The photo of the year is the culmination of two years of teamwork – our first win & best team finish in PCCNA at the Road Atlanta season finale. We didn’t know it at the time but this would be Greg’s final race, he went out a winner.

The second photo captures Greg in his element – on grid just before going green. His energy in these moments calmed and motivated us all. This photo is all time, thank you Camden Thrasher.

The third photo was taken at sunrise pre-Sebring test – a retro style shot used to announce our partnership with Deluxe. This style photo is classic Porsche and will always be a personal favorite for the sense of occasion and simplicity.

From here, we have the first PCCNA street race at Long Beach, “Double Deluxe” at Road America followed by the epic rain start of Race 2 a day later. The big red X of Dimitri’s #11 on the front row!

This photo captures the moment after Leh’s final race for the team at Indy. His contribution to the team is beyond words and means the world to us, we’ll cheeRS to that.

Leh’s move was part of our plan to introduce Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich as driver of #12 for the season finale. He delivered on every level and we’re proud to call he & Sophie friends. His performance was one for the ages, overcoming a brake failure to fight another day and capture our first win.

As we look to the new year, these moments (and so many more) will motivate us while we pause for 2023. Greg Fordahl left massive shoes to fill, so we take this time to regroup and game plan in order to honor him on our next mission. 

Thank you to every individual & partner that have made these past two seasons in PCCNA a success. We can’t tag everyone! Best of luck to each PCCNA team & driver in 2023, we’ll be watching!! It’s not goodbye, but see you later.

-Ryan Gates, Team Principal 311RS Motorsport.

The post 2022 Photo of the Year + Memorable Moments appeared first on 311RS Motorsport.

He was our Team Engineer, but was so much more than that. Greg was an absolute legend in the sport having won just about everything in sports car racing. He was a class act and always had a great story to tell and wisdom to share.

Greg was a founding member of our team and we’ll be forever grateful to him for the mark he left on all of us. Our final memory with Greg was at Road Atlanta where he orchestrated an amazing comeback to win the last race of the season, our first as a team.

Forever a winner, RIP Greg Fordahl.

Click this Link to full gallery of Greg Fordahl with 311RS Motorsport.

The post Remembering Greg Fordahl appeared first on 311RS Motorsport.

September 30th, 2022 – Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich drove the #12 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup of 311RS Motorsport to victory at Road Atlanta, the team’s first race win in PCCNA.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America delivered an exciting finale to it’s second season during Petit LeMans weekend at Road Atlanta. In qualifying, both Deluxe-sponsored drivers positioned themselves in the top 10, with Laurin putting the #12 on Pole for both races with a 1:20.0 and Dimitri Dimakos qualifying P6 & P7 with a 1:21.4 for the final two races of the season.

Action began from the start of Race 1, with Laurin opening up a gap out front in an impressive display of speed. While leading with a 6sec gap to P2,  Laurin experienced a brake failure on Lap 14 that sent him spinning into the wall outside Turn 1. A scary moment to witness, but thankfully both driver & car were ok and the team would be ready to fight in Race 2.

Dimitri’s race start was also eventful, however for a different reason. An infraction for moving lanes before the starting line sent him through the pits for a drive-through penalty. He fought forward from the back of the field to finish P14 and secure 2 championship points.

Time spent repairing the cars overnight proved to be well worth the effort in Race 2. Laurin again built a gap up front to start the 40min race, while Dimitri showed patience and good judgement to move up to P4 a few laps in.

Both drivers would hold their positions to the end of the race, with Laurin finishing nearly 9sec ahead of P2 to secure the team it’s first PCCNA victory. The 1-4 result is the team’s best finish to date, ending the 2022 season on a high note for all involved.

Qualifying:

• #11 Dimitri Dimakos – P6
• #12 Laurin Heinrich – P1

Race 1:

• #11 Dimitri Dimakos – P14
• #12 Laurin Heinrich – DNF

Race 2:

• #11 Dimitri Dimakos – P4
• #12 Laurin Heinrich – P1

On top of it all, we had our partners from Deluxe on hand. It’s always a pleasure to meet new “Deluxers” and show them around the paddock

We enjoy providing the opportunity for them to sit in the #11 & #12 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars. There’s nothing like your first race car! Thanks to everyone from Deluxe who came out to support the team and be apart of this special moment, we couldn’t have done it without your support.

Download press release below.

311RS Motorsport_Press Release_Deluxe Wins at Road Atlanta

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Fresh from finishing third in the 2022 Porsche Supercup championship at Monza, Laurin Heinrich traveled to USA for a two-day test at Road Atlanta in preparation for the PCCNA Finale on September 28-30th, 2022. Laurin will compete as part of Porsche’s Invitational program alongside Dimitri Dimakos in the Deluxe-sponsored Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars under the 311RS Motorsport tent.

Ryan Gates, Team Principal at 311RS Motorsport –  “We were honored to welcome Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich to Road Atlanta for  two days of testing last week. He is a true testament to the quality of Porsche’s Junior Program and we are proud to have him join the team for the PCCNA finale at Road Atlanta.”

“It is bittersweet to not see Leh driving his signature red Deluxe #12 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup at his home track, but Leh has done a great job helping to install Laurin with the team and knows the #12 is in good hands. We cannot thank him enough for pouring his heart into the team these past two seasons.”

“All of us at 311RS Motorsport aim to maximize this opportunity for our drivers and partners, giving it everything we have to finish Season Two of PCCNA strong.”

Laurin Heinrich, Porsche Junior driver – “Racing my first event in the US is a dream come true for me. Together with 311RS Motorsport and Deluxe I‘m looking forward to competing in the PCCNA Finale at the end of September. I can’t imagine a better place than Road Atlanta to realize my dream.“

Leh Keen, Driver at 311RS Motorsport – “Since day 1 I feel like I’ve been more than just a driver at 311RS Motorsport. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of building the team and not only driving the car. Our original plan was for me to drive only a portion of the races this year, I actually ended up driving more races because of Laurin’s busy schedule in Europe.“

“I’m enjoying Laurin coming in driving the #12 and my duties for the team in a different way just as much as driving the car. I’m really excited for the team to bring someone in of the caliber that Laurin is. We had a wonderful test and I see why the factory has taken him under their wing. Now it’s time to really focus on executing for the race weekend.”

Greg Fordahl, Engineer at 311RS Motorsport – “It was a pleasure to work with Laurin Heinrich, the Porsche Factory Junior driver at our recent test that was conducted at Road Atlanta. Laurin was quick and incredibly consistent in all sessions that included both qualifying and race simulations. He was a great help to Dimitri Dimakos, driver of our #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup by reviewing data and setup changes with him. We made great progress on our setup and feel ready for the upcoming Road Atlanta event.”

Follow along with the team – @311RSMotorsport as it heads to the season finale of PCCNA at Road Atlanta on September 28-30th, 2022

311RS Motorsport Press Release | Laurin Heinrich to USA

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09/05/2022 – 311RS Motorsport  delivers fans unprecedented team access during Porsche’s Sportscar Together festival.

Round 7 of Porsche Carrera Cup North America headed to the “Racing Capital of the World”, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Well-known for hosting the Indy 500, it was an honor for the Deluxe drivers to create their own memories at “The Brickyard” with 35+ Porsche 992 GT3 Cups, including special guest NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon competing with PCCNA for the first time.

A highlight of Porsche’s Sportscar Together festival is the unique fan interaction during the event. 311RS Motorsport hosted two “Master Class” garage tours to Porsche VIPs and lucky Porsche Club of America members. These 30 minute events gave fans an in-depth look at the Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cups hosted by the drivers themselves. Fans received commemorative Deluxe team gear, produced by Deluxe as part of our partnership.

The action on track at Indy was non-stop in both races. Race 1 started on a wet, but drying track so the cars started on Michelin Dry Weather tires. Both #11 & #12 Deluxe drivers ran in the top 10 during the race until contact forced the #11 of Dimitri Dimakos back to 16th. Leh Keen in the #12 finished P6.

Race 2 was even more intense, with the Deluxe Porsches running 5th & 6th when an incident ahead caused chaos for the entire field. A driver behind misjudged a braking zone during the chaos and spun Dimitri in the #11 around, sending him to the back of the field. This made for an exciting charge back through the field in the final 20 minutes resulting in a Top 10 finish, with Leh Keen in the #12 finishing in the Top 5.

Qualifying:

• #11 Dimitri – P11
• #12 Leh Keen – P6

Race 1:

• #11 Dimitri – P16
• #12 Leh Keen – P6

Race 2:

• #11 Dimitri – P10
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Quote from Dimitri, driver of the #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup “Big thanks to the @311rsmotorsport team and @deluxecorp for making the Porsche Sportscar Together Fest a success! As always, I truly appreciate all my family and friends who came out to support”

Quote from Leh, driver of the #12 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup “Indianapolis delivered another great PCCNA race weekend, especially with all the fans supporting the @deluxecorp Porsche 992 GT3 Cups in our garage!! Thanks @311rsmotorsport.”

Follow along with the team as it heads to the season finale of PCCNA at Road Atlanta on September 29-30th, 2022

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This quote from Ferris Bueller rang especially true earlier this week as we had the #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup on the streets of downtown Minneapolis for Deluxe’s annual board meeting.

A factory-built race car placed in the center of downtown Minneapolis during rush hour made for quite the scene. What’s funny, is this is not the first time we’ve had the #11 in a downtown setting – earlier this season we attended Deluxe’s Sale Kick Off event in Dallas, TX.

“Uber for Deluxe is here.” Team Principal, Ryan Gates, was on hand to show the Deluxe board members around the amazing new Porsche 992 GT3 Cup.

There is no preparing yourself for the first time you meet a factory race car. The pure purpose-built functionality & technology mixed with the smells & sounds are unlike anything else. We enjoy these moments as it reminds us of earlier last season when we met the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup for the first time.

In this photo Ryan disccusses the #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup with Deluxe CMO, Heather Teskey. She was involved in the design process and made the final call to go with the all black with big red “X” livery. It was cool to see her reaction to seeing the car in person, a proud moment for all involved.

In the end, it’s all about the people and we’re lucky to be surrounded by wonderful people not only on our team and with Porsche, but also our partners at Deluxe. Pictured here is Dan Niccum VP of Business Development at Deluxe, Cheryl E. Mayberry McKissack Chairwoman of the Deluxe Board of Directors, and Barry McCarthy CEO of Deluxe.

We would like to thank all the Deluxers who have played a role in making this partnership with Porsche a reality. We are proud to represent this historic MN-based company with our team. Here’s to creating more memories together.

Accelerate your business with Deluxe

Photos: Courtesy of Peter Lapinski

The post 2022 Deluxe Board Meeting appeared first on 311RS Motorsport.

Round 6 of Porsche Carrera Cup North America took place in Elkhart Lake at Road America, known as “America’s National Park of Speed”. This 4.1mi national treasure is the team’s home track, and with Deluxe bringing 20+ employees and clients, we chose to celebrate the occasion with a second Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup.

In addition to the #11 Deluxe Porsche of Dimitri Dimakos, the #12 of Leh Keen made it’s debut as part of the Deluxe Porsche team. Both drivers were firmly in the top 10 to start the weekend and in good position for a solid showing in front of the Deluxe Porsche family.

Road America delivered great racing with 35 Porsche 992 GT3 Cups on track together for each race. Race 1 took place on Saturday under the warm summer sun, with the Deluxe Porsches finishing P5 & P8 at the end of the 40min race.

Sunday’s race was a different story, as rain overnight made for an intense wet race. The #11 Deluxe Porsche of Dimitri ran in P3 for most of the race until late race contact injured the car – Dimitri brought the car home in P7. The #12 of Leh Keen pushed his way through the field up to as high as P5. An incident in the tricky conditions earned the #12 a drive through penalty, ending Leh’s race up front.

Qualifying:

• #11 Dimitri – P5
• #12 Leh Keen – P10

Race 1:

• #11 Dimitri – P5
• #12 Leh Keen – P8

Race 2:

• #11 Dimitri – P7
• #12 Leh Keen – P13

Quote from Dimitri, driver of the #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup “All smiles from our end after an exciting event at Road America. A little bad luck in the last race, but took away some great knowledge and had fun with the @311rsmotorsport team by my side. Thank you to the whole team and everybody who came out and supported us, it means the world to me.”

Quote from Leh, driver of the #12 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup “Exciting weekend with highs and lows! The # 12 has never looked better now rocking the X @deluxecorp. Thanks @311rsmotorsport“

The Deluxe family of employees and clients visited the 311RS Motorsport team in the pits to meet the drivers, sit in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars, and take a drive on the team’s GPX racing simulator. Each member of the Deluxe family received team gear to celebrate the occasion, which was produced by Deluxe as part of our partnership.

Click here to learn more about our partnership with Deluxe

Watch the exciting Race 2 from Road America below. Follow along with the team as it heads to Round 7 of PCCNA at Indianapolis Motor Speedway  on September 2-4th, 2022 – @311RSMotorsport

The post Round 6: Road America appeared first on 311RS Motorsport.

Watkins Glen is the home of PCCNA Round 4. A track known for it’s “old school” look and feel, with long flowing corners and endless elevation. It would be Dimitri’s first time at the track, however his ability to learn on the fly combined with Leh’s experience at Watkins (won the Sahlen’s 6hr with Brumos in 2011) meant the team were confident we’d be up to speed from the get go.

Qualifying:

• #11 Dimitri – P9
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Race 1:

• #11 Dimitri – P10
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Race 2:

• #11 Dimitri – P8
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Both drivers showed great pace in the races. Leh in the #12 battled with P3 & P4 the entire time. While the #11 Deluxe Porsche of Dimitri had his Race 1 compromised with an incident on Lap 1, he showed composure all weekend and brought the car home in the points in both races.

PCCNA is headed to Canada for Round 5, however due to Canadian entry requirements, our team will not be attending. While unfortunate, our team is not alone in this situation. Our focus is on Round 6 at Road America on August 6-8th – Dimitri’s “home track” and one that Leh podiumed at in 2021.

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Whenever we are back in MN, we try find new ways to promote the team and our partners. In this case, we reached out to the team at Porsche Minneapolis to discuss the possibility of displaying the #11 Deluxe Porsche 992 GT3 Cup on the show floor.

With Deluxe also being MN-based, the conversation was easy and the next day we had the car on display. Please enjoy a series of images from MN’s own Peter Lapinski. Thank you to the team at Porsche Minneapolis, Deluxe, and Peter Lapinski for making this happen.

The post Deluxe at Porsche Minneapolis appeared first on 311RS Motorsport.

This event marks PCCNA’s first trip to the famous Laguna Seca, in picturesque Monterey, California. Known for the “corkscrew”, a left-right combo with a two story drop thrown in for good measure. The team was excited for this event following a good test. Both Leh & the guys on the team have plenty of experience here which meant full steam ahead.

Qualifying:

• #11 Dimitri – P6
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Race 1:

• #11 Dimitri – P10
• #12 Leh Keen – P14

Race 2:

• #11 Dimitri – P6
• #12 Leh Keen – P5

Both cars were quick but faced issues in Race 1 – in the #11 Deluxe Porsche, Dimitri became tangled with another car on lap 3 which caused a spin. He fought back through the field to a solid P10. Leh in the #12 finished in P4 after a great battle for P3, however failed post-race inspection when the LF camber slipped and caused the ride height to be 0.5mm too low. Race 2 was a bit smoother with the boys finishing nose to tail in P5 & P6.

Our first technical infraction, it hurts, but we know it was a fluke and we turn our attention to Round 4 at Watkins Glen. Watch the latest BEHIND THE WALL to see how it all played out at Laguna Seca.

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