Heinrich “Hyped” to Be Back With Rexy in IGTC Pursuit

Photo: Ethan Ring/AO Racing

Laurin Heinrich said he’s “hyped” to be reunited with Rexy, as the Porsche factory star chases his first-ever Intercontinental GT Challenge victory in this weekend’s Suzuka 1000km.

Heinrich, who drove with AO Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for two seasons, winning the 2024 GTD Pro title, has spent this year in Porsche 963 machinery, split between the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport operation and customer JDC-Miller Motorsports squad in top-class competition.

Before embarking on the final two GTP races of the season in his championship hunt, Heinrich is back in a Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo sporting ‘Bushi Rex’ a samurai-themed dinosaur character, the ancestor of AO’s main character Rexy.

The 24-year-old German is sharing the Absolute Racing-run entry with fellow Porsche drivers Alessio Picariello and Julien Andlauer, marking AO’s foray into IGTC combination.

“It feels amazing to be back with Rexy,” Heinrich told Sportscar365. “It’s quite emotional for me. We made so many memories and competed in so many races together with the famous dinosaur and AO Racing.

“Last year at Petit I knew it wouldn’t be my last-ever race with Rexy. I knew at some point there would be an opportunity to do it again, and we were looking for it.

“Now to be part of Rexy’s first-ever race in Suzuka is amazing. At the same time, it’s my first ever race with Absolute Racing, which we’ve also been trying to do for a long time.

“I’m quite motivated and hyped about being here this weekend.

“Last year, things were not in the right place to score the result that we aimed for but I’m confident this year we’re prepared in a very good way to fight at the sharp end.”

He said he feels like has unfinished business in the Suzuka 1000km, having started last year’s Japanese enduro in the highest-placed Porsche entry but faded to a fifth place result due to floor damage sustained in the Origine Motorsport machine.

Heinrich, who won at Suzuka in his debut in 2024 while in GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS competition, currently sits fifth in this year’s championship with a win and a second place finish to his credit, despite missing the opening two events.

“I came here for the first time in 2024, it was a really good weekend for myself,” he said. “I fell in love with the track and I think it was a strong track for me, personally.

“Now this race, from SRO, got an upgrade last year with coming back with IGTC, the 1000kms. It’s much more prestigious to be successful here.

“I’ve been very successful in GT World Challenge Asia so far, and I’m looking for my first IGTC win.”

While operated by Absolute, the No. 8 Porsche boasts AO’s IMSA engineering team of Chaz Cleland and Alex Stone this weekend.

The team’s sister No. 7 entry of Dorian Boccolacci, Alessandro Ghiretti and Ayhancan Güven is the only other Pro class Porsche in this year’s race.

“It helps that both cars entered by Porsche are run by the same team,” said Heinrich. “That’s for sure good. But at the same time we shouldn’t forget that it’s the first year of the [911 GT3 R] Evo racing on this track, so there’s no data with this exact car to compare.

“But there will be some good comparisons between the drivers, especially considering there’s not much running prior to the race.”

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