Porsche Penske Motorsport will field its two Porsche 963 vehicles with a retro livery at this weekend's StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship, the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The design, unveiled on Thursday, incorporates colors from Apple's rainbow logo and is a one-time appearance for the factory entries.
Livery and Historical Context
The livery pays homage to the Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935 K3 that competed in the 1980 IMSA GT season and carried Apple sponsorship. The 1980 model also competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new design is part of the inaugural 'IMSA Throwback' weekend, which encourages heritage-inspired car designs.
This is the second consecutive race where the Porsche 963s have featured Apple branding, following the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with Apple Music. The promotion coincides with Porsche's 75th anniversary in motorsport and Apple's 50th anniversary. Laguna Seca Raceway is located approximately 80 miles south of Apple Park, Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California.
Driver Lineups
- Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (France) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium)
- Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Julien Andlauer (France) and Felipe Nasr (Brazil)
- JDC-Miller MotorSports #5: Laurin Heinrich (Germany) and Tijmen van der Helm (Netherlands)
Other Porsche Entries
- AO Racing will field a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD Pro class with a special "Sketchy" livery, driven by Nick Tandy and Harry King.
- Wright Motorsports will enter a Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class, driven by Adam Adelson and Callum Ilott.
Championship Context
After three rounds, the No. 7 Porsche entry of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer leads the GTP standings. The sister No. 6 entry of Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre is in fourth place.
Race Details
The two-hour and 40-minute race takes place this weekend at Laguna Seca.
Statements
"This collaboration celebrates a shared passion for innovation and creativity." — Oliver Schusser, Apple Vice President of Music, Sports and Beats
"Both Porsche and Apple stand for innovation and continuous development." — Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche Motorsport Vice President
"The Laguna Seca circuit suits the team and the car well, and a two-day test in April provided valuable data." — Urs Kuratle, Head of Works Motorsport LMDh