For four days, the Porsche community descended on Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California to celebrate Porsche’s illustrious racing history with the people and machines that solidified the marque as one of the best sports car manufacturers of all time. Record numbers of attendees flocked to the legendary track, making the infield a living, breathing organism encased by the 2.24-mile-long circuit with hundreds of Porsche race cars lapping the track throughout the day.
Overwhelming is perhaps the only word that comes close to summarizing RR7- with a constant succession of racing, discussion panels, displays, the never-ending flow of people and Porsche racing cars making their way through the paddock or running warm-up sequences- it was truly an event for the record books.
This was an exciting leap for our company as the first year not only showing cars, but racing a total of four cars- two of which were Concours show cars prepared to be run hard on the track, and the other two being client cars which were track-prepped and supported by our service team.
The Ingram Collection displayed three cars in total- 550 Spyder chassis 550-0073, the 959 Sport chassis 004, and the Viola Metallic 918 Spyder. One of our great friends and clients brought the ex-werks 718 RSK chassis 718-004 to be displayed at the Porsche Icons display. These cars were not only static displays- they were driven around the track with key Porsche figures behind the wheel over the four-day event.
Ranking high on the list of highlights for our week at Rennsport Reunion 7 was the return of the Ingram Collection 1967 Porsche Carrera 6 906E chassis 906-158, better known as “El Tigre”, to racing.
906-158 is Road Scholars most recent restoration and was our entry from the Pebble Beach Concours in August. Immediately following the Concours, the driveline was pulled from the car to be thoroughly inspected and some slight modifications performed to be suitable for the racetrack, along with a number of items to make the car track-worthy. “El Tigre” has amassed somewhat of a cult following, and it was exciting for our team to share the car in person with its many fans- especially those from South America who were particularly enthusiastic to see 906-158 knowing its success in and significance for the region with Armando Caprilles in the late 1960s.
906-158 was run hard for days on end, and performed extremely well until an issue with a crack in the exhaust manifold reduced power significantly on the last few laps of the race. No matter what, it was a huge victory in our book for a Concours-level show car to compete and hang with multiple fiberglass Porsche prototypes in a race setting.
In 2021, the Ingram Collection 904 chassis 904-078 rolled across the podium at Pebble Beach to claim the best-in-class trophy. It was a painstaking restoration performed by the team to preserve and refinish so many of the car’s original components to like new condition. With its original bodywork, drivetrain, wheels, seats, and even the original windshield- it may have been one of the most original cars on the track at Rennsport Reunion 7, and perhaps the only Concours winning car. However, none of that really mattered when it came time for 904-078 to be run hard in practice and during the race. What mattered was its performance and reliability to ensure that it would cross the finish line at the conclusion of the week.
After the testing and tuning sessions toward the end of its restoration in 2021, Cam had proclaimed “This is the best-performing four-cam engine we’ve ever built” thanks to our engine builder Simon Briggs. That statement still stands after numerous hard laps around Laguna Seca’s circuit. The car ran flawlessly and we’re proud to have proven that our restorations are not only built to look the part but to perform as they were intended to from the factory.
When Joe Buzzetta’s Elva had a few mechanical issues arise in practice, Joe was offered the opportunity to drive 904-078 for the remainder of the weekend. While the team worked to resolve Elva’s issue, Joe considered the offer and ultimately accepted. A competent and safe racer, we knew that 904-078 would be in great hands. By the end of the sessions, 904-078 and Joe both arrived safely back to the paddock having completed the entirety of the race.
Yet another highlight of Rennsport Reunion 7 was preparing the Buzzetta Collection 1964 Porsche Carrera GTS chassis 904-005 for James Buzzetta’s very first race. It was incredible for us to be a part of James and Joe upholding the legacy of their grandfather and father respectively.
904-005 was a Porsche Werks car that was run in all of the Manufacturer’s Championship races between 1964 and 1966 and achieved many top overall finishes and class wins in period. Its most notable win was at the Targa Florio in 1964, where Colin Davis and Antonio Pucci claimed a first-place overall finish. It earned the title of European Hillclimb Champion while driven by Herbert Muller, winning its class in every hillclimb it entered in 1965. It also took class victories at Sebring and Spa in 1965, won the 2-liter prototype category, and took a 7th place finish overall in 1966 at the 24 Hours of Daytona with Joe Buzzetta and Gerhard Mitter behind the wheel.
It was a rewarding week for our team to spend time with the Buzzettas and help to keep a 904 with such significant race history running at its best in the same setting where it amassed its history- at the racetrack.
Our close friend and client, Ed Anderson, brought the ex-Werks 1958 Porsche 718 RSK chassis 718-004 to be displayed in the Icons of Porsche display, now wearing its 1959 Daytona 1,000km race livery, where it claimed an outright victory with Anton von Döry and Roberto Miéres behind the wheel. Nearly 64 years later after its win at Daytona, Ed and his daughter piloted the RSK around the track among a rolling timeline of Porsche’s motorsports prowess.
We were honored to give a few key Porsche figures the opportunity to drive the Ingram Collection 550 Spyder chassis 550-0073, 959 Sport chassis 004, and 918 Spyder around Laguna Seca during the Icons of Porsche parade. It was a small way of showing our appreciation for those who have worked hard to make the brand what it is today and to honor Porsche’s 75-year legacy. Detlev von Platen, Jens Walther, Alwin Springer, Ayesha Coker, Philip Mauney, Grant Larson, and Volker Holzmeyer were all treated to some seat time in the Ingram Collection cars during the Icons of Porsche Parade laps.
Our good friend Stephen Selzler was on-site at our merchandise booth creating large-scale artworks on canvas in his unique mixed-media style to commemorate the event. For the first time, we offered our own event merchandise for sale to the public. We were amazed when we sold out of nearly all of the merchandise that we offered. We will be producing another run of all items to give those who missed out or were not able to be there in person a second chance to have a memento from Rennsport (with the exception of the 150 signed and numbered commemorative posters that were commissioned to produce for the event).
We also teamed up with the Ingram Experience to offer a hospitality suite above the paddocks for a front-row seat overlooking the main straightaway. It quickly became the hot spot for not only clients and friends but for many industry folks and Porsche executives alike, and was packed to the brim from morning until evening.
