Mars, Machavern Deliver Turner’s First GS Win in Nearly A Year

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Luca Mars and Dillon Machavern came out on top in Saturday’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120, putting Turner Motorsport back in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge victory lane for the first time in nearly a year.

Mars took the No. 95 BMW M4 GT4 EVO to a 4.063-second win over the No. 2 CSM Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Morgan Burkhard, who passed the pole-sitting No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4 of Robert Noaker on the final lap in a fuel mileage contest.

While having started from pole in the two-hour race, the Mustang GT4 of Nate Cicero led through the opening stint, although a quicker stop by the Turner squad got Mars out ahead of Noaker.

It marked the Will Turner-led squad’s first Pilot Challenge victory since the four-hour enduro at Mid-Ohio in June 2025 and the first time the team has triumphed at Laguna Seca since 2009.

Additionally, it was the 50th win for BMW in the class.

The No. 44 Ibiza Farm Motorsports McLaren Artura GT4 of Michael Cooper and Moisey Uretsky was on track to finish third but Cooper pitted for fuel with three minutes to go.

Noaker, meanwhile, managed to coast his Mustang GT4 home to the final podium position.

TCR class honors went to the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Bryson Morris and Mason Filippi, in a controlling run from pole for the duo.

Their closest challenger, the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing CUPRA Leon VZ TCR, dropped out of contention after Tyler Gonzalez suffered a tire puncture with 37 minutes to go while running in second.

More to come…

RESULTS: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John