Laura Ely secures double Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West class podium at home event in Sonoma

Laura Ely enjoyed a highly successful weekend at Sonoma Raceway as the Black Sheep Racing owner-driver secured two podium finishes in the GT3 Masters category during the fourth round of the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West championship.

Photo credits: RTD Media

Laura Ely enjoyed a highly successful weekend at Sonoma Raceway as the Black Sheep Racing owner-driver secured two podium finishes in the GT3 Masters category during the fourth round of the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West championship.

Competing at her team's home circuit, Ely combined her responsibilities as team owner with another strong on-track performance, collecting third and second-place finishes across the weekend's two races and helping Black Sheep Racing continue its impressive run of results in the championship.

Sonoma has always been a special venue for Black Sheep Racing, making the weekend's success particularly meaningful. Ely entered the event looking to build on the momentum established during the opening rounds of the season and immediately positioned herself among the frontrunners in the GT3 Masters class.

The weekend began with a solid qualifying performance as Ely secured second position in class, placing herself in contention for podium finishes in both races.

Race 1 saw Ely capitalize on her strong starting position with a clean drive in the GT3 Masters category. Managing the demands of the Sonoma circuit while maintaining competitive pace throughout the first contest, she secured a third-place class finish and added another podium result to her 2026 campaign.

The result provided a positive start to the weekend and valuable championship points as the season approached its halfway stage.

Photo credits: RTD Media

Ely returned to the track on Sunday determined to build upon the momentum from Race 1.

She once again ran among the leading GT3 Masters competitors and improved upon her Saturday result, taking second place in class to complete a double-podium weekend.

The runner-up finish marked her strongest result of the event and highlighted the progress made by both driver and team throughout the season.

The two podium finishes contributed to a highly positive overall weekend for Black Sheep Racing, which collected four podium results across its two-car operation. Alongside Ely's success in GT3 Masters, teammate Josh Conley secured a pair of second-place finishes in the GT3 Pro/Am category.

Reflecting on the event, Ely praised the efforts of the entire Black Sheep Racing organization and emphasized the significance of achieving strong results at the team's home track.

"It was a really positive weekend for our entire team," said Ely. "Sonoma is always a special place for us, and it's rewarding to come away with multiple podium finishes in front of our home crowd."

"Josh did a fantastic job all weekend and showed great pace from the start. We continue to learn and improve every time we hit the track, and I'm proud of the effort from everyone involved. It gives us a lot of confidence heading into the second half of the season."

The double-podium performance further strengthens Ely's 2026 campaign, providing additional momentum as the championship heads into its summer break.

Ely will return to action on August 14-16 at Road America for Round 5 of the Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West season.