Pilot Challenge Set for Final Laguna Seca Outing, For Now

Photo: Perry Nelson/IMSA

For IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competitors, particularly those with California ties, this year’s trip to Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will mean more.

The series schedule will shift away from the West Coast, as a return to Lime Rock Park in September means Laguna Seca will drop off the Pilot Challenge calendar after this season. That adds extra incentive for those California drivers and teams to make this year’s race in Monterey memorable.

There are 13 Californian drivers, all in GS, and three California-based teams among the 45 cars (31 in GS, 14 in TCR) on the entry list.

One entry off to a strong start is the lone GS entry featuring two California residents on a California-based team, which features primarily California crew members.

Sonoma, Calif.-based Stephen Cameron Racing’s No. 19 Ford Mustang GT4 of Palo Alto’s Sean Quinlan and San Francisco’s Gregory Liefooghe is keen to improve on some strong early-season results.

The No. 19 orange and purple Mustang survived the chaotic start to the last race at Sebring and banked its second top-10 finish in as many races to start the year. With finishes of eighth and seventh, Quinlan and Liefooghe enter Monterey sixth in points.

Two other teams that have won at Monterey are based in California, as well. Rohnert Park, Calif.’s Murillo Racing features Santa Rosa’s Kenny Murillo driving alongside wife Aurora Straus in the team’s No. 24 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. Murillo won there in 2023 in GS.

San Francisco-based CarBahn by Peregrine Racing has multiple Californians in its two BMW M4 GT4 EVOs with Steve Wetterau (No. 37) from Newport Beach and Sean McAlister (No. 39) from Beverly Hills. CarBahn won at Monterey in 2020 with Jeff Westphal and Tyler McQuarrie.

There’s a bevy of other Californians in GS, too.

Thomas Merrill (Salinas) is one of WeatherTech Raceway’s most experienced drivers and looks to add another podium to his Daytona opener in the No. 14 Circle H Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo he shares with David Hampton.

Jaxon Bell of Pacific Palisades races here in his No. 23 Koch-Copeland Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 with Ford Koch.

Heart of Racing Team’s Hannah Grisham (No. 26 Aston Martin) hails from Glendora, LAP Motorsports’ Clayton Williams (No. 30 Ford) is from Oakley,

Bob Michaelian is from Seal Beach in his No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford, Allen Patten is from San Jose in his No. 66 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin,

Lucas Weisenberg is from Orange in his No. 67 BSI Racing Toyota, and 2026-27 IMSA 3D Scholarship recipient Nicky Hays hails from Huntington Beach in his No. 92 Random Vandals Racing BMW.

It’s not a Californian leading the GS points after two races – it’s actually Texan Bryce Ward and Dutchman Daan Arrow – in the team’s No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with two podiums in two starts.

Winward is a past Monterey GS winner too, in 2019 with Russell Ward and Dominik Baumann.

The elder Ward and Arrow lead Turner Motorsport’s Dillon Machavern and Luca Mars by 40 points, AutoTechnic Racing’s Austin Krainz and Stevan McAleer by 100, Sebring winners Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper of Ibiza Farm Motorsport and McCumbee McAleer Racing’s Robert Noaker and Nate Cicero by 140, and the aforementioned Quinlan and Liefooghe by 150.

TCR sees Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi out front in their No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR by 40 points over three different pairings: Sebring winners Franco Girolami and Tyler Gonzalez (Victor Gonzalez Racing), Lance Bergstein and defending TCR champion Harry Gottsacker (BHA) and Madison Aust and past TCR champion Mark Wilkins (BHA).

Pilot Challenge teams will have a busy Friday with two practice sessions before qualifying.

The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 will go green on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. PT) with live streaming flag-to-flag on Peacock and on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel, commercial free courtesy of Michelin.

Source: Sports Car 365