A Short History of the Porsche Panamera

When you open up the history books, there isn’t a ton of dust when you turn the page to the Porsche Panamera. The Panamera is on the verge of its ten year anniversary release date, the accolades continue to pile up. If you’ve ever been behind the wheel of the four door sedan, you are familiar with the scenario of the Panamera turning heads just as often as one turns corners. As the Panamera reaches its Ten Year Challenge, we look back at some amazing moments in the popular Porsche’s rise to fame.

For a look at all 2018 Porsche Panamera Inventory visit us at Porsche Dallas or Porsche Grapevine.

2010 Porsche Panamera Enters the Market

The 2010 Panamera was released to the public with plenty of generational fanfare as Porsche 911 drivers and luxury sedan owners both flocked to purchase the performance rookie of the year.

Notable Recognition: 2009 Bloomberg Car of the Year, 2010 Car and Driver Editor’s Choice, 2012 – 2013 Edmunds Best Retained Value Award & 2013 KBB Best Resale Value Award

Refresh Button Pressed in 2014

As legend grew, the sedan enjoyed exterior enhancements, evolving engine tuning, and iconic interior impressions. Drivers loved the classic, athletic feel as passengers appreciated the comfortable seating arrangement. The auto market and media outlets also noticed the trends, as it racked up several more awards along the way.

Notable Recognition: 2014 Robb Report – Best of the Best – Sedans (Turbo S), 2014 ALG Premium Executive Car, 2014 Edmunds Most Popular, 2014 Edmunds Best Retained Value, 2016 KBB Best Resale Value: High – End Luxury Car

Next Top Remodel: 2017 Porsche Panamera – Current

This Porsche came down the runway featuring an all new look to complement it’s thrilling, driving personality with the 2017 release.

Notable Recognition: 2017 – 2019 KBB Best Resale Value: High-End Luxury Car, 2018 KBB 5 Year Cost to Own Award: High-End Luxury Car, 2019 Motorweek Best Dream Machine

Porsche’s four door icon continues to be an iconic figure during its second generation within the Porsche lineup. Park Place Porsche and Park Place Grapevine offer several 2018 Porsche Panamera models available. For more details on inventory selection and pricing options, visit parkplace.com.

 

Park Place Finishes 4th in Long Beach

Park Place Motorsports Driver Alan Brynjolfsson capitalized on his clean racing to finish fourth in the Am class of the SRO GT4 America Sprint Powered by Pirelli series at the GT Long Beach Grand Prix ensuring he claims the lead in the Am Drivers points standing. 
 
While race strategy does not tend to vary significantly in sprint races, Brynjolfsson may have had a bit unusual one. Starting fifth in the No. 7 VOLT Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, he patiently awaited the Long Beach streets to claim their first victim. His wait was far from long with the first caution coming out seven minutes into the race with a car and debris covering Turn 9. The first restart gave way to the second and final yellow nearly instantaneously. 
 
From the second restart forward Brynjolfsson used his racecraft to gain traction and the Porsche’s agility to fight against the competition. With 25 minutes remaining Brynjolfsson and the No. 7 Volt Lighting Porsche Cayman advanced as high as third in the Am class. While the front of the field was packed in the tight confines provided by the street course, Brynjolfsson fell back to fifth and battled back to fourth for the finish in the second street course event of his racing career.
 
“I’m very happy with the way the weekend went,” Brynjolfsson went. “Number one walking away with a clean car and just having a solid performance weekend all weekend. I’m happy with the team. The race went almost perfect from my standpoint, I just wished I had qualified better. That was the big difference in terms of the race finish. Right now, Mike Johnson told me we’re sitting first in both Sprint Am and GT4 Am drivers’ championship, so that’s more important. Today, we got great points toward the championship. It’s been a great experience having my first street courses, St. Pete and Long Beach, back-to-back and leading championships is excellent.”
 
Director of Race Operations Mike Johnson had his eyes on the championship before the street courses knowing it was an opportunity to create a point cushion ahead of the competition.
 
“Right now, I am just happy with how well Alan is driving and how well our team is performing,” Johnson said. “To lead both the GT4 Sprint and Sprint X East Championships in our first season at this point of the year is a real testament to how hard our guys have been working.  Of course, the next race at VIR will really show how organized we are, or are not, as we try to run 4 races in one weekend, but having a win there last year for Alan and Trent in the Mustang gives us some confidence going into the weekend.”

Coming Up Next

Park Place Motorsports next sees SRO GT4 America action in both forms of the GT4 America EAST and GT4 America Sprint at VIRginia International Raceway April 26-28. Park Place Motorsports will compete with Brynjolfsson in the No. 7 Volt Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR in the Sprint series. In the same weekend, he will be joined by co-driver Trent Hindman in the No. 77 Volt Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR in the EAST series. Watch the race with the live stream or follow live timing with http://gt4-america.com.

Skyline High School Visits Park Place for Automotive Career Preview

Students from Skyline High School in Dallas ISD got a unique look into working at a luxury dealership upon graduation. Park Place Dealerships hosted more than 40 students from Skyline this morning for a tour of the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche dealerships on Lemmon Avenue.

The students were able to explore the service areas, showrooms, training rooms, and parts departments of both dealerships and learn about jobs within the company, including access to unique technician opportunities. Park Place regularly provides students with access to master technicians, general managers, human resources, service managers, and leadership from the company so students can personally see the opportunities that are available to them.

One of the most popular questions asked today was, “how much money can I make by working at Park Place?” Cam Mayfield, service director at Park Place, responded with an overview of pay for different jobs. The student’s eyes lit up when they heard a master certified technician has the potential to be paid upwards of six figures at Park Place.

Because of the company’s growth, Park Place is continually looking to develop the highest quality technicians for its 16 full-service dealerships located across Dallas-Fort Worth.  Park Place hired numerous high school graduates as technicians in 2018. 

To learn more on how to apply or refer a future technician to our DFW programs visit Park Place Careers.

 


Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,000 people and represents luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

 

Park Place on Podium at California 8 Hours Debut

Porsche Continues It’s Podium Successes in Monterey


Park Place Motorsports finished third overall in the California 8 Hours of SRO Intercontinental Blancpain GT Challenge powered by Pirelli at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
 
Park Place Motorsports debut appearance in the Intercontinental Blancpain GT Challenge series ended with earning Porsche Motorsport a third-place finish after eight hours of green racing. Works Drivers Romain Dumas (France), Sven Müller (Germany) and Mathieu Jaminet (France) collected the podium finish after overcoming braking complications which slowed the No. 911 before it was cleared to continue regular use. The No. 911 challenged to regain the lead back, but lap traffic impeded on Park Place Motorsports progress; ultimately settling the team with third place. 
 
Today’s finish gives the Dallas-based team its sixth podium at Laguna Seca; the statistic includes five GT Daytona podium finishes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Park Place Motorsports has been a customer team of Porsche since 2012; this was its first appearance with factory support. Porsche Motorsport’s second podium in Intercontinental Blancpain GT Challenge competition comes after the manufacturer won the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in the opening round. 
 
Park Place Motorsports celebrated completing its third endurance battle with Wright Motorsports, entrant of the No. 912 Porsche. The No. 912 led the race when a technical issue forced the team to retire early. The Wright crew joined Park Place to celebrate as Müller took the checkered flag furthering the point that Porsche Motorsport had come to the Wright Place with its factory support. Park Place Motorsports sincerely thanks Wright Motorsports for sharing its years of expertise and making the California 8 Hours a success.
 
Post-Race Comments: 
Patrick Lindsey (Park Place Motorsports Team Principal):“I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s debut in the [series] as they executed a perfect race, showing a new group of viewers the amazing talent, we have working under our tent.  There were challenges we had to overcome before and even during the race weekend. 
 
“We count ourselves lucky that our Porsche family was there in the form of Porsche Motorsport, PMNA and fellow Porsche team Wright Motorsports to help aid in our learning curve. The level of intensity was high from the moment we first learned about the effort to put a car on the track at the 8 Hour to the very last lap. This is a big momentum builder for our team members and of course a spectacular outcome for Porsche and our partners at Park Place Porsche.”  
 
Romain Dumas (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911):“A podium position is very good, but it would have been possible a bit more. It was a tough competition over the whole distance. In the end, we didn’t miss much to win. For the new Porsche 911 GT3 R it was the first podium place in this enormously competitive series. Now we’re going to analyze this race in detail and show off even better at Spa”.
 
Sven Müller (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911):“We are satisfied because a podium position is always a nice reward. We gave it our all, were flawless on the way. We were in the race for the first time with Team Park Place Motorsports in the USA. Considering that, it was a strong all-around performance.”
 
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911):“It’s a good result. Nevertheless, after the many leading laps, we had calculated more in the meantime. We had a little bad luck in traffic. Two competitors were able to make a profit out of it. You can’t do anything about that. After eight hours of races under green flags, we were only 20 seconds behind the winners. Everyone in the team can be very proud of that.”

Park Place Reveals Mobile Pop Up for all New Automotive Experiences

Park Place Dealerships revealed its new mobile pop up at the 2019 DFW Auto Show this past March. The Mobile Experience Unit will be used across DFW at events throughout North Texas to bring the Park Place brand directly to the automotive enthusiast.

“The mobile pop up gives us the opportunity to expand the presence of our brand beyond the parameters of the dealership,” said Dave Evans, Chief Marketing Officer at Park Place Dealerships. “Experiences play a huge role with customers today and are the main drivers of customer engagement. We believe the mobile pop up allows us to engage with the consumer wherever we want to take it.”

 

During the DFW Auto Show, the pop up will be onsite to deliver an inclusionary experience for everyone who stops to visit the Park Place area. The mobile unit has already provided innovative experiences for clients at both the 2018 Park Place Luxury & Supercar Showcase and at the COTA track.

Park Place continues to be an innovator in the automotive space by developing unique offerings to expose current and potential clients to the brands. In the past year, Park Place introduced and expanded Park Place Select, an automotive subscription service.

“As a company, we must be in tune with where our clients spend their time and how they use their vehicles,” remarked Evans. “Our client’s transportation needs are as diverse as they are, and range from attending festivals and sporting events to shuttling friends and family to racing their cars, or simply enjoying life. We expect the mobile pop up will help us deliver an unparalleled, client-focused experience.”


Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,000 people and operates 16 full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, McLaren, and Maserati. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

 

Porsche Takes Pole Position in Customer Service Index Study

Porsche has made its mark in the luxury automotive space for decades with thrilling motorsports offerings. As the German automotive brand builds towards the future, their client focus has been recognized by a leader in customer satisfaction behavior.

The J.D. Power 2019 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study ranked Porsche in the top spot among American luxury brands. This is the first time Porsche has been finished number 1 in these rankings following their second place finish just a year ago. Porsche also finished first place among luxury brands in the J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI).

“This great result is yet another well-deserved recognition of our 191 U.S. dealer partners, who continue to raise the bar for Porsche customer experience,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA). “We are committed to making the ownership experience as exciting and enjoyable as the driving experience. Together with our dealers, we are working hand in hand to accomplish that every day.”

J.D. Power’s CSI Study measures customer satisfaction for vehicles 1-to 3-year-old vehicles. The satisfaction metrics are based upon service for maintenance or repair work among owners and lessees from September to December 2018. In all, 57,000 respondents provided feedback throughout the industry.

Porsche saw an increase in all areas in comparison to 2018: Service Facility, Service Advisor, Service Initiation, Service Quality, and Vehicle Pick-Up. The increase in these six areas added a 19 point improvement for a grand total of 893 out of a possible 1000 points.


If you would like to enjoy a great Porsche service experience, visit Park Place Porsche and Porsche Grapevine, or contact 855-371-6345 to schedule an appointment.

 

Park Place Racing Places 6th at Sebring Twelve Hour

Despite a seasoned Sebring race team with both Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey tracking multiple runs at this raceway,  the course provided some uncharacteristic challenges during the Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.  This was the fifth year for Patrick Lindsey, 16 show at Sebring for Patrick Long, and Nick Boulle’s debut  at Sebring’s Twelve Hour.


Round Two of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship presented many issues for the No. 73 de Boulle Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team faced twelve hours of unknown mechanical gremlins causing misfires in the engine and smaller fuel load capacities. However, endurance driver Nick Boulle, Porsche Factory Driver Patrick Long and Team Principal Patrick Lindsey bested the odds and delivered an unscathed Porsche and a sixth-place finish. 

Prior to the race, the team’s drivers gave fans and track rats alike insights into their minds as Sebring approached. The Patrick’s of Park Place Racing gave us a couple different perspectives, priming fans for not just the race technique,  but the historical significance behind Sebring Raceway.

“I love the history; the bumps have a lot of stories to tell but in its roots as World War II Airbase where they trained men and women who went overseas,” comments Lindsey, “For us, it’s a long time racing here. It’s my 7th year at IMSA and it’s our 5th year at Sebring in the twelve hour.” 

Patrick Long, a well-known Porsche Factory driver and 16 time veteran at Sebring, shared his objectives for day to night race: “Survive the bumps,  survive the heat, and be there at the end.” 

Mechanical Issues: Still A Top 10 Finish

Lindsey, who finished third in Friday’s 1,000 of Sebring with the FIA World Endurance Championship, drove a majority of his Sebring Twelve Hours under green. Though the mechanical issue never fully dissolved, it did subside aiding in his ability to also keep the car within the top 10. The Park Place Motorsports drivers spent the majority of their race within the top of the field, only dropping out of it upon pit cycles. 
 
The finale of the race brought the only other sense of fracas. With 15 minutes remaining a car went off course bringing out a long-desired caution. Having previously pitted for service, all teams were ready for a fight to the finish after being packed up for a restart. With seven minutes outstanding, the field received the green. Long defied all statistic measures making the jump from eighth to sixth where he would defend until the finish. 

Final Thoughts

Patrick Lindsey, Team Principal and driver No. 73 de Boulle Porsche 

“This was the longest Sebring weekend and the toughest Sebring weekend I’ve ever had,” Lindsey said. “At the same time, this was also one of the most rewarding. We don’t typically have the best finishes at Sebring. I think sixth is one of our highest finishes. That’s a testament to all the hard work this team is putting into our program. They’ve all taken ownership of their work and this team. We succeed and fail together. Right now, it feels like we’re only succeeding. We really pushed through some trials today and survived another wet race.”

Nick Boulle, Driver No. 73 de Boulle Porsche

This was my first time driving in the 12 Hours of Sebring, so it was very special to me,” Boulle said. “I was disappointed with my qualifying result, but thankfully we were able to resolve those issues before the race. Even in the rain, I could feel how much better the car was. I’m pretty confident in the wet, and we were able to gain a few positions at the start of the race, so that was exciting. My second stint was in the dry, and it was the best I felt in the car all weekend. The car was so drivable. The car was rewarding to drive, and you could trust it. I’m excited for the rest of the season and seeing what more we can do with the car.”

Patrick Long, Driver No. 73 de Boulle Porsche 

“I was pleased with the balance of the car for the entire race,” Long said. “We unloaded really strong this weekend and went up from there. Unfortunately, we had a few unforeseen challenges in the race that meant we were offset with our strategy and had to take an extra stop at the end. This caused us to fall to the tail end of the lead lap, so I had to battle through the field after that restart with seven minutes remaining. We were able to pass a few cars and battle up to sixth. It’s ironic how racing is, somedays a sixth-place feels like a podium and tonight that was the case. I’m really proud of the Park Place Motorsport guys for sticking with it even when it didn’t look promising. They worked nonstop for twelve hours and never gave up.”


Next Up: Follow the series to Long Beach, California for Round Three of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship April 12-13. Round Four reunites all four IMSA classes at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course May 3-5. The event features a two hour and 40-minute sprint race and kicks off the GTD Sprint Championship. For a detailed schedule visit http://imsa.com.  

Park Place Motorsports: Bringing Porsche Track Performance To You

Blending Luxury Cars and High-Performance Experiences for a Partnership that Just Makes Sense.

Park Place Motorsports is the arm of Park Place Porsche and Porsche Grapevine that embodies the racing spirit and pedigree built by the Porsche brand.  In 2013, Park Place teamed up with Porsche Motorsports as the official sponsor of a Porsche Motorsports team led by Team Principal, Patrick Lindsey. 

As one of DFW’s leading automotive dealers of both the luxury vehicles and high-performance experiences, putting the Park Place name on the track was and still is a natural extension of the Park Place brand.

So, What Is Park Place Motorsports Exactly?

Park Place Motorsports is a professional Porsche race team which not only focuses on professional track performance, but focuses on building a client racing program through driver advancement and trackside support initiatives. So really, a major part of this partnership is to not just to provide you, our clients and Park Place followers, with a team to cheer on during FIA or IMSA events, but also with specific ways to enhance your ownership experiences with professional track expertise and support. 

The Race Roster frequently sees updates and changes depending on the challenge ahead, but three consistent faces of Park Place Motorsports include team Principal Patrick Lindsey at the helm, with Patrick Long, an icon in the Porsche space, and Nick Boulle, a Texas resident and prominent member of the Dallas-Fort Worth community. 

The partnership between Park Place Dealerships began more than 5 years ago. It’s been a successful past year with multiple podium worthy track weekends and the opening of Park Place’s second Porsche dealership in Grapevine. To top off track success and dealership growth, the Park Place racing team relocated this past year to Dallas after opening a new shop just down the street from Park Place Porsche Dallas.

Porsche Artistry and Intelligent Performance

Park Place Motorsports and Park Place Porsche mirror the utter artistry and intelligence performance embodied by the Porsche brand.  The Park Place team currently races the iconic 911 RSR, GT3 R, Cayman GT4, and GT3 Cup in both FIA and IMSA sanctioned competition. 

Park Place’s positive reputation and strong relationship with Porsche Cars North America, is key to the success of this relationship.

“Park Place has given us an invaluable relationship that allows the race team to execute at a level of excellence that makes us stand out in the race paddocks,” says Lindsay Lindsey, representative for Park Place Motorsports. “Series, drivers, and teams equate our name with a well-run, well-groomed team. When others compete against us, they know they are racing a tough rival. When a competitor seeks us out to join our team, they know they’re joining a program that will care for them and challenge their skill level.”

A My Place Moment for Patrick Lindsey

The iconic #73 has seen some showroom and service action at both the Dallas and Grapevine dealerships, but what brings this sponsorship full circle is the relationship our Park Place Porsche team members have cultivated with our racing team.

Patrick Lindsey, team Principal, is one of the strongest connections to Park Place, not just because of the name on his racing suit, but also because he’s chosen Park Place Porsche for his day-to-day ownership experiences.

“…. the Park Place team takes extra care in the way they handle client and car service from the moment I hit the service drive to the moment I leave- and even after with their follow up and attention to detail,” says Lindsey, “We have definitely borrowed some valuable lessons from watching the way Park Place Porsche builds corporate pride within its members and the way we do the same within our competitive, professional race team that represents the Park Place namesake.”


Follow Park Place Racing and Join the Park Place Motorsports Movement

We invite you to join the Motorsports fandom, and follow @parkplaceracing and @parkplacetexas, or visit us on our racing hub to stay up to date on all things Park Place Motorsports. There’s more to come this year from both Park Place Porsche and Park Place Motorsports, to further bring the track experience to your daily driver. So stay tuned, and share the #ParkPlaceRacing love by commenting, sharing, and posting if you’re watching a race, cheering on the team, or want tips on how to better handle your Porsche (or other daily driver) from the track experts.


For information on upcoming races, team updates, and general racing news follow and bookmark the below pages:

Websites:

ParkPlaceMotorsports.com

ParkPlace.com/ParkPlaceMotorsports

Instagram:

@ParkPlaceTexas

ParkPlaceRacing

Facebook:

@ParkPlaceTexas

@ParkPlaceMotorsports

Twitter:

@ParkPlaceTexas

@ParkPlaceRacing

The Park Place Luxury and Supercar Showcase is Set to Return on September 28, 2019

IRVING, Texas (March 4, 2019) – The 3rd Annual Park Place Luxury & Supercar Showcase, Dallas-Fort Worth’s premier luxury lifestyle and automotive event, will return this fall to the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 28, 2019.

“The community has come out in force to support this event the last two years,” said Ken Schnitzer, Park Place Dealerships founder and chairman. “The third annual event will again showcase some of the most exotic and exciting vehicles that will please enthusiasts of all ages. What began three years ago as an engaging opportunity to celebrate our 30th anniversary has quickly turned into the foremost luxury lifestyle and automotive event in this region.”

Park Place Dealerships represents some of the most coveted brands in the world, including Rolls-Royce, Maserati, McLaren, Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Volvo, Land Rover, and Jaguar which will all be featured at the event.

In keeping with a true lifestyle event, Park Place will expand its fashion, food and retail offerings within the Porsche Pavilion. There will be music performances on the Lexus Live Stage and beverages at The Mercedes-Benz Beer Garden on the lush Four Seasons TPC Championship golf course.

Within the event will be a juried Collectors’ Concours, featuring a diverse selection of rare supercars, luxury, sports, vintage and classic cars from private collectors.  The motoring festival also will include a Car Club Expo powered by Park Up Front as well as the beloved Kid’s Zone. 

Iconic luxury shopping and dining destination, Highland Park Village, will present a runway show produced by Jan Strimple Productions for the second year. The fashion show will feature looks from prestigious brands presented exclusively in the climate-controlled pavilion on the resort grounds, with retail pop-ups for guests to shop the day of the event.

Dallas’ Mad Hatter Shane Walker will return to judge the 2019 Haute Hat Contest on The Million Air Stage with categories for stylish men and women. Guests are encouraged to pair a hat with their favorite resort-inspired ensemble.

Ranging from $25 – $50 for general admission and $100 for VIP All Access, which includes the VIP Lounge with complimentary food and beverages from dozens of the area’s finest restaurants, tickets are on sale at LuxurySupercarShowcase.com. VIP Tickets are limited and have sold out the previous two years.


In 2018, the top Collectors’ Concours award winners were presented with the “Spirit of Park Place” hand-crafted sculpture by Dallas artist Brad Oldham:

  • Best of Show – 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB 6C
  • Chairman’s Choice Award – 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II
  • Salesmanship Club Award – 1980 BMW M1

A Thank You To Our Returning Sponsors

Returning partners include the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, VIP Lounge Sponsors Allie Beth Allman & Associates – A Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate|URBAN, Captain’s Lounge Sponsor Celebrity Cruises, The City of Irving, Hill & Wilkinson, Hagerty, Event Architecture, AT&T Business, AVSD Productions, Digital 3 Printing, Fauxcades Décor, Brad Oldham Sculpture, D Magazine and NBC 5.

Restaurants featured in the VIP Lounge include The French Room, LAW, III Forks, Cool River, Chop House Burger, Dallas Fish Market, Wild Salsa, Oven and Cellar, Outlaw Tap Room, Kai, Toulouse, Whiskey Cake, Texas de Brazil, Princi Italia, CRU Wine and Food Bar, Pacific Table, Cork & Pig Tavern, Make Your Life Sweeter, and Carlton Provisions.

Additional sponsors include Lilium Florals, Perks & Provisions, Promo Resources, Sunnyland Furniture, RideCentric, iDesignMeetings, Marquee Event Rentals, Bachendorf’s, Jack Black, Maui Jim, Renegade Cigars, Tito’s Vodka, Peroni Beer, Waste Management, GL Seaman, Ratcliff Financial Services, Garages of Texas, Thermal Printing, and MarineMax Yachts.


Ken Schnitzer founded Park Place Dealerships in 1987 with a single Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn. Today, Park Place Dealerships employs more than 2,000 people and operates 16 full-service dealerships in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. For more info, visit parkplace.com.

 

Park Place Racing Owns COTA

Park Place Racing Owns COTA For the Overall and Class Win in Austin.


AUSTIN, Texas (March 3, 2019) – Park Place Motorsports took home first place overall in Race Two and second place overall in Race One at Circuit of the Americas for round one and two of SRO Pirelli GT4 America race action. The overall win is the team’s first victory at its home track since inception in 2013.
 
Drivers of the No. 77 VOLT Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR Alan Brynjolfsson and Trent Hindman led 11 of 23 laps in the GT4 America series for the overall win in Round Two and bounced back from an early spin due to on-track drama in Race One to finish second overall. In addition to conquering the GT4 series, Brynjolfsson and Hindman dominated the Pirelli GT4 America EAST, running in the EPro-Am class. Together they took home first in Round One and Round Two.
 
Stacking up a record of firsts, Park Place Motorsports’ overall win in Round Two was Brynjolfsson’s first win as the closing driver a professional race. A personal best leads Brynjolfsson into round three and four on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida- his home race. He will carry confidence in machinery and team into the next weekend with his first solo appearance of the 2019 season in the Pirelli GT4 America Sprint series. 
 
The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend kicks off Friday, March 8 with practice sessions taking place at 9:05 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. ET. Saturday, March 9 begins with qualifying at 9:15 a.m. and closes with a 50-minute Race One at 4 p.m. The weekend comes to a close with a second 50-minute sprint Sunday, March 10 at 11:20 a.m. For a weekend schedule or to live stream the races visit http://world-challenge.com.
 
Park Place Motorsports Weekend Quotes
 
Alan Brynjolfsson, Driver of the No. 77 VOLT Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
“Before I even started I was confident Trent would hand me the car in first place with 25 minutes to go,” Brynjolfsson said. “Sure enough the wonder boy did it and handed it to me in the lead. I had a pair of big shoes to fill but I did my best and we were able to win it. Really proud of the work our guys did this weekend.”

Trent Hindman, Driver of the No. 77 VOLT Lighting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
“I went into Race Two not wanting to start from fourth because I knew we had a better car for qualifying,” Hindman said. “I knew it would come down to me being aggressive on the start especially because yesterday everyone shot into Turn One on the inside. I braked a bit later into the turn and pass two people on the outside and then make a pass for the lead later in the lap. The conditions were quite different than yesterday so I had to dial in the ABS and brake bias which caused me to lose a position. Once we had a restart I knew it was extremely important that I get the lead and pull a gap.

“It took me a bit longer than I wanted to get the lead but ultimately I was able to achieve it and create a gap. Our pit stop was perfect so then it came down to Alan maintain what we had and bring it home for the win. He really has come such a long way in a year and this is proof of that and proof of what a great program Park Place Motorsports has put together.”

Park Place Motorsports Team Principal, Patrick Lindsey
“The best weekends are weekends you win so I’d have to say we had the best opening weekend we could ask for at COTA,” Lindsey said. “I’m really proud of Alan, Trent and the whole crew. They’re really pushing out there to get the job done and do it right. On top of it all, they’re doing these three race weekends in a row. It’s incredible the fight our guys have, I wish I could be there to celebrate with them all. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in St. Pete. Going in as the leader puts a little more pressure on the weekend but there’s no place, you’d rather be than on top of the leader board.”