Aaron Jeansonne sent a message on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he and his Kellymoss team aren’t giving up on the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship.
Jeansonne took Mobil Pro class victory in a flag-to-flag effort, with Patrick Mulcahy scoring the win in the Solairus Aviation Pro-Am class and his ACI Motorsports teammate Marco Cirone joining him with victory in the Solairus Aviation Masters class.
Jeansonne’s overall win cuts into championship lead.
Aaron Jeansonne started his No. 24 Kellymoss Porsche 911 Cup on the Race Brew pole and got away from the field early, utilizing that breathing room for an eventual 1.651-second win. In the clear, he also earned the bonus point for fastest race lap to go with the two points for pole position.
“The team gave me the best car this weekend,” Jeansonne said. “We showed it out of the gate in practice and I’m so happy to be able to bring them a win and get us back in this championship fight. All credit to the team.
“They gave me the best car and all I did was drive it. I drove at 99 percent race pace and got the job done. I’m so proud of what everybody did.”
Those points proved extra valuable in relation to championship leader Tyler Maxson. The Porsche Junior Program member started second in his No. 77 TOPP Racing Porsche 911 Cup, but a bump from behind as he made his turn-in to Turn 1 allowed Janne Stiak (ACI Motorsports), Callum Hedge (JDX Racing) and Jared Thomas (JTR Motorsports Engineering) to get by.
Maxson had closed to the rear of Thomas and, with 22 minutes to go, ran side by side for several corners in the infield section of the Speedway road course. Thomas impressively held off Maxson to the checkered flag, holding fourth and leaving the Championship leader in fifth.
Ahead of them, Stiak and Hedge ran essentially uncontested. Stiak finished second for his fifth podium in six races. Hedge finished 16 seconds behind Jeansonne and more than seven seconds in front of Thomas in third.
Maxson leaves Indianapolis with an 11-point lead in the championship and doubleheaders at Road Atlanta and Circuit of the Americas remaining.
Mulcahy puts early end to Pro-Am title.
Patrick Mulcahy extended his winning streak to 12 races in the Solairus Aviation Pro-Am class, sweeping the Indianapolis round and clinching the championship with two rounds remaining.
Mulcahy’s point total has now put him out of reach for the Pro-Am class competitos regardless of the outcome at Road Atlanta and Circuit of The Americas.
Cirone rebounds to hold off Blind and score valuable points.
Marco Cirone and his No. 88 ACI Motorsports Porsche 911 Cup were aiming for a rebound on Sunday following a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s race.
Scott Blind’s Ruckus Racing Porsche 911 Cup led the Masters class through the opening corners, but Cirone found his way around early in the 40-minute race. Once out front, Cirone stayed clear of trouble and crossed the finish line 2.345 seconds ahead of Blind.
Following post-race technical inspection, Blind was assessed a technical infraction, promoting Rob Walker and the No. 53 JTR Motorsports Engineering Porsche 911 Cup to second place and Richard Edge’s No. 18 ACI Motorsports entry to third.
Despite 10 career Porsche Carrera Cup North America class victories, including five this season, the win was Cirone’s first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I woke up this morning and I really wanted it,” Cirone said. “I woke up in a different mindset. I felt so bad for the crew because they worked all night long, but they fixed the car fantastically. This was an exhausting race because I had the guys behind me, Scott especially, and I couldn’t make any mistakes because he was right there.
“I’m glad the team gave me such a great car. Everything turned out well today.”
Walker and Edge completed the revised Masters podium, with Cirone extending his championship advantage heading into the final two events of the season.
Road Atlanta & Petit Le Mans beckons.
With Indianapolis in the rearview mirror, Porsche Carrera Cup North America now shifts its focus to Road Atlanta and the annual Petit Le Mans weekend in two weeks’ time. The season enters a critical stretch with the Mobil Pro and Solairus Aviation Masters championships still to be decided.
All Porsche Carrera Cup North America races stream live – and are available to watch anytime – on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel. Stay up-to-date on all the latest news by following Porsche Motorsport North America on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and Twitter, and by subscribing to the PMNA newsletter.
RESULTS.
Race 2
Mobil Pro Class:
- Aaron Jeansonne, #24
- Janne Stiak, #40
- Callum Hedge, #9
Solairus Aviation Pro-Am Class:
- Patrick Mulcahy, #54
Solairus Aviation Masters Class:
- Marco Cirone, #88
- Rob Walker, #53
- Richard Edge, #18
