Congratulations Cooper MacNeil and Thomas Merrill on Podium Finish at 24 Hours of Le Mans

June 20, 2022 by WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

This weekend saw WeatherTech Racing's Cooper MacNeil and local Salinas resident Thomas Merrill ascend endurance racing's most famous podium steps at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. MacNeil and Merrill, who were joined by teammate Julien Andlauer, captured second place in the tightly contested LMGTE AM class in their Porsche 911 RSR. The team completed 343 laps of the unforgiving Circuit de la Sarthe.

MacNeil and Merrill share close ties to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with the latter calling it his home track. Merrill grew up just outside the track's boundaries in Salinas and recalls hearing the revving of race cars his entire life. Merrill most recently raced in the Trans-Am series in Monterey and is coming off a win by besting 32 competitors in the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park. His father, Ross, is a leader in the agriculture region and is president of the Laguna Seca Raceway Foundation.

For MacNeil, he opts for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca every chance he gets. He regularly competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and has seen double duty in the Ferrari Challenge Series as well. MacNeil doubles down on favoring the rolling circuit in Monterey, for whose family company is the naming rights partner: WeatherTech.

'Our entire team has gotten to know Thomas and Cooper quite well, and we're thrilled to see them achieve such a fantastic finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans,' commented John Narigi, president and general manager of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. 'It's a real shot in the arm for us to see such gentlemen do well.'

This August 17-20 the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the official kick-off to the French Classic's 100th anniversary celebration that culminates in June 2023. Four of the 14 race groups are dedicated to authentic Le Mans race cars, while an eagerly anticipated Le Mans Legends Heritage Display, presented by Motul, will showcase more than 50 race cars that were either overall race winners or first-in-class. The extraordinary display is expected to be the largest gathering of the actual cars ever in America.

For ticketing and camping information on all major events at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, call 831-242-8200 or visit wwwWeatherTechRaceway.com.