Ryan Yardley’s path to the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship was anything but conventional.
The New Zealander, who once spent four years out of a race car, capped off his third full season in the United States by delivering TOPP Racing its first overall title—and, in doing so, toppled record-setting champions Kellymoss in one of the closest championship battles the series has seen.
“This was the goal that myself and everyone at TOPP Racing had set for ourselves when I first joined the team in 2023,” Yardley said after clinching the crown at Circuit of the Americas.
“It’s been a big learning curve—this is my first championship in a sports car, and Carrera Cup is known as one of the hardest championships around the world. That’s definitely true here in North America, with the level of competition and the teams involved.
“It feels amazing, not only for myself, but for the team, the sponsors, and everyone who’s supported me both here and back home.”
Yardley’s journey from karting and single-seaters in New Zealand to sports car champion in America wasn’t straightforward. After progressing through karting, Formula Ford and the Toyota Racing Series – Yardley hit a career standstill in 2018.
“I kind of had no options left,” he said.
“I didn’t really have any money to continue racing. I knew if I wanted to make a career out of this sport, I had to move overseas. I had two options: Asia or America.
“Asia was tempting, but I also looked at the American route, the same way guys like Scott Dixon did. Eventually, Kiwi Motorsport over here offered to take me in and show me the racing scene, but I knew I wasn’t coming over to drive a race car—I had no money, no opportunity. I was just coming over to chase the American dream.”
That decision would set in motion a remarkable story of perseverance. Yardley spent four years on the sidelines—not racing, but attending events, working with teams, and networking until the right opportunity came along.
“It was pretty tough going through that period of not driving but being at races, meeting people, putting myself out there as much as I could,” he said. “After four years on the sideline, we managed to get back in a race car—and the rest is history.”
That “history” began with a chance introduction at Motorsport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, where Yardley first crossed paths with TOPP Racing team principal Todd Oppermann.
“The Formula car team I was with at the time, Crosslink, introduced me to Todd,” he explained.
“They’d worked together 20-something years ago in IndyCar, and both teams were based out at Cresson. I didn’t expect much—I figured I’d be told I needed a bunch of money to race. But thankfully, Todd gave me a test.
“The test went well, and at the end of 2022 I met David Baker behind Turn 15 at the Formula One Grand Prix in Austin. Thankfully, David liked me and offered me the ride for the following year. It’s crazy how this all came together—the right people, the right time, the right place.”
That opportunity led to Yardley’s Carrera Cup debut in 2023—a season that, while light on results, set the foundation for everything that followed.
“The first year was a massive learning curve,” he said.
“Half the tracks were new to me. I was still figuring out how to drive a GT car. They’re heavy compared to single-seaters, they roll a lot more, and you have to manipulate the car differently.
“I think halfway through that first year, it started to click, but the results just didn’t show. By COTA, we were quick, and that podium in the final race of the season gave us momentum.”
That steady progress continued into 2024, when Yardley became a consistent front-runner and race winner. By the start of 2025, he and TOPP Racing had evolved into a legitimate title contender—facing off against 2023 champion Riley Dickinson and powerhouse Kellymoss.
“Even at the start of this year, knowing Riley was coming back, it was cool to go wheel to wheel with him,” Yardley said.
“In 2023, he was so far up the road from all of us. To actually be fighting him this year was pretty awesome.”
That battle would stretch across eight weekends and 16 races, culminating in a title showdown in front of the Formula 1 crowd at Circuit of the Americas—fittingly, the same track where Yardley first scored a Carrera Cup podium two years earlier.
“I probably came into the weekend the most relaxed I’d been all year,” Yardley said.
“Earlier in the season, I put too much pressure on myself, trying to be perfect. But at COTA, I knew it came down to one weekend. The team’s word for the weekend was ‘execution,’ and that’s exactly what we did.
“Qualifying was pretty special—both laps were really good. My teammate Tyler [Maxson] was only a tenth behind me, and the gap to the rest of the field was huge. It was a faultless weekend.”
Yardley swept both poles and both races, securing TOPP Racing’s first-ever Carrera Cup North America title.
“To do it with the same group we started with—that’s the most rewarding part,” he said.
“I had the same mechanic for three years, the same guys at the shop, the same sponsors in TCS and David Baker. When I joined, we weren’t one of the powerhouse teams.
“We were mid-pack, learning, and just trying to survive. To come back and take down Kellymoss, who have been the benchmark in this series for years, that’s special.”
Back home in New Zealand, Yardley’s championship news spread quickly.
“The reaction’s been amazing,” he said.
“When I got back to the transporter after the race at COTA, I looked at my phone and had over 200 messages. It’s pretty special. And to have my parents there that weekend—that was incredible.
“They were also there in Montreal earlier this year when I won. They’ve supported me since day one, so to share that with them means a lot.”
As he reflected on the season and the team’s rise, Yardley couldn’t help but look ahead to the next chapter. “It’s been awesome to grow with TOPP Racing,” he said.
“To be part of the team’s evolution and to see guys like Tyler and Cole (Kleck) coming through now—that’s really cool. Tyler pushed me all year. Whether it was practice, qualifying, or a race, he made me better. I wish nothing but the best for them.”
Looking forward, Yardley hopes to join the impressive list of Carrera Cup North America champions who have gone on to establish themselves in professional GT racing.
“It’s cool to be part of that list,” he said.
“There’s only been five champions so far in this series, and when you look globally, most Carrera Cup champions go on to bigger things. The hard work doesn’t stop here—it’s going to be a busy off-season putting deals together for next year, but the goal is clear.
“I’ve made it known that I want to race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Whether that happens next year or down the road, that’s what I’m working toward.”
From kart tracks in Christchurch to the top step of Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Yardley’s climb has been fueled by patience, persistence, and belief. The same resilience that kept him in the paddock through four years without a drive has now made him a champion—and perhaps, one of New Zealand’s next great exports in international sports car racing.
As Yardley put it simply: “Hopefully, this is just the next step in the journey. There are so many people who’ve been part of it—and I want to keep bringing them along for the ride.”
