Years ago, Don Kitch Jr. experienced the thrill of racing at Le Mans. In 2025 he and his family got a chance to enjoy the town at a more leisurely pace.
ProFormance Racing School and Le Mans go back a long way. Don Kitch Jr., co-founder and Chief Instructor at ProFormance, first took Team Seattle to the legendary French raceway in 2009, making history as the first race team to ply those famous curves for a charitable cause.
Don and the team returned to Le Mans three more times, at which point life got in the way. Despite regular invitations to return, Don found that it was not possible: ProFormance was growing, and the races occurred during their busiest season.
That changed last year.
The 2025 comeback
After a particularly successful three-day event with Porsche North America, Don was invited to be Porsche’s guest at a Le Mans invitational track event. This time he accepted. What had changed from previous years? For one thing, Don’s daughter Siena had recently obtained her racing license, and would love a chance to spread her wings at the historic track. If Siena could come along, Don would go. Porsche agreed.
It would be a chance to reunite with Le Mans without the pressure of competition, a chance to enjoy the beauty of the area while reliving thrilling moments of the past.
A reunion for Siena
Le Mans 2025 was as much a comeback for Siena as it was for Don. In 2008 Don had entered six-year-old Siena Kitch in Little Big Mans, perhaps the pinnacle event for pint-sized drivers. The youngest driver there, she did well.
Now a qualified PRO3 racer, Siena would team up with Don for a Father-Daughter Drive at Le Mans that would prove a highlight of the event days.
“Driving the Bugatti Circuit with Siena was unforgettable,” says Don. “Sharing a car with my daughter at Le Mans felt like the pinnacle of both fatherhood and racing camaraderie. I was incredibly proud of her adapting so well to the pressures while truly enjoying herself.”
Meanwhile, off the track: France!
When a team comes to race at Le Mans, engineers and mechanics are focused on the cars, and the drivers are focused on the dashboard and the road. “Once you enter the facility, you don’t leave,” says Donna Porada-Kitch, co-founder and Chief Administrator of ProFormance. “It’s a massive event. Though you’re there for a full week, you barely see anything beyond the track.”
This time the Kitch family was resolved to get well beyond the paddock. Family time, restaurants, and the ambiance of the charming medieval city were on the menu. “Returning without the pressure of competing was entirely different,” says Don, “I could see and feel Le Mans again. Like a sponge, we took it all in. Sharing the experience with Siena at this stage of her life, and driving together, made it even more special.”
“Walking through Old Le Mans in October, with no crowds, locals everywhere, was magical,” adds Donna. They finally visited St. Julien Cathedral, and had a chance to dine at small local restaurants—things tourists get to do but racing drivers and staff forgo for the sake of competition. “There were no sponsors or drivers, just the rhythm of daily life: a peaceful and intimate experience.”
Revisiting the past
The Kitches retraced the route of the famed Drivers’ Parade, where Don once made waves by insisting that Siena ride with him. Kids had not been invited to the parade before then, but Don made it happen, and since then drivers’ offspring have often ridden with their racer parents.
This time they drove the parade route, which goes through the city, with no traffic and crowds, no fans or noise, giving them a rare view of the city as it normally exists. Donna describes the drive as “quiet, beautiful, haunting, and magical.” She notes that it brought back powerful memories, made even more rewarding because they could share them with Siena.
The event: some new memories to take home
On the day of the event Don, Donna, and Siena had more or less the run of Le Mans. They visited the hot pits (the area where cars running the race are serviced in real time, usually out of bounds to visitors), the famed Dunlop bridge, and the areas where cars are timed and races scored. Donna was even sneaked through the exclusive tunnel from the track to the private area where drivers park.
Because it is France, the Le Mans raceway shuts down from 12 to 2, so that everyone can enjoy lunch at a properly slow pace. The French drivers at the local tavern were curious about the American racing family, a rarity there. The conversation went on for a long time.
For the event, Don and Siena piloted Porsche Cayman GT4 Club Sport race cars. It was Siena’s first experience in the purpose-built GT platform. How was the two-day event? Don’s comment: “The smile on her face tells it all. She wanted to return for a third day of driving.”
Pride in a new generation
Don and Donna were particularly proud that Siena was one of very few women behind the wheel among the event’s more than 100 drivers.
“Watching Don and Siena drive was a true pinch-me moment,” says Donna. “We’ve seen the little girl racing in Little Big Mans at age six grow into a poised, confident 23-year-old woman, driving a purpose-built race car alongside her dad, in a field of 40 cars and 100 drivers. With each session, Siena’s smile grew. Watching her happiness, and seeing her share that love with her dad, is something I will cherish forever.”
On the horizon…
Will there be a Road Back to Le Mans next year? The answer is yes, and some fortunate ProFormance clients will have a chance to come along and drive the famed Bugatti Circuit. More about that soon!
