When you think of open-wheel, open-cockpit Porsches, especially in the context of Rennsport Reunion and Laguna Seca, you probably jump straight to the Indianapolis 500 cars of the 80s and 90s, or the Porsche-branded Formula One racers of the 60s, or even the Porsche-engined McLaren F1 racers. Chances are, you didn’t think of Porsche tractors, but that’s exactly what is going down. A pair of tractor races will be part of the festivities during the largest single-make motorsport events in the world later this month. Even better, the event promises a single lap race with a classic Le Mans-style running start, and celebrity and motorsport legend competitors.
An anonymous driver was quoted as saying: “We are race car drivers, so there is always going to be that competitive spirit to win, whether it’s behind the wheel of a 1,000 horsepower Porsche 917/30 or a Porsche tractor pumping out an impressive 14 horsepower. We’ll see who is laughing when I cross the finish line first and go down in the annals of Porsche history as the first-ever tractor race winner!”
Porsche’s tractors were built from 1956 to 1963, and they claim to have built more than 125,000 examples for worldwide consumption. Tractors were produced in cylinder arrangements from one to four, and varying levels of weight and size accordingly. The race will begin at the start-finish line, and will only run through Turn 5, as the race organizers didn’t want to see any of these vintage machines take a tumble down the famed Corkscrew.
Race 1 will begin at 1:15 PM on Saturday, Sept. 29th and the second race will be on Sunday, Sept. 30th at 1:40 PM. If you have a Porsche tractor, and want to enter to race, the fee is $550, which includes paddock space, two tickets, a VIP parking pass, and an entry gift. Sign up by sending the year and model of your tractor, as well as a photo, to ardelle@laguna-seca.com. See you there?
