--- title: "Penske Porsche Triumphant at IMSA’s Return to Indianapolis" date: "2023-09-18" modified: "2023-09-18" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/penske-porsche-triumphant-at-imsas-return-to-indianapolis" categories: - "IMSA" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Penske Porsche Triumphant at IMSA’s Return to Indianapolis ![]() *\Porsche \* Penske [Porsche]() Motorsport scored a picture-perfect 1-2 finish at the Battle at the Bricks Sunday. Despite the main event not being much of an endurance race—just two hours and 40 minutes—[IMSA]()'s long-awaited return to the [Indianapolis Motor Speedway]() put on a good show for racers and fans alike. The main event was flanked by three support series, the [Porsche Carrera Cup](), Lamborghini Trofeo, and the Michelin Challenge. Many current and former IndyCar racers made time to stop by the Speedway for the latter, given the involvement of former Indy racer [Robert Wickens](). It was a bit of a home race for the Porsche outfit given Penske's ownership of the Speedway, so the red-and-white cars displayed impressive performance starting Saturday. The No. 6 and No. 7 Porsches qualified on the first and second spot, giving them the upper hand come Sunday. And with the first corner of the Indy road course being known for causing mayhem, it also helped Penske breathe a little easier. ![]() Come race day, the Porsches sealed the deal and got the Captain, Mr. Penske, yet another win at the Brickyard. It was Nick Tandy who led Felipe Nasr, reversing the order of how the two Porsches qualified. The BMW M Team RLL had a promising run to third place, while the Wheelen Engineering Cadillac came in fourth. Sunday's attendance figures haven't been released, but I was pleased to see a decent turnout for sports cars in a venue that can be cruel to anything other than IndyCar or [NASCAR](). While a track of this magnitude will never look full to the naked eye (or on TV), the paddock and infield viewing areas showed promising attendance. Next year's event will be host to a much longer race, around six to eight hours, and will likely run into the night. In many ways, this year's race was a bit of a soft opening for IMSA at Indy, given that it hadn't come to the iconic track since 2014. With the track no longer hosting events like Formula 1, MotoGP, Red Bull AirRace, and even its NASCAR attendance faltering, it's great to see Penske actively trying to put more dates on the calendar. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()