How to Watch the TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship Acura and HRC US social media content and video links can be found on: Porsche plants roots at one of America’s most iconic race tracks The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is one of the most challenging and iconic tracks in the United States especially known for its daunting Corkscrew corner which combines dramatic elevation change with a tricky the legendary course is entering a new chapter as a celebrated automotive hub as Porsche announces its status as the official car of the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Starting in 2026, Porsche is set to offer a new Porsche Track Experience as part of the sponsorship deal that was signed between the celebrated luxury performance car manufacturer and the race track the track has already served as home to Porsche’s Rennsport Reunion event one of the world’s largest and most anticipated Porsche fan gatherings The sponsorship includes Porsche supporting Friends of Laguna Seca and the organization’s mission to revitalize the Raceway and Recreation Area A Porsche Driving Center will launch at Laguna Seca in 2026 with drivers able to choose from a range of beginner-friendly to advanced driving courses on the legendary track The new sponsorship marks the opening of a new chapter in the already-established joint history between Porsche and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with events and lap records for Porsche taking place on the revered course and the track has solidified a new partnership with one of the largest names in the world of automotive performance manufacturing The new Cadillac Formula 1 Team has revealed its official.. Porsche has announced it will become the Official Car of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca expanding its longstanding relationship with the historic Monterey track where Porsche has hosted four editions of the Rennsport Reunion since 2011 The headline news is the planned launch of a Porsche Driving Center at the track The center will offer a range of driver training programs from basic vehicle control courses to more advanced sessions designed to develop performance driving and racing skills It will be Porsche's first such facility on the West Coast Porsche will also support Friends of Laguna Seca the nonprofit organization leading efforts to revitalize both the raceway and its surrounding recreational area Porsche’s presence at Laguna Seca is already well established In addition to the Rennsport Reunion events—which most recently drew almost 100,000 people in 2023 the automaker also celebrated its 600th IMSA win at the track last year The sponsorship will formally kick off during IMSA's TireRack.com Monterey Sports Car Championship this coming weekend where Porsche will serve as the official safety car provider Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here More by Michael Accardi Bobby Rahal is getting using to his BMW 8 Hybrid V8 cars being at the forefront of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races this season auto racing legend will kick things off for the Monterey SportsCar Championship on Sunday Rahal will be the grand marshal for the fourth round of the IMSA season giving the command to start engines for two-hour NBC and Peacock) around the historic road course on the Montnerey Peninsula “It’s a great honor and privilege to be the grand marshal at obviously what is one of my favorite tracks,” said Rahal who made his Laguna Seca debut in 1976 with a Formula Atlantic race It’s a real thrill to have part of the racetrack named after you one of the crown jewels really of American road racing circuits 25 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8 at the start of last year’s Laguna Seca race (Michael L The straightaway at Laguna Seca leading to its famous Corkscrew turn was renamed more than a decade ago in honor of Rahal who will be at the track on multiple race weekends in 2025 with his IndyCar and IMSA teams which has won the Grand Touring Prototype pole position in three consectuive races with driver Dries Vanthoor to start the 2025 season After lagging through the first two years of IMSA’s revamped premier hybirid prototype category Rahal’s cars have improved in a critical season team and tactical errors have contributed to an absence from vcitory lane as the Porsche Penske Motorsport No we haven’t been able quite put it all together,” said Rahal who hinted the BMW teams have tweaked their pit stops for Laguna Seca but lapped traffic at Daytona and Sebring hurt our chances at the end of the race we got held up in the pits a little bit and that’s all it took we’ve got to hopefully complete the job this time around We’ve learned more about the car this year especially since they repaved it (in 2023) that’s kind of come into our wheelhouse a bit.” There is a sense of urgency for Rahal, whose sports car teams have been racing BMWs in GT and prototype classes since 2008. It’s a contract year for RLL with the German manufacturer, and multiple outlets have reported that BMW has been considering options with other teams for 2026 “I don’t want to get into the specifics of that but we’re obviously hoping to continue this long relationship that we’ve had with BMW that’s dated back to 2008,” Rahal said “I know you see some of these articles and a lot of guessing and a lot of speculation but there’s three quarters of the season left Everybody’s just really focused on this coming race and the race after that and after that and after that But the competition is very stiff in IMSA’s top class which will feature 11 entries and five manufacturers at Laguna Seca Cadillac and Aston Martin will be battling BMW to detrhone the unbeaten Porsche “It speaks volumes about IMSA the number of manufacturers that are involved in all classes,” Rahal said “It’s phenomenal how many of all types are involved in in sports car racing and IMSA today compared to years ago they may be more complex than a Formula 1 car “I think the GTP category but IMSA as a whole is just in a phenomenal place right now and we haven’t seen anything like this maybe ever.” daily schedules and streaming info for the 2025 IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca: FORECAST: According to Weather Underground it’s expected to be 47 degrees with a 4% chance of rain at the green flag ENTRY LIST: Click here to see the 36-car field in the GTP, GTD Pro and GTD classes for the 2025 IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca TV/STREAMING: The Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca will be televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock from flag to flag beginning at 3 p.m The NBC Sports broadcast will feature announcers Brian Till and Calvin Fish Chris Wilner and Matt Yocum are the pit reporters RADIO: All sessions live on IMSA.com; SiriusXM live race coverage begins May 11 at 3 p.m Here’s a rundown of the IMSA schedule this week at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (all times are ET): 11:25-11:45 a.m.: Mustang Challenge practice 12:10-1:10 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice1:25-2:10 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo practice3:10-3:40 p.m.: Mustang Challenge practice4-5 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice5:20-6:50 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice7:10-7:55 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo practice8:10-8:25 p.m.: Mustang Challenge qualifying8:40-9:15 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying 11-11:35 a.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo qualifying11:50 a.m.-12:35 p.m.: Mustang Challenge Race 1 (Peacock)12:55-2:25 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice3:45-5:45 p.m.: Michelinn Pilot Challenge WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 (Peacock)6:15-7:25 p.m.: WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying (Peacock)7:45-8:35 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 1 (Peacock) 11:25 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Mustang Challenge Race 2 (Peacock)12:35-1:25 p.m.: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Race 2 (Peacock)3:10-5:50 p.m.: TireRack.com Monterey SportsCar Championship (NBC A Division of NBCUniversal DISCLAIMER: This site and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only and there is no gambling offered on this site This service is intended for adult audiences No guarantees are made for any specific outcome If you or someone you know has a gambling problem Tomy Drissi and Drissi Motorsports go for their second Trans Am podium finish in as many weeks at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Drissi joined a list of legendary drivers to win Trans Am races at Laguna Seca when he won here in 2021 The California native will look to score his fourth consecutive Laguna Seca podium in Sunday’s race 2009 Trans Am champion Tomy Drissi and Drissi Motorsports are on track this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Laguna Seca SpeedTour the fourth round of the 2025 Trans Am National Championship Coming off a podium finish last week at Sonoma Raceway Drissi and the #8 Trench Shoring Company/Motul/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro will look to carry the momentum into the second straight race in his home state of California Laguna Seca has a storied history on the Trans Am schedule dating back to 1969 Drissi joined the iconic list of drivers to have won Trans Am races at the track making his mark alongside names like Mark Donohue The win was his first of five podium finishes that season on the way to a second-place finish in the TA championship that year Drissi added third place runs at Laguna Seca in both 2019 and 2022 meaning he’ll enter this weekend with an active three-race podium streak at the track Each of those podiums came during multi-race podium streaks a feat that he’ll look to replicate in 2025 after last weekend’s third place run at Sonoma Raceway Doing so would give Drissi the chance to jump from fifth to third in TA points in just a two-week span “I’m really excited about coming back to Laguna Seca this weekend,” said Drissi “The best thing we can have after taking a podium in Sonoma is another race right away I’m fortunate to be in amazing company as a past Trans Am winner at Laguna Seca so I couldn’t ask for a better track to follow up last week I’m looking forward to meeting all the amazing fans this weekend as we chase another checkered flag in my home state!” Drissi and the rest of the TA class will have two days of track time at this weekend’s Laguna Seca SpeedTour. On Saturday, practice will take place at 9:30AM and qualifying will run at 3PM. Sunday’s race will go green at 1:20PM and will feature either 40 laps or 75 minutes of action. Tickets remain available here; as always live streaming will be available on both Speed Sport 1 and the Trans Am YouTube channel To keep up with Tomy Drissi, follow @tomydrissi on Instagram and Facebook, and visit www.tomydrissi.com Drissi Motorsports returns to action on May 23-26 at Lime Rock Park Tomy also owns a motion picture creative advertising agency Drissi’s first racing experience in motorsports was street racing on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills Instagram: @tomydrissi Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomydrissi/ Twitter: @tomydrissi Website: https://tomydrissi.com/ Whether it’s for a current project - or your next project - Trench Shoring Company should be your 1st choice for shoring equipment trench safety training and service. For decades the California & Nevada construction industry has counted on Trench Shoring Company for our extensive construction knowledge We know time is money - so we provide same-day service from our twelve convenient locations - Compton Nevada – all to provide you with what you need when you need it Trench Shoring Company has consistently handled our customers' toughest jobs and the most challenging job requirements - with safety service and customer satisfaction – since our start in 1973 World Speed adds second entry for upcoming Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America round… World Speed Motorsports has announced the addition of drivers Cam Aliabadi and Dario Capitanio to its Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America lineup for next weekend’s third and fourth rounds of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 15 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 in the pair of 50-minute races Capitanio brings a wealth of experience to the team he secured a Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro-Am class victory at Watkins Glen His diverse racing background includes campaigns in the Huracan Super Trofeo and a Ferrari 488 GT3 in the GT Winter Series in Europe Capitanio’s recent successes in 2024 feature a podium finish in the GT3 Winter Series and a pole position at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pirelli GT4 America round Aliabadi’s journey in motorsports began in 2016 with Mercedes-AMG driving schools he has amassed significant track experience through over a dozen classes across renowned circuits in the U.S Following his victory in the 2021 Lamborghini Pilota Program Aliabadi embarked on his rookie season in 2022 His debut year was marked by impressive results including four podium finishes and a notable win at Laguna Seca achieving a podium finish alongside Jaden Conwright The addition of the experienced pairing of Aliabadi and Capitanio strengthens the team’s lineup for the Laguna Seca event with Conwright and Scott Huffaker continuing to pilot the No photos and video features from the trusted Sportscar365 web staff RAFA Racing Team boss on organizations rapid expansion in North American sports car racing.. Lamborghini to use GT3 car as base for new Super Trofeo model that will.. Catch up on Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America action from Sebring International Raceway.. New 2025-spec Hankook Ventus tire to debut with Super Trofeo Europe season-opener next month.. Print Somewhere under the rain clouds the Laguna Art Museum was having its exterior transformed into a mishmash of color Museum representatives had drawn attention to plans for a community art wall in the weeks ahead Where a mockup of the plans showed the names of donors being painted onto designated spots of the façade what ultimately transpired last Saturday turned into playful spontaneity Carly Seelig and Barbara McMurray, from left, paint their names in creative ways on the community art wall at Laguna Art Museum. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Those who donated $250 or more to the museum’s “Every Single One” campaign were invited to paint their names on the outer from longtime museum members to small children Two girls paint happy faces on the community art wall at Laguna Art Museum (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Lea Abel-Stone watched her 5-year-old daughter who attends the Montessori School in Laguna Beach In addition to an array of paint colors and brushes organizers also provided stencils to help guide the community members-turned-muralists “She’s living her best life,” Abel-Stone said Ed and Carole Kim join Barbara McMurray as they paint their names in creative ways on the community art wall (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The campaign has raised $400,000 so far Plans for the money include auditory and accessibility improvements as well as a new paint job for the building and while donors are generally more excited about contributing to programs “We know that the building itself, when the building doesn’t look good, or it doesn’t have some of the accessibility needs inside, then we’re not putting our best foot forward, either. …What you’re seeing here today has raised money to get the building painted.” Perlin Lee added that through the fundraising effort the museum has been able to put new acoustic tiles in the galleries, “because sometimes it’s difficult to hear, especially talking when we have lectures. Music’s great in the museum, but talking is difficult, so we’ve upgraded the acoustics.” Various names and designs are painted on the community art wall at Laguna Art Museum on Saturday. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) It would be a “nice fresh start,” Perlin said of the improvements, adding that there were plans to have added lighting around the building. Just a couple hours into the project Saturday, those walking by the building toward Heisler Park were stopping and taking notice. The community art wall is expected to remain in place for a month. “Some people have said, ‘Well, is this the very end of [the fundraising campaign],’ but the reality is this helps get our message out more than ever,” Perlin Lee said. “Now, people are thinking, ‘What’s going on at the museum?’” Andrew Turner is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. Before joining the Pilot in October 2016, he covered prep sports as a freelancer for the Orange County Register for four years. His work also has been used by the Associated Press and California Rubber Hockey Magazine. While attending Long Beach State, he wrote for the college newspaper, The Daily 49er. He graduated with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history. (714) 966-4611 News Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Print Penelope Elena is a hair suspension artist and insists her practice is not a trick but you actually really hang all your weight from your hair.” Elena has been doing dance and gymnastics since she was 4 years old and at the age of 8 began specializing in contortion She went on to master aerial silks and hoops About seven years ago she began to develop her hair suspension discipline a hair suspension artist featured in the upcoming Cirque du Soleil “Echo” show in Laguna Hills (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Elena is among the talented performers featured in Cirque du Soleil’s “Echo,” coming to Laguna Hills from May 23 to June 29 when the world-renowned circus arts show raises the Big Top at the former site of the Laguna Hills Mall taking place under a large-scale circus tent rather than in a theater or stadium It tells the story of a young girl named Future and her best friend as they explore a fantastical world with a mysterious cube at its center The two friends discover how their actions shape the world while their story celebrates the bond between animals and nature Each Cirque du Soleil show is unique with its own narrative and style and for “Echo,” the creators aimed to build a new modern universe for a Big Top presentation “I think the aesthetics of ‘Echo’ is very different it has a very contemporary design,” Elena said “[The show] is really accessible for all ages,” said Henrik Veres a juggler featured in Cirque du Soleil’s “Echo.” “Every act has something that certain ages can relate to.” Veres began honing his talent at a young age Juggler Henrik Veres and hair suspension artist Penelope Elena are among the performers featured in the upcoming Cirque du Soleil “Echo” show in Laguna Hills (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “I was actually born in a circus family,” Veres said “I am the sixth generation of circus performers in my family.” Veres had focused on the discipline of juggling and was performing in front of a live audience by the time he was 14 He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2018 and has been on tour with “Echo” for two years Elena and Veres spent a recent afternoon visiting various Laguna area landmarks including the beach and the Sawdust Festival Village in full makeup and costume for photos to promote the upcoming show They are excited to bring the tour to Orange County and look forward to inspiring audiences with their very real talent and the “Echo” story Penelope Elena and Henrik Veres carry a surfboard-shaped sign promoting the upcoming Cirque du Soleil “Echo” show in Laguna Hills (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “Every Cirque show has a message and this one kind of has the message that every action causes a reaction,” Veres said “I hope when they watch something like this they get inspired enough to know that everybody matters and doing good deeds in life will bring some good back to you as well.” Most regular tickets for Cirque du Soleil’s “Echo” cost $78 per person, with some shows priced at $68 and the 1 p.m. June 1 show priced at $83. There are also special group rates and VIP packages. Visit cirquedusoleil.com/echo for details. Sarah Mosqueda covers Orange County food, art and culture for TimesOC. She most recently worked as a staff writer in Food for the Los Angeles Times. She also has several years of experience in the restaurant industry, including as a proprietor. Mosqueda earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton. TimesOC Subscribe | Advertise Stu News Laguna Photographer Mary Hurlbut saw an Instagram post by the Laguna Beach Fire Department about a recent fire station tour by a group of students She quickly sent a message asking if she could arrange a field trip for our local homeschool students parents and their children arrived at Fire Station 2 on Agate Street for their 10 a.m Jonah wore his own fire gear and was thrilled when Firefighter/Paramedic Moises Gonzalez showed him the hose stored in the front bumper of the fire engine Visitors got to see the fire station “living room” Firefighter Jeff Zaccaro showed them the “classroom” for the firemen Tatianna Hamm loved how friendly the firemen were and how attentive they were to the kids’ questions “Seeing the LBFD Station 2 was a very memorable experience for my children We all enjoyed sitting inside of the fire truck and we imagined racing through the winding Laguna Beach streets in it and answered my son’s many curious questions.” Firefighter Jeff Zaccaro and Jonah pose together inside the station Carolyn J was grateful for the chance to meet the firefighters I think it’s important to show our little ones who real life superheroes are – and we were given the opportunity to do just that up close and personal with our Laguna Beach Firefighters.” “I would say that the field trip for me was bittersweet I’m so grateful for the opportunity for Lana to tour the facilities and meet these brave and capable humans I was struck by their youth and the enormity of their sacrifices Their living spaces are small and cramped and every day they commit to risk their lives to save others,” said Molly Zurfluehtour “Once our daughter opened up and decided to stop being shy The chance to hangout in and explore both the ambulance and firetruck were a hit I believe it’s so good for the little ones to see how the firefighters (or first responders in general) live in order to cultivate their appreciation and understanding of the safety they provide the public It was fun for the parents as well to see all the smiles; the firefighters were very patient with all the kids,” said Casey Stearnsour Firefighter Jeff Zaccaro and Ambulance Operator Michael Robles gather after a fun and informative morning there was an opportunity for everyone to hold the fire hose We appreciate all that our first responders do for Laguna Beach Shaena Stabler, President & CEO – Shaena@StuNewsLaguna.com Lana Johnson, Editor – Lana@StuNewsLaguna.com Tom Johnson, Publisher – Tom@StuNewsLaguna.com Michael Sterling is our Webmaster & Designer Mary Hurlbut and Scott Brashier are our photographers Suzie Harrison and Theresa Keegan are our writers and/or columnists In Memoriam – Stu Saffer and Barbara Diamond Email: Editor@StuNewsLaguna.com with news releases Email: Shaena@StuNewsLaguna.com for questions about advertising *The content and ads in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the publisher Entry list for fourth round of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season released… A total of 36 cars are set for next weekend’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in the return of the GTD Pro class to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship The field for the May 9-11 round features 11 GTP entries There are a few changes to the entry list since each category’s last respective rounds including Frederik Vesti in for the FIA World Endurance Championship-bound Earl Bamber in the No 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R As announced on Wednesday morning, Marvin Kirchhofer will sub for the still-injured Ben Barnicoat in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD Pro ranks, while Darren Turner steps into the No 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in place of Tom Gamble who will also be on WEC duty at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend Alec Udell will team up with Robert Wickens in the No 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R following Wickens’ GTD debut alongside Tommy Milner at Long Beach Milner is one of four full-season Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports drivers in GTD Pro meanwhile is set for its first GTD sprint start of the year with Onofrio Triarsi and Riccardo Agostini at the wheel May 10 and the two-hour and 40-minute contest set for Sun John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John A look into the life of AWA tire specialist (and baking pro) Ashley Baily.. Bobby Rahal on improvements to BMW Team RLL's execution after recent misses.. Porsche pegged back in latest revision of IMSA's Balance of Performance.. Alec Udell confirmed as Robert Wickens' co-driver in No Ben Barnicoat sidelined for second consecutive IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race… McLaren factory driver Marvin Kirchhofer will sub for Ben Barnicoat in the No 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in next weekend’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca who won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GTD class with Corvette customer squad AWA will join Aaron Telitz in the Vasser Sullivan’s GTD Pro entry for the first two-hour and 40-minute race of the season The 31-year-old German also took part in the full GTD Pro season last year in Pfaff Motorsports’ McLaren 720S GT3 Evo continues his recovery from injuries sustained in a mountain biking accident with no timeline for the Englishman’s return to the cockpit I want to wish a speedy recovery to Ben,” said Kirchhofer “I’ll try my best to be a good replacement in Laguna Seca and TRD for the opportunity to race with them in Laguna Seca I would also like to thank McLaren for letting me pursue this opportunity “I’m very excited to get behind the wheel of the Lexus RC F GT3 and I really hope that we can get a strong result in one of the toughest tracks the series competes at.” Lexus motorsports senior manager Jeff Bal added: “While we continue to wish Ben a speedy recovery we are fortunate to welcome Marvin to the team “He was able to join us for a test at Laguna Seca a few weeks ago and immediately fit right in with the team we know he is more than capable of helping Aaron and the 14 crew bring us another strong finish for Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing.” Toyota-contracted driver Jose Maria Lopez filled in for Barnicoat at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring but is unavailable next weekend due to his FIA World Endurance Championship commitments with Akkodis ASP Team in the LMGT3 ranks with the Lexus RC F GT3 John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John Porsche pegged back in latest revision of IMSA’s Balance of Performance… The Porsche 963 and BMW M Hybrid V8 have both received Balance of Performance hits ahead of next weekend’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Confirmed in the latest Balance of Performance issued by IMSA on Wednesday which has been so far undefeated in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition this year has been given a hefty 11 kW (14.7 hp) reduction in first-stage power While it remains at the same 1049 kg minimum weight as run in Long Beach the second-stage power has been increased by 0.5 percent a 5 kW (6.7 hp) increase in first-stage power but a 2.7 percent decrease in top-end power Both the Acura ARX-06 AND Aston Martin Valkyries to the tune of 7 kW/9.38 hp (Acura) and 13 kw/17.4 hp (Aston) compared to the most recent round at Long Beach with its getting only a 3 kg increase in weight and a 1 kW (1.3 hp) boost in first-stage power The speed threshold between V1 (first stage) and V2 (second stage) power levels has been adjusted to 190 and 200 km/h from 230 to 240 km/h that was used in the first three WeatherTech Championship races The same revised thresholds have been implemented for GTD Pro and GTD competitors with seven of the nine GT3-spec cars undergoing minimum weight adjustments since Long Beach along with power adjustments for all cars except the Porsche 911 GT3 R at V2 levels John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John Entry list for fourth round of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season released.. Men's and women's medalists pose for photos during the awarding ceremony at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Eylon Elazar of Israel competes during the men's final match between Lubos Nemec/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia and Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov of of Israel at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Lubos Nemec (R) of Slovakia competes during the men's final match between Lubos Nemec/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia and Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov of of Israel at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Kevin Cuzmiciov (R) of Israel competes during the men's final match between Lubos Nemec/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia and Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov of of Israel at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Gold medalists Lubos Nemec (R)/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia pose for photos during the men's awarding ceremony at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Eylon Elazar (R) of Israel competes against Adrian Petruf of Slovakia during the men's final match between Lubos Nemec/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia and Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov of of Israel at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Lubos Nemec (R)/Adrian Petruf of Slovakia celebrate winning the men's final match against Eylon Elazar/Kevin Cuzmiciov of of Israel at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province Gold medalists Shaunna Marie Polley (L)/Olivia Macdonald of New Zealand pose for photos during the women's awarding ceremony at the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Laguna Province He placed second in CIF Southern Section Division 1 as a freshman and sophomore, winning the Division 2 title last year as a junior. Make that back-to-back crowns for Shipp, who repeated as Division 2 boys’ diving champion on Wednesday at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo. He scored 565.80 points, edging out second-place Braeden Valenzuela of San Juan Hills (555.10). “The meet was really well run and I had some tough but fun competition,” said Shipp, a Harvard commit who also competes for Crown Valley Divers, in an email. “My friend and teammate Braeden set the bar really high and smoked every one of his dives. I can’t wait to see him take the top spot next year.” Newport Harbor girls’ divers Nikka Asgarian, Violet Carone and Corinna Ruffini each earned top 10 finishes at the CIF Southern Section Divison 1 diving finals on Thursday. (Courtesy of Fanak Asgarian) Newport Harbor also had some female divers who were up to the task at the Division 1 finals Thursday. Junior Corinna Ruffini finished in second place, followed by teammates Violet Carone in fifth and Nikka Asgarian in eighth. Ruffini, a University of Houston commit who was fifth in Division 1 last year, scored 526.40, just behind El Segundo freshman Reilly Stebbins (528.05). She also competes for Coast Divers. Edison sophomore Allison McNichols finished seventh in Division 1 on the girls’ side, while Chargers senior Ian Dieh placed third on the boys’ side. Each of the aforementioned local divers has qualified for the boys and girls state qualifier Tuesday at Mt. San Antonio College at 2 p.m. The top six at that meet will qualify for the CIF State Championship meet on May 17 at Clovis West High. Matt Szabo covers the city of Huntington Beach and sports for the Daily Pilot. A Southern California native and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, he has been working for L.A. Times Community News since 2006 and still loves talking to people about their hopes and dreams. Sports 2025) – Practice and qualifying have concluded for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series National and Western Championships at the Mission Foods Laguna Seca SpeedTour at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro earned his first pole award of 2025 setting a new qualifying record with a best lap time of 1:26.330 2 Guthrie’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro) by a mere 32-thousandths of a second a lot of fun; the cars were really fast,” said Matos after qualifying “We're going about two seconds faster than last time we were here so I'm quite happy with the performance of the No the Silver Hare boys are doing a tremendous job prepping the car but definitely looking forward to getting a win here tomorrow.” Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang took the pole for the Western Championship Full TA2 qualifying results can be found here Full TA2 Practice results can be found here Aston Martin legend to join Casper Stevenson in Heart of Racing Vantage GT3 Evo at Laguna Seca… Darren Turner will sub for Tom Gamble in the No 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo in next weekend’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will team up with full season driver Casper Stevenson in the GTD class entry who will be on FIA World Endurance Championship duty with the team at Spa-Francorchamps that weekend who will be making his first WeatherTech Championship start since winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona in GTD with the team in 2023 is part of Heart of Racing’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS program this year It will mark his first start at Laguna Seca since 2013 “It’s been a long time since I last raced at Laguna but it’s a super enjoyable circuit,” said Turner “My last IMSA race was Daytona 2023 with the Heart of Racing where we won the GTD class it’s super impressive and it will be my first time out with the GTP class “I’ll be teamed up with Casper for the first time he’s a super talented driver and it’s exciting to be teamed up with a youngster that’s already doing a great job in the championship.” Stevenson enters the weekend sitting third in the GTD standings following podium finishes at Daytona and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring The team has not yet confirmed Gamble’s replacement for the second clashing WeatherTech Championship/WEC weekend in July John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John Unlocked: Jai Glindeman’s Stab Edit Of The Year Entry Stab Interview: WSL CEO Ryan Crosby On The Tectonic Shifts Coming To The Championship Tour Isabella Nichols + Jack Robinson Win Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach The 7 Personality Types That Get Waves In Any Lineup The Electric Acid Surfboard Test With Dave Rastovich Quiksilver three-peats “Saturn” and “Repeater” with a new full-length film with all their A-listers are proof that a mainstream surf brand can still produce the best films in 2025 all we as surf fans care about is if a brand invests its cash into creating films And though “Washed” is similar to Quik’s past films it’s different for one key reason: they ditched the format of different sections based on location and instead separated the film into surfer-specific sections à la throwback movies like Innersection or the Momentum movies This creates a different energy to the movie and creates star-making moments like Microdose star Lungi Slabb’s breakout section and guttural “wows” in the theatre The format also makes it possible to highlight surfers who simply do not have the time for freesurf trips This is Kanoa’s first proper freesurf section since the Young Gun films of yore “Washed” also features bespoke sections from cult favorites and still-risings surfers like: Hughie Vaughan it’s 30 minutes of A+ footage from some of surfing’s favorite sons The public release date for “Washed” is still TBD We’ll keep you posted when it’s on the airwaves Vasser Sullivan Racing has announced that Marvin Kirchhöfer will drive the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 in next week’s Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Kirchhöfer will share the #14 Lexus with co-driver Aaron Telitz as Lexus factory driver Ben Barnicoat continues to recover from injuries sustained in a mountain biking accident the German driver took the GTD class win in this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona for AWA Normally a McLaren factory GT driver – just days removed from finishing third in the British GT Silverstone 500 – Kirchhöfer has once again received approval to represent Lexus in this relief appearance and tested with Vasser Sullivan at Laguna Seca earlier this month to prepare I want to wish a speedy recovery to Ben (Barnicoat) I’ll try my best to be a good replacement in Laguna Seca,” Kirchhöfer said today I’m very excited to get behind the wheel of the Lexus RC F GT3 and I really hope that we can get a strong result in one of the toughest tracks the series competes at.” Kirchhöfer drove in last year’s Monterey SportsCar Championship for Pfaff Motorsports and finished second in GTD PRO the best result for Pfaff’s troubled campaign with the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO “While we continue to wish Ben a speedy recovery we are fortunate to welcome Marvin to the team,” added Jeff Bal The #14 Lexus is still looking for its first top-ten finish in GTD PRO this year Co-driver Telitz is currently tenth in the GTD PRO standings but finished third in GTD during the Grand Prix of Long Beach Feature image © Vasser Sullivan / Lexus Racing Author: © 2023 dailysportscar.com. All Rights Reserved. Link Digital The Laguna Beach City Council adopted the new ordinance in March in response to complaints from residents in a senior living facility dubbed Vista Aliso who say the sound of pickleball matches at nearby Lang Park cause them severe anxiety and stress. Pickleball players at Lang Park will have to pony up about $100 each to switch to quieter paddles. If they fail to do so, the ordinance says, players can face a citation. Pickleball is similar to tennis except the court is smaller, the ball is plastic and perforated and the paddles are not as big as tennis rackets. The adoption of the new ordinance did not please everyone on both sides of the pickleball feud. Travel & Experiences New padel centers are cropping up around the county: Padel Up at Westfield Century City, Pura Padel L.A. in Sherman Oaks and at the courts at L.A. Galaxy Park in Carson. The council has already reduced the hours that pickleball can be played in the park and has built a fence around the park to block noise. “While I am supportive of this quiet paddle ordinance as a compromise, I support expanding the hours at Lang Park,” Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi said in a statement to The Times. “Pickleball is a life-changing sport for so many that brings community together, and I’m committed to creating more recreational opportunities for our town.” Some seniors at Vista Aliso said the ordinance would not do enough to mitigate the noise issues, while members of the pickleball community said they are tired of the council giving the seniors so much favorable treatment. The law “will be ineffective,” said Susana Cruciana, a resident of Vista Aliso, who has argued the pickleball courts should be moved entirely. “They will continue to create a hostile environment,” she said. Pickleball players have yelled and insulted her for complaining about the noise, Cruciana said. “Allegations that I hate children, outdoor sports or laughter are ludicrous and false. Unlike general traffic noise or other park activities, the noise from pickleball is high-pitched and excessive,” she said. But pickleball players have volleyed back. “The pickleball players have acquiesced to losing days, spending 24k on new paddles. … I’m not quite sure what the gal behind me has acquiesced to,” said Hillary Caston, referring to one of the complaining Vista Aliso residents. Caston called on the council to bring back some of the play hours that pickleball players lost due to the complaints. The council closed the courts to pickleball on Mondays and reduced the hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. California A bluff collapsed in Laguna Beach on Friday morning sending private staircases crashing to the sand and prompting officials to cordon off a section of Thousand Steps Beach “I think we’ve come to the point where as pickleball players we’ve acquiesced enough … It’s time to recognize this is our community,” Caston said In the long term, City Councilmember Sue Kempf told the Orange County Register the council is considering moving the pickleball courts farther away from the senior living facility Battles over the noise from pickleball courts have raged from coast to coast as the game took off in popularity over the last decade. In 2020, 4.8 million people played the sport at least once, a 40% increase from just two years earlier. Lawsuits have been filed over the noise associated with the game all across the country. Researchers say that the sound of a solid pickleball being struck can be 25 decibels louder than the loudest tennis racket strike. “The medical effects of this are so profound and people don’t understand it, but it triggers a fight-or-flight response that triggers all kinds of stress hormones,” said Nalini Lasiewicz, who runs a nonprofit called Pickleball Noise Relief that has helped conduct studies on the harmful effects the sounds of pickleball can have on nearby residents. Lasiewicz testified last month at the City Council hearing about the quiet paddles, saying they did not do enough to address the harm to seniors. “Even when the players stop hitting, people who suffer from this syndrome continue to hear the noise even when it’s not happening,” she said. Noah Goldberg covers Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked on its breaking news team and has also written an array of offbeat enterprise stories. Before joining The Times in 2022, Goldberg worked in New York City as the Brooklyn courts reporter for the New York Daily News and as the criminal justice reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle. He graduated from Vassar College. World & Nation Sporting Kansas City have acquired forward Santiago Muñoz on loan from LIGA MX side Santos Laguna The 22-year-old's deal lasts through the remainder of the 2025 season Munoz tallied 6g/6a in 81 games for Santos He was previously loaned to Premier League side Newcastle United scoring once in nine games with their U-21s The US-born Mexican youth international featured prominently at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup and participated in Conacaf Men's Olympic Qualifiers as well Muñoz joins Sporting KC shortly after they mutually parted ways with longtime manager Peter Vermes and named Kerry Zavagnin interim coach Through nine matchdays, Sporting KC are 13th in the Western Conference and looking to return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Their top scorers are forwards Dejan Joveljić and Dániel Sallói READ MORE: MLS Transfer Tracker presented by Avant Print Laguna Beach waited longer than expected for its annual Arbor Day celebration but dozens took part in the educational activities available at Aliso Beach Park on Thursday afternoon It marked the eighth annual ceremony held by the city which has traditionally included a native tree planting a California sycamore was planted in the ground but everything’s prepped and then all the kids helped out with putting all the dirt in there,” said Matthew Barker Kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach help plant a California sycamore as part of the city’s Arbor Day ceremony on Thursday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The lessons shared along the way included tamping down the soil Community organizations were also there to share their knowledge of environmental matters Among the groups in attendance were Citizens’ Climate Education Pacific Marine Mammal Center and Village Laguna Public works personnel and West Coast Arborists as were the Friends of the Hortense Miller Garden and the Laguna Beach chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Volunteers with Citizens Climate Education work with a youngster packing soil at an Arbor Day celebration in Laguna Beach (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “It was a great turnout,” Barker said We partner with the Laguna Beach Boys & Girls Club they’ll do environmental activities leading up to [Arbor Day] and then they come and enjoy all the activities and crafts and giveaways and prizes and games that all the exhibitors put on for the kids “I work with the Laguna Beach Unified School District where many of the Boys & Girls Club kids attend one of those schools and we do a youth art contest.” The prizes included a Lomi kitchen compost appliance for the first-place winner with bonsai juniper trees going to those that earned honorable mention Tiny succulents on display during an Arbor Day celebration at Aliso Beach Park in Laguna Beach on Thursday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “The winner did a watercolor painting on canvas of a fantastical tree island — like a floating tree island,” Barker said and then a couple others did some really unique drawings so the work that they do is quite impressive for kids that age.” The event was held at Boat Canyon Park last year. Barker, who started in his position in February 2021, said he tries to move the tree planting ceremony around to account for trees that had to be removed. Last year, a non-native pine that died was replaced with a Torrey pine Laguna Beach had planned to host its Arbor Day event on March 6 It was rescheduled to align with the national Arbor Day date Two kids help move dirt for a California sycamore planting during an Arbor Day celebration at Aliso Beach Park. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) NewsLaguna Beach Andrew Turner Follow Us Before a crowd of his creative peers and other purveyors of the arts Neeley received the Artist of the Year award on Wednesday at the 17th annual Art Star Awards in his hometown I dreamt of coming to Laguna Beach and joining this amazing art colony I opened my first gallery on PCH in North Laguna gallery row “I joined the Festival of Arts and exhibited proudly for 12 years and felt like I’m becoming part of this amazing art community.’ … Last year I was very honored to be the first decorative art exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum I’ve met so many wonderful friends and patrons that have supported my art and a deep thank you for this and for this community to continue to focus [on] and support the arts.” Winners of the Art Star Awards gather for a group picture (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The other nominees were Piper Bangs and Andrew Myers who graduated from the Laguna College of Art and Design with a degree in drawing and painting in 2024 with another exhibiting engagement in Seoul Myers was nominated after showing “Life in Translation” in a Honarkar Foundation exhibit. The artwork displayed versatility across the mediums of painting, screw art He recently opened a gallery on Forest Avenue Art Star Awards emcee Chris Quilter makes remarks on Wednesday at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Chris Quilter, a longtime writer for local parody production Lagunatics held annually by the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance the show could not go on without some well-placed jokes including shots he took at his own artistic credentials “They’ve been limited to largely writing for Lagunatics — for 20 very odd years,” Quilter said. “Now, we don’t know a lot about art, but we know what we like to poke fun at. We accuse the Pageant [of the Masters] of standing still artistically Jean Stern was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement award Stern has served as the director emeritus of the Irvine Museum senior curator of UC Irvine’s Institute and Museum of California Art and as a curatorial fellow at Laguna Art Museum accepts the Best Arts Program award from presenter Sharbie Higuchi (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “I am deeply sorry that my wife as I am writing this from my hospital bed,” Stern said in remarks read by Victoria Gerard I am grateful and reassured by the LBAA’s dynamic and active organizations that Laguna Beach will continue its significant role in the arts of California.” The evening also featured live caricature drawings of guests, as well as a display of some of the handiwork worn on the runway during the Laguna Art Museum’s upcycled couture fashion show the Laguna Beach Community Jazz Band set the mood with its live performance from the stage receive the Arts Patron of the Year honor at the Art Star Awards (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Arts Patron of the Year went to Faye and Wayne Baglin both of whom have served on the board of numerous arts organizations in the community The Outstanding Arts Collaboration honor went to Laguna College of Art and Design which worked together to put on a speaker series called Creativity Flow The winners went home with a “Louie,” the name given to the sculpted works of local artist Louis Longi handed out as trophies. Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here I read Howard Hills’ recent letter with concern While he says he ran for School Board to “support enhanced education capacities,” much of what he wrote reads more like someone who ran to fight the old board rather than focus on students He accuses the former board of “sabotage,” “bizarre” legal interpretations and a failure to act “for the kids.” He even describes the upcoming hiring of a new superintendent as a “breakthrough in restoration” – as if our schools have been broken for years That kind of language doesn’t sound student-focused Hills also claims that “critics predicted the former board’s erratic termination of the former superintendent…created so much controversy the best candidates would not apply,” and then simply says “those predictions proved false,” without offering any evidence He repeatedly said that concerns would be addressed in the board governance workshop I saw no meaningful resolution to the governance issues he often mentions the meeting reinforced the need for collaboration and professionalism the consultant from Leadership Associates clearly stated that board members should refrain from writing letters to the editor yet Hills has chosen to ignore that guidance just days later It raises questions about whether he’s truly interested in unity or just continuing division The role of a school board member should be about building trust Instead of focusing on how the “old board” handled things why not focus on how we can all support teachers Hills says his goals are to reverse delegation to the superintendent and restore governance protocols But what I don’t see in this letter is a clear plan for improving student outcomes Public education should not be used as a platform to fight political battles Newsom’s tariff lawsuit will be good for Laguna I support Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit against the administration Not because I am a native Californian or a lifelong Democrat; rather it’s based on my assessment that Donald Trump’s “tariffpalooza” will wreak havoc on the Golden State’s – and by extension – Laguna’s economy My hope is many business owners in town will end up agreeing with me