When You Don’t Have History, You Create It: How AO Racing Turned a “Problem” Into Porsche Motorsport’s Coolest Throwback
Most race teams digging through the archives for a retro weekend pull out faded photos from the 1970s. AO Racing opened a sketchbook. This weekend at Air|Water in Southern California, the team behind IMSA’s most beloved dinosaur did something unprecedented for IMSA’s first official throwback event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca — they revealed Rexy before he was Rexy. Meet “Sketchy.”
From Blank Page to Fan Favorite: The Rexy Origin Story
Every icon starts as an idea. For AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R — the machine known worldwide as Rexy — that idea began on a designer’s sketchpad with rough strokes, green marker scribbles, and the kind of imperfect creativity that makes something truly memorable.”Sketchy” isn’t a throwback livery. It’s a throwback moment — the brainstorming phase, the late-night creative session, the “what if we put a dinosaur on a Porsche?” conversation that launched a motorsport phenomenon. “When I heard Laguna Seca was going to be IMSA’s first official throwback event, I was very excited as a longtime sportscar fan,” said Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “It did create an interesting problem for AO, as our team doesn’t have much history to throwback to! So, instead of a historic livery, we thought our fans would appreciate seeing Rexy turn into his origin story & first sketch. What better place for us to unveil Sketchy to the world than Air|Water. It’s a great opportunity to launch a fun project with the Porsche community here in Southern California.”
The Design: Intentionally Imperfect, Deliberately Raw
For one weekend only — April 25th at Air|Water and May 3rd at Laguna Seca — Rexy’s livery transforms into something no Porsche race car has ever worn.
The design features:
- Rough, hand-drawn strokes that look lifted directly from a concept artist’s notebook
- Green marker scribbles capturing the energy of early creative exploration
- Concept shading that gives depth without polish
- Intentionally imperfect feathers — Rexy’s signature plumage rendered as if the designer’s pen was still moving
This isn’t a finished product. It’s a process — and that’s exactly the point.
Why This Matters for the Porsche Community
AO Racing’s decision to debut Sketchy at Air|Water — one of Southern California’s premier Porsche gatherings — speaks to something deeper than a clever marketing play. It recognizes that the Porsche community doesn’t just celebrate perfection; it celebrates passion, creativity, and the journey from imagination to reality. Rexy already proved that motorsport can be fun, accessible, and downright lovable. Sketchy proves that the story behind the icon is just as compelling as the icon itself.
Limited Edition Merch: Own a Piece of the Sketch
A limited run of Sketchy-themed merchandise is now available at aoracing.com and will be sold on-site at:
- Air|Water — Saturday, April 25th
- WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca — Race weekend, May 2–3
Given Rexy’s track record of sell-out merch drops, these pieces won’t last long.
Where to Watch Sketchy Race
The IMSA WeatherTech Monterey SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca takes place:Sunday, May 3 at 1:10 PM PT
- USA viewers: Live on Peacock
- International fans: Live on the IMSA YouTube Channel
The Bigger Picture: AO Racing Is Writing History in Real Time
In a sport obsessed with heritage, AO Racing is doing something braver — they’re building it. No decades-old archive. No dusty trophies from the 1980s. Just a team, a sketchbook, and a dinosaur that captured the hearts of motorsport fans worldwide.Sketchy isn’t a look back. It’s a look at the beginning — and an invitation to watch what comes next.
For more on AO Racing, Rexy, and the Sketchy collection, visit aoracing.com or follow @aoracing on social media.
About AO Racing AO Racing competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, known globally as “Rexy” — the fan-favorite dinosaur-liveried race car that has redefined personality in professional motorsport. Based in Costa Mesa, California, the team represents a new generation of sportscar racing: fast, creative, and unapologetically fun.
