World Of SimRacing Team left Laguna Seca with more than just another trophy. In the GTP class of the JRT Course De Monterey, the No. 51 Cadillac V-Series.R GTP reclaimed control after a turbulent middle phase and turned it into a commanding 25.480-second victory, its second win in the last three races and the tenth GTP class win in team history.
On a narrow 2.24-mile circuit with 11 turns and little margin for error, the race became a test of patience, discipline and execution. World Of SimRacing had to wrestle control away from Delta Racing after the caution, withstand a late push from Tri-State Racing, and then stretch clear when it mattered most.
A familiar force at Laguna Seca
The No. 51 Cadillac continues to build a strong legacy at Laguna Seca. After winning here in 2025, World Of SimRacing returned in 2026 and delivered again, reinforcing its status as the benchmark in GTP competition. The victory also erased the sting of Sebring, where the team finished 10th, its worst result since early 2024.
That rebound carries extra weight in a season that has become wide open. Four races have now produced four different winners in GTP, and only 180 points separate the top four in the standings. Compared to last year’s margins, the fight at the front has tightened considerably.
Delta leads early, then loses control
Delta Racing set the early tone. Douglas Souza claimed pole position with a 1:13.136 lap, the first GTP pole of his career, and backed it up by leading the opening stint. The No. 12 BMW M Hybrid V8 looked composed and in control, building a gap at the front while chaos began to unfold behind.
Geordi Vermeulen quickly moved the No. 25 Tri-State Racing BMW forward from eighth to fifth, while early mistakes dropped others back. The No. 20 Bravo Snow Schatten BMW spun and fell down the order, and the debuting No. 137 Gamma Sim Racing Ferrari also lost ground after an early error.
The race turned 39 minutes in when the only full-course yellow was called. The caution lasted 20 minutes and reshuffled the entire GTP field. During the pit cycle, the No. 12 lost control of the race, dropping from first to ninth, while the No. 51 vaulted into the lead.
From that moment on, the balance shifted. Álvaro Martínez took control under caution, and although the No. 25 briefly grabbed the lead on lap 70, Dani Fonte reclaimed it on lap 83 and never looked back.
Tri-State delivers another statement drive
The No. 25 Tri-State Racing BMW once again showed that consistency can rival outright speed. Starting eighth, the team climbed through the field, briefly led the race, and ultimately secured second place, its second consecutive runner-up finish after Sebring.
It was a measured drive built on discipline. The team avoided trouble, managed traffic cleanly, and executed the strategy without mistakes. In a race where many competitors stumbled, that approach proved decisive.
The result also strengthened Tri-State’s position in the Sprint Cup standings, moving them into third place and firmly into the championship conversation.
Delta’s opportunity slips away
For Delta Racing, the race told a different story. The No. 12 had the pace to win, but the caution period unraveled its afternoon. A pacing procedure mistake under yellow led to a warning, and the pit sequence dropped the car deep into the field.
From there, the race became a struggle to recover. Additional setbacks, including incident-related penalties and traffic complications, prevented any realistic chance of returning to the front. The No. 12 eventually finished fifth, two laps down, a result that did not reflect its early dominance.
The sister No. 21 Delta Racing BMW also faced a difficult race. A pre-race penalty forced it to start from the pit lane, and a later 120-second post-race penalty for a procedural violation further impacted its result. Despite this, the team managed to finish seventh.
Penalties shape the final order
Laguna Seca was as much about discipline as it was about speed, and several entries paid the price for mistakes. The No. 7 VSR Competición Porsche received a 180-second post-race penalty for avoidable contact after failing to serve a required in-race penalty, followed by an additional 60-second penalty later in the race.
The No. 32 Wastegate Racing Ferrari also received a 180-second post-race penalty after contact with the No. 137 Gamma Sim Racing Ferrari, further compounding a difficult period for San José, California based outfit.
The No. 554 RedLab Competizione Porsche was handed multiple penalties for separate incidents, including contact at Turn 4 and a later dive-bomb attempt at Turn 11. The No. 123 Twin Turn SR by Debeka Bornheim Porsche received a 60-second penalty for an unsafe rejoin after reversing across the racing line.
Additional penalties and warnings were issued throughout the field, reinforcing how costly even small mistakes can be in GTP competition.
Porsche struggles continue
Porsche’s challenges in the GTP class continued at Laguna Seca. The highest-finishing Porsche was the No. 554 in sixth, followed by the No. 123 in eighth, the No. 55 in ninth, and the No. 7 in tenth.
Across the season so far, Porsche entries have struggled to convert pace into results, with only two top-five finishes prior to this race. Laguna Seca did little to change that trend.
Top ten reflects a race of attrition
Behind the winning No. 51 Cadillac and the No. 25 BMW in second, the No. 10 Vision 1 Motorsports Ferrari completed the podium in third, one lap down. The No. 96 Albrecht Motorsports Cadillac finished fourth, also one lap down, maintaining a strong championship position.
The No. 12 Delta Racing BMW finished fifth, followed by the No. 554 RedLab Competizione Porsche in sixth. The No. 21 Delta Racing BMW secured seventh, ahead of the No. 123 Twin Turn SR by Debeka Bornheim Porsche in eighth.
Ninth place went to the No. 55 PAX Simsport Porsche, while the No. 7 VSR Competición Porsche rounded out the top ten. All ten cars reached the finish, but only the top two remained on the lead lap.
Championship picture tightens
The victory puts the No. 51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac back on top of the GTP SportsCar Championship standings with 1810 points. The No. 96 Albrecht Motorsports Cadillac drops to second, 45 points behind, while the No. 32 Wastegate Racing Ferrari falls to third, now 175 points off the lead.
In the Sprint Cup standings, the No. 51 retains the lead, with the No. 21 Delta Racing BMW in second and the No. 25 Tri-State Racing BMW climbing to third.
With clean racing bonus points still playing a crucial role in the final tally, consistency and discipline remain just as important as outright performance in shaping the championship fight.
Post-Race Reactions
Álvaro Martínez, #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac: It is so good to be back here. The battle Dani had to fight was spectacular and very clean. Traffic sometimes works against you and sometimes it works in your favor, and in this case it gave us back what it had taken from us, first place. When Dani regained the lead and managed to place some lapped cars between us and the rest, we could finally breathe a little easier. After Sebring, we showed that we could reset and come back strong here at Laguna Seca.
Above all, it was about patience. We did not get off to a great start, so we focused on saving fuel and staying close. The pit stop under the full-course yellow was key, that is where we took control. From there, it was about managing traffic and knowing when to push.
This championship is very difficult. Any mistake is costly, and the standings can change quickly. We have to take it race by race.
Dani Fonte, #51 World Of SimRacing Team Cadillac: At first we thought we could fight for a podium, but the BMW made us think otherwise. Once we got clear air, we saw we were gaining time and realized we could win. Returning to the top feels great after Sebring.
It was a race of patience and precision. Managing traffic here is difficult, and there are not many overtaking opportunities. We knew what we had to do from last year, and it worked again.
It is both a statement and a reminder. This championship punishes mistakes, so we have to stay consistent if we want to defend our titles.
Geordi Vermeulen, #25 Tri-State Racing BMW: That was probably the best start I have had in a long time. We know qualifying is not our strength, so we focused on race pace and staying clean, and that worked well for us today. The No. 51 was on another level, though, I do not know how they do it.
We just stayed out of trouble and executed our race. After the first two rounds, we focused on the long-term picture, and that approach paid off.
If we can keep this consistency, we might be in the title fight.
Seth Neufeld, #25 Tri-State Racing BMW: We are very proud of this result. This is one of those races where we would not change anything. The No. 51 was simply faster, and we are honored to finish second to them.
We had strong pace, but staying clean was the most important factor. Being quick while managing traffic without mistakes made the difference.
This result helps us a lot in the championship, and we want to keep building on this momentum.
Douglas Souza, #12 Delta Racing BMW: The pole lap was a great moment, and I felt very comfortable leading the race. But the mistake during the caution changed everything, and I am sorry for that.
It really felt like everything snowballed after that. Maybe if we had stayed in front, the race would have played out differently.
We have the pace to win, we just need to execute better during the race.
Jesse Deshazier, #137 Gamma Sim Racing Ferrari: It is a bit disappointing, especially with the contact that put us laps down, but for our first race in VSCA, I am proud we made it to the finish. At times it felt more like survival than racing.
Every time we settled in, something else happened. Mentally that is tough, but we kept resetting and pushing forward.
We learned a lot today. Laguna Seca humbled us, but we will take that into the next race and come back stronger.
Looking ahead
While the SportsCar Championship moves on to VIR next, the GTP class will not return to action until May 9 for the Miami Sports Car Grand Prix at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After the unpredictability of Laguna Seca, the fight at the front looks set to remain wide open.
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