Two decades after TPC Racing’s No. 36 Porsche GT3 Cup visited the winners circle at Watkins Glen International, team founder and driver Mike Levitas made a return visit to The Glen’s victory lane in the largely unchanged Type 996 Porsche at last weekend’s HSR Watkins Glen Classic 6 Hour presented by Mission Foods. Competing in the weekend’s Watkins Glen Historics, Levitas finished third in class in Friday’s HSR Group 11 WeatherTech sprint.
The No. 36 Porsche’s biggest claim to fame, which helped put TPC Racing on the map, was the 2006 GT class win in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, where Levitas, Randy Pobst, Spencer Pumpelly and Ian Baas co-drove to the victory. Later in the 2006 season, the No. 36 finished second in GT in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen with Pobst and Baas at the wheel.
“We have had a lot of races up here with many cars, but this No. 36 Porsche is an amazing piece,” said Levitas who still owns and races the pristinely preserved Porsche with his son Harris Levitas at TPC Racing. “We have had it for 20 years, and here we are back at Watkins Glen! Thanks to the TPC Racing team for putting it all together, HSR for putting on a great event, IMSA and even Grand-Am for the matter from 20 years ago! It’s been an amazing fun time!”
While Mike Levitas is still very much involved in TPC Racing, he has stepped away from the day-to-day competition operations that are now capably run by Harris as TPC Racing’s Director of Race Operations. The TPC Racing team maintains a busy schedule of championship-winning contemporary competition along with frequent forays into HSR. Team driver Shaun McKaigue scored a top-three HSR WeatherTech Sprint season-championship class finish a couple of years ago in a TPC Racing Porsche.
Summit Point and even VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) are closer to TPC Racing’s brand new and state-of-the-art headquarters facility in Jessup, Maryland, but Watkins Glen is very much considered a home track for the team.
“I used to come up here more than I would go to any other track,” Levitas said. “You know what? It really is a home track for us. Watkins Glen is probably one of the greatest places on earth! It’s so fun to drive here.”
Next up on the 2025 HSR championships season schedule is a full weekend of HSR WeatherTech Sprint, B.R.M. Endurance Challenge and feature race championships at VIR, September 4 – 7, for the VIR Historics Weekend.
