Park Place Motorsports enters the Hankook 24 Hours of COTA at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with drivers Alan Brynjolfsson, Trent Hindman, Spencer Pumpelly, and a fourth driver.

This week’s race will be the first undertaking of the 24 Hours of COTA for Dallas based Park Place Motorsports. The inspiration to log additional miles in 2019 comes after Brynjolfsson regained the lead in the Porsche Cup standings after winning both SprintX West race in the SRO Pirelli GT4 America finale. German competitor Christian Reid now finds himself sandwiched between Brynjolfsson and Hindman, as Hindman respectively sits third.

The duo joined by Pumpelly will hope to upset the 24-Hour field and take home a win to offset the points potentially earned by Reid in the FIA WEC 4 Hours of Shanghai, which takes place Sunday, Nov. 10. An excellent finish could tip the scales in Brynjolfsson’s favor and give him the Porsche Cup win as well as a new Porsche 992. If Hindman hangs on to his current standing, he will take home a €25,000 Euro check.

The lineup will run the No. 73 Porsche 911 GT3 R, generation I, as opposed to the current generation II model, the team ran this season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. While it will be a first for both Hindman and Brynjolfsson to be behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R, it won’t be the first time they dominated at COTA. Brynjolfsson and Hindman took home two wins in the Pirelli GT4 America SprintX East series in early March for the kickoff of the 2019 SRO America season.

The weekend begins with private testing on Thursday, Nov. 14, followed by official practice on Friday, Nov. 15. GT Qualifying also takes place Friday with the 45-minute session set to go green at 3 p.m. CT. Friday concludes with night practice taking place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, sees the course go green for the first half of the 24-Hour race. The green flag drops at 11:30 a.m. with Part 1 coming to a close at 10:30 p.m. The final 13 hours begin Sunday, Nov. 17, at 8 a.m., with the checkered flag officially falling at 9 p.m. local. Watch Qualifying and the race live on the 24Hour Series YouTube page.

TEAM QUOTES

Alan Brynjolfsson

“No pressure, this next race will be pure enjoyment,” Brynjolfsson said. “I get to finally drive and experience the superior power, braking and downforce of a GT3 car; something that I can’t believe I haven’t done yet. I’m jumping right in with a 24-hour race, but I’m backed by some awesome co-drivers; Trent Hindman, Spencer Pumpelly and Richard Heistand. My only worry is I’ll get hooked and have to double my budget for next year.”

Trent Hindman

“Fortunately, the Park Place Motorsports/VOLT team had spent some time at COTA earlier this year with the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR,” Hindman said. “It’s a technically demanding track where seat time usually reigns supreme. Having that recent experience of running there will help with Alan’s transition into a GT3 car for the first time. It’s awesome to be a part of his progression and I think he will adapt very well to the pace of the car. It’s just nice to have the band back together for one last time in 2019.”

Richard Heistand

“This will be my first time at COTA and in a Porsche GT3 R,” Heistand said. “As you can imagine I’m excited for the new experience and for the opportunity with Alan, Patrick (Lindsey) and Park Place have given me. When I returned to racing in 2018, I competed in Porsche Supercup so while the GT3 R is new to me, racing with Porsche is not and I’m very happy to be back in the Porsche family where it all started.”

Spencer Pumpelly

“The 24-hour race at COTA will be my first time running this event and my first time driving with Alan and Trent,” Pumpelly said. “I’m looking forward to giving it a strong go and hopefully a top finish. The car is the one I raced in the Petit Le Mans in 2018 and I have a long history with Park Place. I know what each is capable of so if we can avoid the pitfalls that can lurk in any 24-hour race, we should do well. “

“This 911 GT3 R isn’t that different from the street version,” insists Andrew McNamara, gesturing at a race car that, with its roll cage, massive hood scoop, enigmatic dash switches and bare-bones interior, looks nothing like a showroom model at all.

“It’s got air conditioning,” he adds with a helpful laugh.

As Car Chief for Park Place Motorsports, Andrew oversees a 15-member team responsible for several high-performance cars that compete in numerous racing series, including the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship organized by IMSA (International Motor Sports Association).

His team keeps these vehicles at the ready, starting with pre-race shop preparation, track support, maintenance and, when it’s show time, lightning-fast pit stops. Afterwards, they tear down each car and start all over again.

As a result, he’s well acquainted with every screw, nut, bolt, fastener, headlight, pedal and tank on all the cars under his care. Believe him when he says there are more service similarities between a race car and a daily driver than one might think.

In particular, he’s referring to “consumables,” or things that are subject to wear and tear and need replacing, as well as general maintenance.

“We go through things in 60 minutes that you might not go through in 60 months, but the care principles are quite similar,” he says. “It’s a matter of degree. Tires on your 911 daily driver will go 10, 20 thousand miles, maybe more, and last several years, whereas we go through three or four sets in a weekend. You might flush your brake fluid every two or three years. We do it almost daily. Same with brake pads. And you’ll probably never need, or want, to look into your gas tank. For us, it’s a must.”

“Race car tolerances are much higher than for a daily driver,” says Jenny Drummond, Service Director for Park Place Porsche Dallas. “But the essentials are the same. It’s common sense to keep up with regular maintenance, because it’ll extend a vehicle’s life and keep performance levels where they need to be.”

In her 18-year career at Park Place, Jenny recognizes Porsche’s absolute commitment to precision, build quality and excellence. But she also acknowledges that things break now and then.

“They’re machines and machines break,” she explains. “Perhaps an owner lowered the convertible top in higher-than-recommended wind one too many times. The important thing is that when something goes wrong, we’ve got the correct tools and technical expertise to make it right again.”

“Jenny and her team are experts,” Andrew adds. “I see the same cars over and over, but they see thousands of different Porsches a year. Very little surprises them. They know, better than anyone, the ins-and-outs of how to keep their client’s cars in tip-top shape.”

Jenny and Andrew’s Top Ten List for Daily Driving Porsche Perfection

1. Porsche gave you an operating manual, so read it. Not as entertaining as a Harry Potter novel but when it comes to caring for your car, the info is magical.
2. Oil is your vehicle’s lifeblood. Change it every 3,500 miles (for conventional), and 7,500 – 10,000 miles (for synthetic). Don’t drive that much? Change it every year.
3. Bringing a 911 to a whoa is super-important – check brake pads and rotors at every oil change. And change your brake fluid every two years (or sooner if you’re assertive with the pedal).
4. Check your coolant and use Porsche-brand, as it’s synthetic and only needs replacement every ten years.
5. Check tire pressure and tread depth monthly. Even if your tires are low mileage, check the date code – if they’re six years old (or more), replace them. Old tires lose their grip and detract from the exceptional driving experience you deserve.
6. Your 911 is fuel-injected but it still needs new air filters every 40,000 miles or so, depending on how clean they are. Be wary of aftermarket filters that claim to increase horsepower.
7. Speaking of filters, don’t forget to change your cabin air filter annually to keep that sweaty sock smell at bay.
8. Batteries are just like people – they don’t do well when idle. Give them some exercise every week, if not daily, with a nice drive. And a Porsche battery maintainer is a savior if you don’t drive daily.
9. Keep your spark plugs sparkling with regular changes every 30,000 miles (for turbos) and 40,000 miles (for non-turbos) or every four years. And check that owner’s manual for the best type of plugs for your vehicle.
10. Keep your interior neat and tidy. Won’t help your mechanicals but a clean Porsche is a happy Porsche and makes for happy drivers and passengers, too.

Interested in following Park Place Motorsports? Check their upcoming schedule of events.

Click to schedule an appointment for your Porsche at Park Place Porsche Dallas or Park Place Porsche Grapevine.

The Park Place Porsche sponsored No. 56 Porsche 911 RSR took home the prestigious title of 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and World Champion of the FIA World Endurance Championship Super Season.

Park Place Motorsports driver and Dallas resident Patrick Lindsey won the GTE Am points championship title in Le Mans, France but it wasn’t until 24 hours after the checkered flag fell that he was crowned the winner of Le Mans with co-drivers Edgidio Perfetti and Porsche Factory Driver Jörg Bergmeister. A post-race penalty was given for fuel capacity error to the winning Ford of Houston based Keating Motorsport. This is the same penalty Team Project 1, the German-based team that runs the No. 56 Park Place Porsche, received after winning at Fuji International Speedway. The time penalty did not strip the No. 56 of its win.

The crowning achievement of Le Mans winner is one that can often escape even the most talented teams and drivers, but Lindsey and company took home the honor in their first WEC season. The Super Season put on by the FIA WEC was to restructure their race season so the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which initially fell early in the race of the season, would now mark the finale. The Super Season featured two races at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans and competitions in Europe, Asia and the United States. Lindsey took home two wins, and three podium finishes out of eight rounds.

“Well, it’s certainly unexpected news,” said Lindsey. “Winning the championship was the goal going into the race and having accomplished that with a second-place finish was beyond satisfying. With the news that we are now the winners, it’s a lot to wrap my head around.”

“For starters, I felt like we had already executed the perfect race, so to be made the winners – even post-race – feels like the perfect reward to the team for such a monumental effort. It’s the biggest race victory in my career and to go along with capping off the Super Season championship is just too amazing to express.”

“Pride in my teammates, relief of the past months of trying to maintain the championship, and of course, thankfulness of the full support of my wife, family and friends are emotions just swirling around that I can’t really distinguish. I’m looking forward to digesting it all and getting a little perspective of the whole thing, then figure out how to do it all again.”

What’s Next

Lindsey now rejoins teammate Nick Boulle, of de Boulle, and Porsche Factory Driver Patrick Long in the No. 73 de Boulle Porsche 911 GT3 R ran by Park Place Motorsports for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International in New York. Park Place Motorsports is tied for third in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona Team Points Championship. Watkins Glen International is the halfway point of the 2019 season and is the third installment of the Michelin Endurance Championship. The endurance championship features North America’s most elite endurance races including the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen airs on NBCSN Sunday, June 30 from 7 to 10 p.m. ET in a delayed broadcast. To watch the six-hour race live use IMSA.tv and NBC Sports app or listen to the race live with IMSA Radio. For more information on Park Place Motorsports visit http://parkplacemotorsports.com.

Park Place Motorsports finished second in the Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear after dominating the weekend at the Raceway at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan with Canadian driver Zach Robichon and Porsche Works Driver Patrick Long. 
 
Park Place Motorsports second-place finish came after leading nearly half of the 100-minute race. Both drivers took turns out in front of the GT Daytona Class. With 47-minutes remaining Long was passed in the tight confines of Turn 5. While he fought off multiple competitors the No. 14 Lexus of Richard Heistand and Jack Hawksworth slipped past Long and kept the No. 73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 R hot on its heels until the checkered flag. 
 
Though Long spent much of his stint hunting down the leader, teammate Robichon had a very different race. Robichon inherited pole position and never relinquished the lead. He led the GTD field for 42 minutes opening up a 2.3-second gap over his competitors. Robichon conquered two of the five restarts with ease. A perfect pit stop kept Long in the lead after the driver change. 
 
Park Place Motorsports second place finish at Detroit is highlighted by earning the new Porsche 911 GT3 R first pole position in North America. This is also the first GTD Class podium of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season for the manufacturer. In Championship Points Standings Long moves up into third for the Drivers’ Championship and second in the WeatherTech Sprint Championship. 
 
Calendar
Up next for Long is the Official Le Mans Test at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. Team Principal and co-driver Patrick Lindsey will fly Long as well as other IMSA drivers to the test where he will also compete. The Park Place sponsored No. 56 of Team Project 1 of Lindsey unveiled its art livery by Richard Phillips for the 24 Hours of Le Mans ahead of the test. The next event for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is June 30 at Watkins Glen International.
 

Driver Quotes

 
Zachary Robichon, Driver of the No. 73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 R

“It was a fantastic weekend with Park Place Motorsports,” Robichon said. “I’ve never raced with Park Place before or raced at Belle Isle Raceway, so it was a weekend of firsts for me. Luckily this wasn’t my first street track and I was able to settle in pretty quickly.
 
“It was great working with Patrick Long and the whole Park Place Team. We were able to meld very easily and get up to speed in the car. It was a great race where we held the lead for a long time, we just missed out a little bit at the end and brought it home in second which was still exciting. This was my first time on the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship podium and my first podium with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. I’m glad we were able to be competitive and help Park Place move up in the championship.”

 
Patrick Long, Porsche Works Driver, No. 73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 R

“I’m really proud of the whole Park Place Motorsports organization,” Long said. “We were at the sharp end of the field all weekend. The racer in me is disappointed and wants a victory for the team but the realists understands this is where championships are made or lost. The second yellow is ultimately where the plot twisted. The Lexus was able to drive by me on the back straightaway on that restart. We were better on the long run but a little bit low on pace on the short run. It was a great job by Zach and the whole team today.”

Park Place Motorsports finished fourth after starting last in the GT Daytona class in the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with the No. 73 Park Place Porsche 911 GT3 R.
 
Driver Marco Seefried and Porsche Works Driver Patrick Long reunited for the first time since 2015, and it was a performance that should not have been missed. Long garnered bumps and bruises along the way to the fourth-place finish sustaining damage to the left front and rear in the final minutes of the race. Overcoming cars laps down and traffic, Long was gaining ground on the third-place car when the checkered flag fell.
 
Seefried took the No. 73 Porsche from 15th to second in the GTD class during his stint. Seefried caused a red flag during qualifying after getting stuck in the thick mud that so many fell victim to this weekend. The No. 73 had its two fastest laps taken away and ultimately had to start from the rear of the field. Seefried gained six positions in the opening 10 minutes of the race, making the incident long forgotten after the green flag. He too received damage to the front left of the bumper during the final laps of his stint.

Driver Quotes

 
Patrick Long, No. 73 Porsche 911 GT3 R

“I’m very proud of our result,” Long said. “The racing today was hard fought and physical, but we made it through. We chose an alternative strategy which is always risky, but I think it ultimately helped us. I think we capitalized on the yellow flags really well. We definitely had the pace for the front today. The biggest challenge were the lap cars; they made things difficult. But overall fourth place is a great points day for us. I’m glad we brought it home.”

Marco Seefried, No. 73 Porsche 911 GT3 R

“I think considering where we started, we can be pleased with our result today,” Seefried said. “I think Porsche will be happy to see how we performed together; I hope Patrick (Lindsey) is happy as well. We took on some damage this race, but I think that is just what happens at Mid-Ohio with a scenario like we had today. Finding a setup was quite difficult due to the weather, but I think the team did a great job considering that challenge.”

NEXT UP

The next race for the No. 73 Park Place Porsche is currently undecided as the decision of whether or not to run at the Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear has not been made. Detroit is a commitment for the GTD Sprint Championship but not for the GTD full season championship. Teams can omit Detroit from their calendar and still win the full season championship or omit the endurance races for the sprint championship. The race following Detroit is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International in New York.

Dallas (April 30,2019) – Marco Seefried will take over driving duties for Park Place Motorsports Team Principal Patrick Lindsey in the No. 73 Park Place Porsche entry at this weekend’s Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Round 4 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Lindsey excuses himself to continue his championship hunt at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Saturday, May 4. 
 
Seefried joins Porsche Works Driver Patrick Long in Park Place Motorsports’ hunt for a first win with the all-new Porsche 911 GT3 R while aiming to capitalize on its points standings. After two rounds of endurance racing Park Place Motorsports is sixth in the GT Daytona class, team points championship. Sixth is the highest points position Park Place Motorsports has held this early in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
 
The IMSA series first appearance at Mid-Ohio was last year. Park Place Motorsports did not partake in the debut as the No. 73 Porsche was running endurance and select races only. This race is Park Place Motorsports first appearance in the GTD class at Mid-Ohio since running in the Grand-Am series. Park Place Motorsports will rely on Long’s previous experience with Wright Motorsports for greater understanding of car handling at the 2.4-mile track.
 
Park Place Motorsports makes the switch from endurance racing to sprint racing at Mid-Ohio. This is the first of eight sprint races on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship calendar. The shortened race format brings a new feel to the series with a keen focus now on perfect pit stops and bringing the car up to pace as quickly as possible. With a GTD field featuring 15 entries, the Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio will be anyone’s race.
 
Patrick Lindsey, Team Principal
“I’m happy we can have someone with the pace and experience Marco brings as my replacement,” Lindsey said. “He’s someone I trust, and that’s half the battle when finding a replacement. You need someone who has experience in the car, who has the pace and who can bring it back into pit lane in one piece. I would have loved to have been there with my boys, but I have another battle across the pond. I’m hoping this weekend goes well and Project 1 can go to Le Mans with a greater points gap.” 
 
Patrick Long, Porsche Works Driver
‘We’re headed to Mid-Ohio for sprint racing with Marco Seefried in the car,” Long said “He’s someone I ran with back in 2015, and I consider him a great friend, so I’m looking forward to driving with him in Patrick’s absence. The Porsche 911 GT3 R is a car we’re still getting our hands around, but after our strong finish at Sebring we like our chances at a tighter more technical track.”
 
Calendar
Park Place Motorsports’ weekend begins Friday, May 3, a day packed with practice. Saturday, May 4 features a final morning practice session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series before qualifying. GTD kicks off qualifying with the 15-minute session beginning at 11:40 a.m. EDT, the session can be viewed live on IMSA.tv. Sunday, May 5 is race day. The Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio is set to see the green flag wave at 1:40 p.m. The race is aired on NBC Sports and IMSA.tv. For a detailed schedule of the weekend visit http://imsa.com.

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.

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.”