IMSA prepares for a 'masterclass' at Laguna Seca
To win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, it takes "no excuses," and as Bobby Rahal narrates, drivers are in for a "masterclass" at the IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship.
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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
How to watch 2025 IMSA Laguna Seca on NBC, Peacock: Streaming info, start times and daily schedules
Bobby Rahal is getting using to his BMW 8 Hybrid V8 cars being at the forefront of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this season. So it's fitting the U.S. auto racing legend will kick things off for the Monterey SportsCar Championship on Sunday, May 11. Advertisement Rahal will be the grand marshal for the fourth round of the IMSA season, giving the command to start engines for two-hour, 40-minute race (3 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock) around the historic road course on the Montnerey Peninsula. "It's a great honor and privilege to be the grand marshal at obviously what is one of my favorite tracks," said Rahal, who made his Laguna Seca debut in 1976 with a Formula Atlantic race. "There's been a lot of success here, both as a driver and as an owner. It's a real thrill to have part of the racetrack named after you. Going out to Laguna, one of the crown jewels really of American road racing circuits, it was a thrill then, and it's a thrill even today." IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship The straightaway at Laguna Seca leading to its famous Corkscrew turn was renamed more than a decade ago in honor of Rahal, who will be at the track on multiple race weekends in 2025 with his IndyCar and IMSA teams. Advertisement It's been a swift start for the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8, which has won the Grand Touring Prototype pole position in three consectuive races with driver Dries Vanthoor to start the 2025 season. After lagging through the first two years of IMSA's revamped premier hybirid prototype category, Rahal's cars have improved in a critical season. But some driver, team and tactical errors have contributed to an absence from vcitory lane as the Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 7 963 has swept the first three races. "Unfortunately, we haven't been able quite put it all together," said Rahal, who hinted the BMW teams have tweaked their pit stops for Laguna Seca. "Come race day, we've had on-track, but lapped traffic at Daytona and Sebring hurt our chances at the end of the race. Looking at Long Beach, we got held up in the pits a little bit and that's all it took, I'm afraid. IMSA Long Beach results, points: Nasr, Tandy stay perfect for Porsche Penske in 2025 season Advertisement The No. 7 963 has won the first three IMSA races this year. "So, we've got to hopefully complete the job this time around. We were pretty quick there last year, so we have a reasonable chance. ... We've learned more about the car this year. The Laguna track, especially since they repaved it (in 2023), that's kind of come into our wheelhouse a bit." There is a sense of urgency for Rahal, whose sports car teams have been racing BMWs in GT and prototype classes since 2008. It's a contract year for RLL with the German manufacturer, and multiple outlets have reported that BMW has been considering options with other teams for 2026. "I don't want to get into the specifics of that, but we're obviously hoping to continue this long relationship that we've had with BMW that's dated back to 2008," Rahal said. "I know you see some of these articles and a lot of guessing and a lot of speculation, but there's three quarters of the season left. For us and BMW Motorsport, it's the same thing. Everybody's just really focused on this coming race and the race after that and after that and after that. Auto Racing: Rolex 24 At Daytona What's next for Felipe Nasr after second Daytona dandy? Le Mans awaits ... and maybe more Advertisement With a win in France, the Porsche Penske Motorsport star could earn history and a career springboard. "We go win some races, and that solves a lot of problems. So that's what we're intending to do." But the competition is very stiff in IMSA's top class, which will feature 11 entries and five manufacturers at Laguna Seca. Acura, Cadillac and Aston Martin will be battling BMW to detrhone the unbeaten Porsche. "It speaks volumes about IMSA the number of manufacturers that are involved in all classes," Rahal said. "It's phenomenal how many of all types are involved in in sports car racing and IMSA today compared to years ago. And the complexity of these cars is, in some respects, they may be more complex than a Formula 1 car. It's just at a different level. Advertisement "I think the GTP category but IMSA as a whole is just in a phenomenal place right now, and we haven't seen anything like this maybe ever." Here are the start times, daily schedules and streaming info for the 2025 IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca: 2025 IMSA Laguna Seca SportsCar Championship WHEN: Sunday, May 11 at 3 p.m. DISTANCE: A two-hour, 40-minute race on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course in Monterey, Califiornia. FORECAST: According to Weather Underground, it's expected to be 47 degrees with a 4% chance of rain at the green flag. ENTRY LIST: Click here to see the 36-car field in the GTP, GTD Pro and GTD classes for the 2025 IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca. How to Watch IMSA at Laguna Seca TV/STREAMING: The Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock from flag to flag beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 11. Advertisement The NBC Sports broadcast will feature announcers Brian Till and Calvin Fish. Dave Burns, Chris Wilner and Matt Yocum are the pit reporters. RADIO: All sessions live on SiriusXM live race coverage begins May 11 at 3 p.m. (SiriusXM channel 206, Web/App 996) IMSA Laguna Seca SportsCar schedule, start times Here's a rundown of the IMSA schedule this week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (all times are ET): Friday, May 9 11:25-11:45 a.m.: Mustang Challenge practice 12:10-1:10 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice 1:25-2:10 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo practice 3:10-3:40 p.m.: Mustang Challenge practice 4-5 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice 5:20-6:50 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 7:10-7:55 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo practice 8:10-8:25 p.m.: Mustang Challenge qualifying 8:40-9:15 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying Saturday, May 10 11-11:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo qualifying 11:50 a.m.-12:35 p.m.: Mustang Challenge Race 1 (Peacock) 12:55-2:25 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 3:45-5:45 p.m.: Michelinn Pilot Challenge WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 (Peacock) 6:15-7:25 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying (Peacock) 7:45-8:35 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 1 (Peacock) Advertisement Sunday, May 11 11:25 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Mustang Challenge Race 2 (Peacock) 12:35-1:25 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 2 (Peacock) 3:10-5:50 p.m.: Monterey SportsCar Championship (NBC, Peacock) 2025 SEASON RECAPS ROUND 1: Porsche Penske's Felipe Nasr closes Rolex 24 at Daytona win for second conseuctive year ROUND 2: Porsche Penske Motorsport sweeps top two spots at Twelve Hours of Sebring ROUND 3: Nasr, Tandy stay perfect with Porsche in victory at Long Beach
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Fox News
What happens when the ‘iconic' Indy 500 Borg-Warner Trophy runs out of room?
Bruce MartinSpecial to INDIANAPOLIS — When the Borg-Warner Trophy appeared for the first time in Victory Lane after the 1936 Indianapolis 500, it had plenty of room on the original trophy to display the faces of the winning drivers, beginning with Ray Harroun in 1911. But it ran out of room on the original trophy after Bobby Rahal won the Indianapolis 500 in 1986. The solution was to mount the 80-pound, 4-foot-tall trophy on an additional base, beginning with the 1987 Indianapolis 500. Rahal was the last driver's face on the original trophy and Al Unser the first on the base after he won his fourth Indy 500 in 1987. Today, the Borg-Warner Trophy is 110-pounds and 5-foot-four-inches-and-three-quarters tall. As each Indianapolis 500 has passed and more winners have been added to the base of the trophy, it will once again run out of space in 2034. BorgWarner's creative team is working on a solution when the base fills up with the addition of a second base that will feature the winner of the 2035 Indianapolis 500 as its first face. "We're still throwing that around — what the second base is going to look like. But the last time we did this, we added on a complete additional base, which makes the trophy stand even taller, allowing for many more faces to come," BorgWarner CEO Joseph Fadool said Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "Between now and then, we'll figure out the right approach to do it or maybe something a little bit different. "The unique thing over time, the trophy actually grows in size and stature and importance, so I think it's just fitting for the importance of Indy." The Borg-Warner Trophy is really a measurement of time and the history of the Indianapolis 500. Each face represents a different tale, a different era and a glimpse back in time. "What a great way to put that," Fadool said. "As we talked about, the trophy is growing in stature, growing physically, becoming even more important over time and just represents excellence and teamwork, which is all that takes to win this race. "We're just proud to be a part of it, and I know all of our BorgWarner employees just love to be a part of this INDYCAR Series, especially here at the Indianapolis 500." It all began back in 1935. Before the Borg-Warner Trophy, there was the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy. It was initially awarded to the leader of the race at the 400-mile mark. It was retired when owner Harry Hartz won it three times. The Borg-Warner Trophy was commissioned in 1935 and officially became the annual prize for Indianapolis 500 victors in 1936. The Art Deco design of the Borg-Warner Trophy includes wings on the side that symbolize the speed of flight. But the most unique feature was the sculpted faces representing each of the 24 drivers who had already won the race when the trophy debuted in 1936. The driver that won it that day was Louie Meyer, the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. As the new Borg-Warner Trophy was placed on the back of his winning race car, Meyer asked for a cold bottle of buttermilk, becoming the first driver to have milk as his victory celebration after winning the Indianapolis 500. Two great traditions were created on the same day in 1936. Since then, every race winner has had his face added to this iconic trophy, which has become the symbol for reaching the pinnacle of performance. Winners do not get to take the Borg-Warner Trophy home. It stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Winning drivers and team owners receive a sterling silver replica of the trophy which is fondly referred to as the Baby Borg. After the winner's sterling silver image is attached to the main trophy, a replica image is attached to the Baby Borg's lacquered wood base. William Behrends has been sculpting the faces of the Indy 500 winners since 1990. The 2024 winner, Josef Newgarden, was the 35th face he has sculpted for the trophy. Behrends, who began sculpting when he was 26 years old, has been commissioned to immortalize a wide variety of subjects. Those subjects include Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays, automotive pioneer Henry Ford II, golf legend Bobby Jones, and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall, who was Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835. Behrends grew up in Wisconsin and has always had a special place in his heart for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." "Growing up in the Midwest, I was always aware of the Indianapolis 500," Behrends said. "The first race I really noticed was 1963 when Parnelli (Jones) won. I was really fascinated by him and that win stuck in my memory. "Each year I look forward to working with the Indy 500 winner to capture his emotions and spirit so they can be part of the Borg-Warner Trophy for years and years to come." Then, there is the tale of Jack Mackenzie, who was once the caretaker of the Borg-Warner Trophy. Mackenzie was a student at Butler University in Indianapolis when he became the caretaker of the trophy in 1953. He earned $75 for his first year in that role and was responsible for transporting the trophy to various events throughout the month of May. Mackenzie stored the 80-pound sterling silver trophy in his dorm room at his fraternity house. He hauled it around town in the backseat of his car, often covering it with an army blanket for added security. Despite his best efforts, the trophy once vanished from his room in the fraternity house. Mackenzie said when he returned home from a date, the Borg-Warner Trophy was missing. He eventually found it in the basement of his fraternity house where it was being used as an impromptu drinking vessel. Mackenzie relinquished his trophy duties following the 1983 Indianapolis 500 saying at the time, "I've had my fun, I've enjoyed going to all the different activities associated with the speedway. It's time to let somebody else have some fun." The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has maintained control of the Borg-Warner Trophy ever since. "It's something all the drivers look forward to having their face on if they can win the Indianapolis 500," Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR President Doug Boles said. Bruce Martin is a veteran motorsports writer and contributor to Follow him on X at @BruceMartin_500. BEST OF FOX SPORTS' INDY 500 COVERAGE:
NBC Sports
09-05-2025
- NBC Sports
IMSA prepares for a 'masterclass' at Laguna Seca
To win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, it takes "no excuses," and as Bobby Rahal narrates, drivers are in for a "masterclass" at the IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship.
