Racing to End Alzheimer’s scores two second place finishes at Rennsport Reunion

Great in-person fan response to Racing to End Alzheimer’s as Kvamme extends podium streak at Laguna Seca 

MONTEREY, Calif. (4 October 2023) – The Racing to End Alzheimer’s with MDK Motorsports team scored a pair of second place finishes during Rennsport Reunion VII at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with driver Mark Kvamme continuing to fight for the Am class championship with only one weekend remaining in the IMSA Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America season.

Kvamme scored his sixth-consecutive runner-up result and 14th straight podium in the No. 43 Racing to End Alzheimer’s Porsche 911 (type 992) GT3 Cup car, while MDK Motorsports teammate Scott Noble scored his third-straight weekend sweep. Kvamme, who is the defending Am champion, now has 20 consecutive podiums dating back to last season.

Kvamme swept both poles – giving him five for the season – leading Saturday’s qualifying session by setting the fastest time on his checkered flag lap.

The Racing to End Alzheimer’s driver led the opening half of the Sunday afternoon race, gapping Noble by nearly 1.5-seconds at one point. Noble then closed in, slipping past his teammate exiting the Andretti Hairpin with 16:36 remaining. Kvamme finished 23rd in the 35-car field, one overall position behind Noble.

“It was a tough race,” Kvamme admitted. “I made three mistakes, and he didn’t make any mistakes. I was gapping him in the beginning, and then made a mistake in 11 and another one in 3, and that was all she wrote. C’est la vie.”

On Sunday morning, Noble took the lead on the first green-flag lap, and quickly built up an early lead that Kvamme could not challenge. He went on to place 22nd, two overall positions behind Noble.

“The track was so slick Sunday morning, it really took a long time to get temperature and we had to move around. I finally got things going, but it was a tough race,” Kvamme said after the opening event. “Scott drove a great race. I was trying to get the fastest race lap towards the end, and almost got it – within a tenth.”

For the Racing to End Alzheimer’s program, the Laguna Seca weekend was another highlight in a record-setting season. 185 names on the No. 43 Porsche mark a new season record, with each name representing a loved one who has suffered from Alzheimer’s. With the bright purple tent in a prime location near infield crossover bridge and over 100,000 fans in attendance through the weekend, founder Phil Frengs had the chance to speak with hundreds of Porsche fans, many sharing their own stories about how Alzheimer’s has affected their families – with MDK Motorsports bringing the actual race car to the tent for fans to see.

“We were in a great position to meet so many people last weekend,” said Frengs. “The fans made their way to get food or watch a race, they’d see us and our Porsche GT3 Cup Car covered with names and stop to talk with us about our program. From physicians to caregivers to family members with a parent or spouse affected by the disease, we had an outpouring of admiration for our work and many, many promises of support. One generous attendee pledged $3,000 a year! Alzheimer’s affects so many families, it’s rare to find one that’s untouched. Even young fans told us about their grandparent or great-grandparent’s long battle with the disease. It’s everywhere, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to make a difference, especially at such a huge event.”

“Rennsport was an amazing experience,” agreed Kvamme. “All the history, all the cars and all the people. It was fantastic to see all the enthusiasm around Porsche. This was our biggest Racing to End Alzheimer’s weekend, with tens of thousands of fans in attendance. We have a record number of names on the car, but we continue to add new names, which is fantastic because it all goes to research for Alzheimer’s, and I’m very happy for that.”

Next up for Racing to End Alzheimer’s and the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, October 20-22. Race one takes the green flag Saturday at 3:10 p.m. EDT, with race two Sunday at 11:50 a.m. EDT. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.