Porsche Tractor Race Embodies The Need For (Slow) Speed At Rennsport Reunion

The third day of the Rennsport Reunion 2023 – the event that gathers some of the rarest and most exotic Porsche race cars with the people who created and raced them – marked a unique departure from the speedy races typically associated with Porsche events. Instead, the spotlight was on a competition that saw speeds peak at a blistering 15 miles per hour, making it perhaps the slowest race involving Porsches in the world.

Of course, we are not talking about Porsche cars here. The Porsche tractor race at the Rennsport Reunion drew a star-studded cast of drivers, including people such as Jeff Zwart, Jörg Bergmeister, and the co-grand marshal of the event, Patrick Long. They were joined by the Porsche Executive Board, including Barbara Frenkel, Andreas Haffner, Dr. Michael Steiner, and Detlev von Platen.

"Well, that was about the most fun you can have at 15 mph. It's all about maintaining momentum. I thought my aero balance was pretty good, and I definitely got the most out of the tires," said Nick Tandy, a professional race car driver who humorously refers to himself as a "professional farmer."

While the 15-mph tractor race won by Greg Garneau provided a comical diversion, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America racers showed the crowd what Porsche's performance is all about. A fiercely competitive qualifying session saw Will Martin from JDX Racing secure the pole position, followed by a victory for Tom Sargent in race one.

Meanwhile, Porsche also unveiled a race car with a $1 million price tag. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport with a 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated engine and a giant wing at the back. Also, the automaker reunited Lightning McQueen and Sally Carrera. We also had the chance to talk with the head of the Porsche Sonderwunsch customization program.

This year's Rennsport Reunion which celebrates Porsche's racing history was attended by over 91,000 people. The program included more than 300 race entries, the US debut of the Mission X concept, as well as the first US public appearance of the new 911 S/T.