The accident occurred during the first race of the weekend of the Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West, a support category to the IndyCar event at Laguna Seca. Pilot Gil Del Real was in third place and was already on the final lap when the Porsche 911 Cup lost control and went straight ahead approaching a dangerous corner.
Brake failure is initially suspected, but the cause of the accident has not yet been officially detailed. The impact was so strong that the front part of the Porsche, including the front axle, detached from the rest of the vehicle. The car went over the tire barrier, hit the protection structure and broke through the circuit fence before disappearing into the vegetation.
Despite the violence of the crash, the vehicle's safety cage remained intact. Porsche Motorsport North America reported that the pilot was conscious and receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Salinas. There were no reports of injuries among spectators or photographers who were in the vicinity.
