A stellar performance by RS1 drivers Jan Heylen and Luca Mars secured their first victory in the Grand Sport (GS) class during the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 on May 13, 2025. The duo drove the No. 28 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS to a triumphant end, aided by strategic calls that turned prior disappointments into success.
Entering the event, Heylen and Mars were eager to improve upon their previous close finishes at Laguna Seca, where they had placed second for three consecutive years. "There are these weekends where it all comes together, and there are ones where you miss out. Today it came to us, and I couldn’t be more happy," said Heylen, reflecting on the day’s events.
Beginning the race with the GS class points lead, the pair arrived ready to compete. Mars laid a strong foundation by qualifying the Porsche in fourth position, maintaining that spot until the first strategic pit stop. The race took a crucial turn at the 52-minute mark when RS1 prompted Mars to pit just before a series of full-course cautions began.
After a brief pit stop for fuel, Heylen re-entered the track in the lead. He executed adept defensive maneuvers through several restarts, navigating intense pressure from rivals. The most critical moments unfolded when Daniel Morad, piloting the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, was penalized for an incident that eliminated his competitor, Michael Cooper of the No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4.
Heylen, showcasing his racing acumen, excelled at each restart, ultimately leading the RS1 Porsche to victory with a narrow margin of just 0.676 seconds over Frank DePew and Robin Liddell's No. 71 Rebel Rock Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo. "The restarts were a ton of fun and the team killed it on the pit stops and with the strategy. That really helped us out today," he remarked.
For Mars, the triumph was particularly meaningful, marking his first victory in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series. Reflecting on his partnership with the seasoned Heylen, he noted, "Jan is one of the best drivers you could have as a teammate and he’s helping me so much. It’s been an incredible start to the year, and I can’t wait to see how it keeps going."
Meanwhile, Liddell expressed surprise at his team’s performance. Starting from 18th in class, Liddell’s skills and DePew’s strong first stint led them to an impressive second-place finish. "We’re amazed, to be honest with you," Liddell stated, “That’s way beyond our expectations for the weekend. The restarts were very intense but a lot of fun, and we still bumped and bored our way up to P2. I’m absolutely delighted."
With this victory, RS1 has not only broken through in terms of wins but also solidified their position in the championship standings. The Michelin Pilot Challenge will continue with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4 Hours of Mid-Ohio on June 8, as teams prepare for another round of intense competition.
