotive legend like Patrick Lengthy is an train in fascinating endurance. Although the two-time Le Mans class profitable, three-time ALMS championship-winning Porsche manufacturing unit driver is 4 years post-retirement, it’s like Lengthy by no means left racing. Followers, former teammates, and outdated colleagues all cease and chat, and Lengthy has time for all of them, even beneath the blazing Lengthy Seashore solar. He’s a hero from the golden period of sports activities automotive racing, somebody who has etched their title into historical past, and might see precisely how the game has advanced for the reason that period of ALMS.
“The extent has gotten so excessive with this period of kids. It’s nearly a given to be quick,” Lengthy remarked. I had simply began asking him in regards to the specifics of driving a contemporary GTD automotive when AO Racing crew principal Gunnar Jeannette stopped him for a chat. As soon as he was finished, he continued. “It’s nonetheless knowledge versus information that makes the distinction in a driver’s profession.”
A glance within the sideview mirror of the GTD Rexy at Lengthy Seashore, 2025
Photograph by: Porsche
Knowledge versus information is an fascinating level for the present period of GT racing. With simulators changing into extremely standard and extremely correct, driving method, knowledge science, and testing time is democratized for all. The educational curve is shortened significantly, and drivers can present up and stand up to hurry faster than ever, studying the observe from laser-scanned fashions of tracks and vehicles. Lengthy contends that this has introduced the ground a lot increased, but the ceiling of the true greats is a darkish artwork.
Journey by Porsche’s paddocks
Lengthy guided me by the Porsche groups within the paddock: Wright Motorsports and AO Racing with the 911 GT3R for GTD, Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) and JDC Miller with the 963 for GTP. What I used to be most interested in was the variations between driving the 2 lessons of automotive, with the trendy FIA GT3 vehicles being a lot nearer to prototypes in suspension and general building, and the GTP vehicles being a lot heavier than the earlier IMSA DPi and FIA LMP1 rulesets. Having pushed each, Lengthy can clarify a few of the complexities of each.
“A contemporary GT3 automotive is so technologically superior. I keep in mind after I used to drive an H-pattern 996 RSR. Now, the suite of expertise obtainable to drivers makes the duty of optimizing a distinct sport. Motorsport ABS and traction management, for positive, however the suspension geometry is way much less street automotive than it was.” After I requested him what the 963 was like, he was the standard Lengthy humble. “I solely examined [the 963], so I can’t say that a lot. However it’s intense. It’s heavier, so its nearer to a GT automotive however nonetheless a distinct league.”
The #130 Wright Motorsports Porsche entry hugs the curbing forward of the #27 Coronary heart of Racing Aston Martin
Photograph by: Porsche
Wanting on the operations surrounding a contemporary race crew is startling. The quantity of transferring elements, folks, and logistics is greater than ever earlier than. Even for a buyer GT3 automotive, a full-time engineering employees should monitor the automotive, its well being, and on-track efficiency. Together with the drivers, engineers can micro-optimize the automotive all through the weekend and extract probably the most efficiency. The granularity is intense, with measurements being spoken of in tenths of a p.c. An oddity to think about is that minimal weight is taken with out the motive force, so driver weight makes a substantial distinction to lap time. Between the 2 Wright Motorsports teammates of Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer, a seven-tenths of a second distinction in lap time is essentially chalked as much as driver weight, which is why driver lineups in endurance racing are sometimes optimized in direction of lightness.
Wright’s operation is tight. A crew of mechanics checks alignment and different crucial automotive efficiency parts forward of each session to observe adjustments and quantify any variations in lap time. The automotive is ready cleanly and effectively, and drivers debrief always to offer suggestions in regards to the automotive. Nonetheless, it’s a far cry from the military that varieties PPM, who runs two field-leading 963s. The distinction is stark between the shopper JDC Miller crew, a “superb crew” in line with Lengthy, and the manufacturing unit PPM crew. The place JDC Miller runs a single 963 with a setup just like Wright and AO Racing, PPM is extra akin to a System 1 crew.
The place JDC Miller had a robust crew of mechanics, PPM had a military. The alignment rigging was made from carbon fiber, just because it might, and the PPM trailers have been all spotless as per Roger Penske’s request. Every automotive has a swarm of individuals checking and rechecking gadgets, clicking off checklists, and making adjustments to the automotive. It might appear to be chaos to the layperson, however is a fastidiously coordinated, factory-backed dance that has guided PPM to 3 consecutive victories this season, together with Lengthy Seashore.
The #6 and #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport vehicles on the streets of Lengthy Seashore
Photograph by: Porsche
Lengthy was as soon as a cog on this machine, and has seen the way it has advanced in IMSA. For the primary time shortly, prototypes are a real worldwide effort. Simply two years into the GTP/FIA LMDh ruleset, there have by no means been extra producers and top-level drivers heading to IMSA. I requested him if he ever regretted not pursuing a system profession, a-la Indycar or System 1 and he replied, “Sports activities automotive racing has handled me properly. I had a protracted profession, and I’m grateful for that. However the world of system racing and sports activities automotive racing are very completely different.” Educated followers will know that Lengthy was on the radar of Pink Bull in 2001 alongside Scott Pace. It was throughout that take a look at that Porsche discovered Lengthy, and the remaining is historical past.
I requested Lengthy if he might drive any automotive in his profession, what he would return to? With out lacking a beat, he reaffirmed what he mentioned earlier. “An H-pattern 996 RSR. That was my favourite.”
Learn Additionally:
On this article
Chris Rosales
IMSA
Patrick Lengthy
Wright Motorsports
JDC/Miller Motorsports
Porsche Penske Motorsport
AO Racing
Be the primary to know and subscribe for real-time information electronic mail updates on these matters
Subscribe to information alerts
