For Road Atlanta, the 35 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup will see a new pilot for the weekend. After securing his Championship in the Gold Class at Circuit of the Americas, Michael Levitas will be behind the wheel of the teams #35 Porsche of Towson Platinum Class entry for the weekend. Levitas expects to run strong and learn what the Platinum class is like for the transition into Platinum next season in a new car.

“I am very excited to drive the 35 Porsche of Towson entry in the Platinum Class”, stated Michael Levitas. “I have had an amazing season in the 36 Porsche of Towson entry in the Gold Class, and it is an absolute honor to have secured the Gold Class Championship. Being that the Championship has been secured and that I will be running in Platinum next season, I want to see what the field is like. I know that the TPC Racing team has prepared a fantastic car for me to run competitive laps in, so I hope to be at the front of the pack!”

The Gold Class Championship winning 36 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup will run at Road Atlanta for the season finale, and Ben Keating will be behind the wheel. Keating has proven to be a strong driver, always driving smooth and consistent, but also fast. The Gold Class car is different from the Platinum Class machine that Ben Keating is used to driving, but TPC Racing team has worked hard and will have a strong car for Keating to drive to the front with.

David Williams will be running the 37 Merkle / Porsche of Towson entry for the season finale as he has already secured the second position in the Gold Class Championship. Williams has run strong all season and has been quicker and quicker each time out. Road Atlanta is a track that David Williams has run at before, so with his knowledge of the circuit and the chassis setup by TPC Racing, expect to see the 37 Merkle / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup running up front in the Gold Class.

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

The weekend was action packed with ALMS and also WEC being at Circuit of the Americas, but this also limited the teams time on track. The 35, 36 and 37 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup cars had two test sessions and two practice sessions before qualifying. During the practice sessions, the team worked hard on chassis setup to prepare strong cars for qualifying. Once it came time to qualify though, there was a short downpour as the cars were on grid. IMSA did not call the qualifying session to be a wet session though since the sky was clearing up but the track surface was wet, so the team could not put rain tires on. With this happening, qualifying was cancelled and the cars would grid based off of combined practice times.

For race one of the weekend, the skies opened up once again and the team would go out on rain tires. During the race, it was raining the entire time which made for an interesting race. Ben Keating would start further back in the field due to not having a qualifying session, starting nineteenth on the grid in the 35 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup. Michael Levitas started second in the Gold Class in his 36 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup with teammate David Williams starting in third in his 37 Merkle / Porsche of Towson entry.

At the start of the race, Ben Keating made up three positions in turn one and had a fantastic start to the race. Levitas in the 36 Porsche of Towson entry was fighting with Platinum traffic to catch the Gold leader and Williams was holding a consistent pace to keep up with Levitas. During the race, there were many caution periods which made for only five laps of green flag racing. This did not give the team enough time to fight for higher positions on track, but Levitas and Williams who have proven to be a dynamic duo finished second and third in Gold.

Race two of the weekend was a great race with a dry track. Michael Levitas and David Williams went out on track with one goal in mind which was to survive the race to secure the championship. Levitas started the race in second once again and David Williams started in fourth. At the drop of the green flag, David Williams had a great run in the 37 Merkle / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup and made a great pass for third. From there, the race would not see a caution period and the 36 and 37 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle GT3 Cup cars would finish second and third, but more importantly secure the team and drivers championship.

With the strong finishing position by both Michael Levitas and David Williams, this allowed Michael Levitas to secure the Drivers Championship, David Williams secured second place in the Drivers Championship and the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team secured the Team Championship.

“Racing at Circuit of the Americas in my Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup car was fantastic,” stated Michael Levitas. “It is a great track and I hope to race here again. We had one goal in mind this weekend and it was to keep the cars in one piece and secure the championship. We accomplished that and it could not have been done without the hard work from our amazing TPC Racing team and the great support from Porsche of Towson. The team has worked so hard this season and we have always brought fantastic cars to the field. It is great winning the team and drivers championship and also to have my teammate David Williams finish second.”

“COTA is one of the greatest sports car racing facilities in North America and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to race there,” stated David Williams. “Getting 3rd place in both the rain and the dry made for a fantastic weekend! Being my first year in the IMSA GT3 Challenge series I didn’t really know what to expect. The level of completion was fantastic and the Porsche Cup car is truly something special to drive. Getting second place in the Gold Championship was very rewarding. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammate Michael Levitas and the entire TPC Racing team. Can’t wait for next year!”

With the championship secured, the team goes to Road Atlanta next for the season finale.

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

In practice, the TPC Racing Porsche GT3 Cup cars were great. While Ben Keating and David Williams have been to Road America before, Michael Levitas used the test sessions and first practice to learn the course to be competitive. While learning the track, Levitas still had an impressive lap time to put him in the top three; that is when the team knew that the car was good. The team made chassis adjustments to help better the handling of the cars and the 35 car of Ben Keating, 36 of Michael Levitas and 37 of David Williams were ready for qualifying.

For qualifying, Ben Keating had a strategy that he pulled off in the 35 car. In the 36 Porsche of Towson entry, Michael Levitas drove his car to a starting position of third for the first race and set his second fastest lap time to be that of starting first for race two. David Williams was consistent with his lap times and qualified sixth in the Gold class.

At the start of the first race, the 35 Porsche of Towson / Merkle entry had a great start, as Keating started moving his way up through the field and his strategy was playing out. Ben started further back in the field as he did not want to do many qualifying laps on the tires and rolled off in the twenty-second spot on the grid. Even with lengthy cautions in the beginning of the race, Keating was able to drive up to eleventh spot which earned him the Yokohama Hard Charger Award.

“The TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup was great today,” Keating said. “The team worked hard to give me a great car and once again delivered a fast car that I could drive through the field with. We had a strategy going into qualifying that worked out for me and at the start I stayed out of trouble and made my way up through the field. Thank you to TPC Racing for the great car and I look forward to Baltimore.”

The 36 Porsche of Towson / Merkle entry of Michael Levitas had a great start. Michael took over the lead after a nice battle and held on. On the last lap while leading the race in turn six, Levitas got hit in the left front which caused the tire to go down and Michael finished in the fourth position but took second place in the Masters class. In race two, Levitas started on pole. It was a wet race, and Michael did not want to take chances as he was learning a wet line and also in the lead of the race. The second race was full of long cautions and Levitas finished in third but won the Masters class.

“It was a great race, a great race,” Levitas said. “The Porsche of Towson TPC car just did incredible. We made a little bit of a change before the race I thought it would give me some rear grip but it gave me a little too much, and it cost me about a half of a second a lap, and it really hurt. But what really hurt is that I had the lead up until the very last lap. But we still pulled off P3. My teammate Dave Williams–my hat goes off to him. Dave Williams did a supreme job he brought that car into second place and he was a steady guy he was strong and there at the end and that’s what matters.”

“In the second race things got a bit crazy with the rain and extended cautions, but David and I were smart and worked as a team. We survived the race and moved up in class without making a mistake. It was great to win the Masters class and have my teammate David Williams in second”

David Williams drove a fantastic race in both the first and second race of the weekend. In race one, David was setting consistent laps which had him finish in second place in Gold and Williams took the win in the Masters class with his 37 Merkle / Porsche of Towson machine. In race 2, David had a great race in the rain. Williams started in sixth and worked his way up to fourth before a long caution came out. David was faster than the top three, and was looking forward to a strong run to the front but the race finished under caution. The fourth place finish would put Williams in second in the Masters class and would also see David winning the Yokohama Hard Charger Award for the second race of the weekend.

“It was very crazy,” Williams said. “But it ended up being a good race. The restarts were crazy everyone got jammed up coming up the hill and Turn-1 and Turn-3 was just nuts but ultimately great race and great venue. My TPC Racing / Merkle car was great. As always, the team gave me a great car to drive to a podium finish.”

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

The weekend started off well for the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team. Out of the trailer, both the 35 car of Ben Keating and 36 car of Michael Levitas were quick. The team made chassis adjustments during practice and the cars proved to handle better, making for what would be good cars in qualifying and in the race.

Just before qualifying, there was a heavy storm that came in. The TPC Racing cars were setup well and would have been good in the rain, but also good in the dry. On the out lap, cars started going off track which caused the session to be stopped so that there could be track cleanup. When the cars were released to go back out again, there was lightning as the cars were making another out lap which caused the session to be canceled. When the session was canceled, IMSA had the cars gridded based off of practice times. This would have Ben Keating start in fifteenth position in the Platinum Class and Michael Levitas start in second in the Gold Class.

When it came time to race, the track was dry and the TPC Racing team had great cars to fight to the front with. At the drop of the green flag, Levitas took off in the Gold Class and got the lead. It was a hard fight with the second and third place cars in class, but Levitas drove his 36 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup back to victory lane at CTMP.

“What a race,” stated Michael Levitas. “The second and third place cars gave me a real battle out there. I knew that I had to get a good start right away so that I could try to run away with it but they put up a good fight and we had a blast. Our TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team gave me a great car. I have to thank Porsche of Towson and everyone involved as this was a great weekend. I missed having my teammate David out there with me, but we will have fun out at Road America together.”

In Platinum, Ben Keating was driving a fantastic race in the 35 Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup. Ben drove a stellar race, faster each lap and very consistent. During the race, Keating picked off six cars, finishing ninth and also setting a fast lap of what was being set at the front of the field. For making so many positions and driving a great race, Ben Keating received the Yokohama Hard Charger Award.

“TPC Racing gave me an amazing car,” stated Ben Keating. “That was a great race and I had a blast in my Porsche of Towson / Viper Exchange car out there. The competition was great and a huge thank you to the guys at TPC Racing giving me such an awesome car that I could fight with and put down great laps. I look forward to hopefully coming back out and doing it again.”

The TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team leaves CTMP still in the Gold Class points lead in the driver and team championship going into Road America in three weeks.

About TPC Racing

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About ViperExhange.com

ViperExchange began as the dream of two car dealers who fell in love with everything the Dodge Viper had to offer. Because of their dream, Viper fans everywhere are able to benefit from one centralized location for all of their Viper needs and wants.

ViperExchange began as a boutique shop located inside Tomball Dodge in Tomball, Texas. ViperExchange is the dealership for both new and used Vipers. This location is an emporium for speed and modification equipment as well as a gleaming service center. When visiting this location be sure to check out the second floor “Viper Vault”.

Visit ViperExchange on the web at www.ViperExchange.com

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

“I am thrilled to have Ben Keating join our TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team,” stated TPC Racing team owner and driver Michael Levitas. “I have watched Ben race in ALMS and have also seen the success that he has had behind the wheel, so we are thrilled to see what Ben can do behind the wheel of the number 35 machine in the Platinum Class. We have been working hard since Watkins Glen and our TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle team will deliver a car to Ben that he will be able to run to the front of the field.”

“I am really excited to run with TPC Racing in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge,” stated Ben Keating, driver of the number 35 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson entry. I was on the podium last week at Lime Rock in my number 66 TRG ALMS GTC entry, so I am looking forward to getting more track time, especially in the IMSA GT3 Cup series with TPC Racing. Mosport (CanadianTireMotorsportPark) is a new track to me, and in order to run up front, I am doing everything I can do to improve on my podium finish last week. I know between TPC Racing and TRG, I will have amazing Porsche GT3 Cup cars that I can learn a lot on and hopefully make a great run to the top of the podium.”

While Ben Keating races Porsche GT3 Cup cars on track, Keating is the number one volume Viper dealer in the nation through his website ViperExchange.com. In GTC, you will see that his Porsche’s have said “My other car is a Dodge Viper”. Ben has also won the national championship in the SRT Viper Cup series for the last two years, which gives him great experience coming into the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series as well as ALMS.

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About ViperExhange.com

ViperExchange began as the dream of two car dealers who fell in love with everything the Dodge Viper had to offer. Because of their dream, Viper fans everywhere are able to benefit from one centralized location for all of their Viper needs and wants.

ViperExchange began as a boutique shop located inside Tomball Dodge in Tomball, Texas. ViperExchange is the dealership for both new and used Vipers. This location is an emporium for speed and modification equipment as well as a gleaming service center. When visiting this location be sure to check out the second floor “Viper Vault”.

Visit ViperExchange on the web at www.ViperExchange.com

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

When arriving to the track for test days, Michael Levitas, driver of the #36 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup and David Williams, driver of the #37 TPC Racing / Merkle / Porsche of Towson GT3 Cup worked hard to get their Gold Class Porsche GT3 Cup cars to be front running cars. The team worked hard with chassis setup as well as learning the track. Michael Levitas last raced at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2011 and this was the first time for David Williams at the track. With great driver coaching from team coach, Randy Pobst, and the engineering behind the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team, the #36 and #37 cars had a fantastic setup to be competitive.

Race one of the weekend was a race with tons of excitement. On the first lap, the front of the Platinum Class pack got together, causing much carnage in turn three. Michael Levitas in the #36 Porsche of Towson car timed it perfectly, just barely missing the incident as he navigated his GT3 Cup through a cloud of dust and debris. Teammate David Williams in the #37 car made it through clean as well, just a few positions behind Levitas.

Once the field went back to green flag racing, Levitas started pulling away while leading in his #36 Porsche of Towson car. When going back to green flag racing, Levitas got a brilliant start making several positions on the Platinum Class, creating a gap between him and Williams.

Later in the race, the #36 car started to get a loose car and Williams was on the move to catch Levitas. David started turning lap time .5 seconds faster than Michael and started closing the gap. Williams drove smart and hard, reeling in teammate Michael Levitas but the checkered flag flew before David could make up more time.

“It was great!,” stated Michael Levitas, driver of the 36 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson entry. “My Porsche of Towson car was great. Our second car of David Williams did a fantastic job. It was effortless for TPC Racing today and it was just a great beginning to our weekend.”

“It was a lot of fun,” stated David Williams, driver of the 37 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle entry. “The track and the car were great. This is my first time here and I am still learning the track. It’s a nice rhythm track and kind of reminds me a bit of Mid-Ohio, but probably a top-five track for me!”

Race two of the weekend would see Michael Levitas once again start on pole with teammate David Williams starting beside him in second. After making a chassis adjustment the night before, Levitas was now certain that he would have a stronger car and fix the looseness that he felt the day before. Williams had a great car from race one and was excited to run down Levitas and fight for the race win.

At the start of the race, both the #36 and #37 Porsche of Towson / Merkle GT3 Cup cars had fantastic starts. Right away, Levitas in the #36 car felt the setup changes and was turning lap times faster than the day before. David was close behind, but had slower Platinum Class cars in front that he had to battle with before being able to battle with teammate Michael Levitas.

As David was running down cars that were between him and Michael, he had a short off track excursion. The track was very greasy and with ten minutes remaining, David lost a bit of ground with the off course incident. Luckily, the car was not damaged and Williams was able to continue to finish second behind teammate Michael Levitas.

“Wow, what a race,” Levitas said. “I really had fun out there. I can’t thank my Porsche of Towson team enough!! Four wins so far this season for our TPC Racing/Porsche of Towson team is just fantastic. My teammate David Williams had me pulling double duty. He really pushed me to do better. It was a long race. We had a blast. Very exciting, very fun, we had a great time.”

“Not the race I wanted at all but I survived it,” Williams said. “Much different track today, much greasier, just completely different race. But great experience I really enjoyed it, great facility, great venue and a huge thank you to the TPC Racing/Porsche of Towson/Merkle team for such a great weekend.”

With such amazing results, the TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team will be working hard to prepare for rounds five and six at Watkins Glen in June. The team has been up to Watkins Glen in the past with race wins and looking forward to being back out and fight for a three-peat!

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson:

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle:

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn:

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

About two laps after Levitas set his first fast lap, David Williams grabbed the pole in the 37 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle machine. Three laps later, Levitas had a clean track ahead and went for his flyer. As Michael Levitas crossed the start/finish in his #36 TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle GT3 Cup, he was .5sec quicker that Williams in the #37 car and regained the pole. In the end, Michael turned a 1:30.7 and David turned a 1:31.2

This race will be a battle of the teammates today. Both Michael and David have great cars and are close to each others times which will make for very exciting racing. Race 1 will start today at 2:25pm PST (5:25EST)

After Qualifying in pit:

Both cars in tech and ready to go for Race 1:

TPC Racing has done a great deal in regards to preparation for Laguna Seca to keep the Porsches of Michael Levitas and David Williams up front. Both Michael and David are excited to take it on as it is a fun and challenging circuit.

“I always enjoy racing at Laguna Seca,” stated TPC Racing team owner and driver Michael Levitas. “2011 was the last time I raced there and we did well. After starting the season on such a high note, I am ready to work with my teammate David Williams and keep our TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson / Merkle GT3 Cup cars up front.”

This will be my first time at Laguna Seca,” stated David Williams, driver of the 37 entry. “Working with Mike (Levitas) and Randy Pobst to get me up to speed will be great, and from there, I know that the TPC Racing team will deliver a car that I can run at the front of the field with as I did at Sebring for rounds one and two.”

Also during the event, TPC Racing will be taking delivery of the team’s new 997.2 GT3 Cup that will run in the Platinum class later on in the season as well as a few racing in GTC with the ALMS series. The team has been working closely with Kevin Buckler and his TRG organization on the build of the new car for TPC Racing.

“Our TPC Racing team is thrilled to be taking delivery of our new 997.2 GT3 Cup during the Laguna Seca weekend,” stated Michael Levitas. “It has been an amazing build and Kevin Buckler and the TRG team have done a fantastic job getting the car assembled. Knowing Kevin and the TRG ream, we will be taking delivery of a car that we are assured will be at the front of the field in both the Platinum class of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge and GTC endurance category in ALMS. TRG is the top-choice organization to partner with TPC Racing for these tasks.”

“We are so excited to have TPC Racing and Mike Levitas joining us for several select events this year running with the ALMS GTC class”, stated TRG owner Kevin Buckler. “Mike and I have known each other for over 20 years and we have been good competitors and good friends as well — which is some the best part of racing. He has done a fantastic job with his racing programs and his business model and when the opportunity came for us to join forces and do a few races together we both immediately said…LETS DO IT!! We are really looking forward to putting a solid program together and hopefully a few podiums or wins and sharing a little champagne after it’s all over…”

On another high note, the TPC Racing team would like to welcome new sponsors and supporters to the team for the 2013 season. The team has just signed Porsche of Towson to join the TPC Racing / Merkle team. As well, TPC has CrunchDaddy Popcorn and Metro Pawn on board and is thrilled with the support.

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, where team owner and driver Michael Levitas managed the turbocharger programs that gave the fire-breathing Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo, Lotus Turbo Esprit and Consulier GTPs their prodigious power.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson:

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle:

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn:

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

“I am beyond thrilled to have Porsche of Towson on board for the 2013 race season,” stated TPC Racing team owner and driver Michael Levitas. “I have always loved the idea of having a Porsche dealership involved in our racing program, but we have never been able to involve or explain to a local franchise owner that there is a connection between racing Porsche and selling Porsche. Marc Cohen, owner of Porsche of Towson personally got involved and was perhaps more excited than I was, he totally gets it!! Porsche of Towson and TPC Racing are a natural connection. ”

In our initial meeting Marc was quoted as saying, “Porsche cars are uniquely different than all others makes. The owners and buyers are extremely passionate about Porsche cars and so is our entire staff here at Porsche of Towson. What better way is there to extend that passion than to build a racing program right here at Porsche of Towson “

“Being that Porsche of Towson is close to our TPC Racing headquarters, it allows for us to use our GT3 Cup cars for various events with both TPC Racing and Porsche of Towson name on the cars,” said Levitas. “When the opportunity came about to join forces with Porsche of Towson, I could not have been more excited. The staff at Porsche of Towson is top notch and is very excited about TPC’s racing dedication. We welcome Porsche of Towson to our team and look forward to an amazing 2013 season.”

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, where team owner and driver Michael Levitas managed the turbocharger programs that gave the fire-breathing Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo, Lotus Turbo Esprit and Consulier GTPs their prodigious power.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some of the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson:

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle:

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, exec

“We are very excited to have CrunchDaddy Popcorn join the TPC Racing team for the remainder of the 2013 race season,” stated TPC Racing team owner and driver Michael Levitas. “When sampling CrunchDaddy Popcorn for the first time, I knew that CEO Dan Bazis was very creative and had a fantastic gourmet product that offered a great opportunity for a partnership, and I am very happy to have him and CrunchDaddy Popcorn onboard.”

“I am also very excited to have Metro Pawn join us. I have known CEO, Jamie Furman for years as a friend and TPC Racing client who loves the Porsche brand as well as racing. When the opportunity came about to join forces, we were both very excited to do so. Jamie not only runs his multiple locations, but also does a lot of track driving with his Porsche and will soon be joining us with a GT3 Cup. Both CrunchDaddy Popcorn and Metro Pawn are fantastic businesses that work well with what we have to offer and I am thrilled to have the two companies with us.”

Dan Bazis, Chief Crunch Officer of CrunchDaddy Popcorn is thrilled to join the TPC Racing team for the 2013 season.

“We are incredibly proud to have our products associated with such a top-notch organization as TPC Racing. As huge motorsport fans, we look forward to following the excitement of the GT3 Cup Challenge as well as introducing CrunchDaddy Popcorn to a whole new audience,“ stated Chief Crunch Officer Dan Bazis.

Jamie Furman, CEO of Metro Pawn looks forward to joining the TPC Racing team, as well looking forward to his many track events with the TPC team this season.

“I have known Mike Levitas and the TPC Racing team for years,” said Metro Pawn owner Jamie Furman. “TPC Racing really knows how to build top-notch cars and make them fast. After working with TPC Racing over the years with my personal Porsche that I use on the track, there is not a better team around, and associating my name and business with TPC is great! I look forward to having myself and Metro Pawn as part of the TPC Racing team for a great 2013 season!”

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, where team owner and driver Michael Levitas managed the turbocharger programs that gave the fire-breathing Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo, Lotus Turbo Esprit and Consulier GTPs their prodigious power.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some of the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn:

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

About Metro Pawn:

Metro Pawn was formed in 1985, located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Metro Pawn is a family operated business that specializes in platinum, gold, silver, fine jewelry, cars and boats. As well, Metro Pawn specializes in tools, electronics and musical instruments. Metro Pawn is the leading shop in the area with its years of experience with fine items and loans.