ACI Motorsports has been a regular contender aboard Porsche machinery in multiple series across the US, but for 2024, the Curt Swearingin-owned team is stepping up to a whole new level.
Swearingin was behind the wheel with ACI when the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Championship was launched in 2021. In the following years, they have run up to four cars in the series but have made the leap to seven cars in 2024 – including its first entry into the Pro class.
Last year, the team added Fanatec GT World Challenge and GT4 America programs to their schedule. This year, Swearingin will again compete in GT4 America with Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Kay van Berlo as well as contesting the single-driver GT America championship.
He has already been collecting trophies in 2024 – taking second place with van Berlo in GT4 Pro-Am at Sonoma and finishing third in the GT4 class in GT America last weekend on the streets of Long Beach.
Next weekend in Florida, the ACI squad faces a unique logistical challenge. While the team’s seven Carrera Cup machines are in action at the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix, Swearingin and van Berlo will also be racing 155 miles away at Sebring International Raceway on the same weekend in the two SRO series.
“Running multiple cars is usually not that bad, but when you have two separate series running in the same state at the same time, that’s a much bigger challenge with equipment and personnel,” Swearingin said.
“We’re just going to try to do our best like always and try to perform at the highest level we can.
“We have a really strong showing in Carrera Cup this year which is awesome – and running a Pro car for the very first time. Carrera Cup is one of my favorite places to be and I think I’ll end up back there racing a car myself one day.”
ACI’s line-up for 2024 includes Jimmy Llibre in Pro; Marco Cirone, Roberto Tutino, and Pedro Torres in Pro-am, and a Masters line-up which features Matt Halcome, Richard Edge, and Tom Balames.
After the opening rounds of the season at Sebring, two ACI drivers lead their respective championships – Cirone in Pro-Am and Halcome in Masters.
Swearingin’s stepfather was in the military, and the future racer developed his passion for the Porsche brand as a senior in high school in Germany.
“I saw a 911 whale tail red turbo when I was in high school and immediately wanted one, but it was a bit out of my budget at the time,” he said.
“I rode motorcycles for years, and I decided I was going to die on one of those because I was too stupid. So I decided to buy a car – and when I did I chose a Porsche and got invited to do a track day with my local dealership.
“On my first track day, Patrick Long was there. We started talking about racing, and I went for a ride with him. I learned right then that I did not know how to drive a car!
“I wanted to set a path at that point to learn how to be a race driver – I haven’t gotten all the way there yet, and I’ll never get to Pat’s level – but I’m still pushing forward.”
ACI Motorsports has two race shops – one in Chattanooga and it’s second just outside of Road Atlanta. Swearingin’s Advanced Collision business has a total of eight locations and is certified to repair damaged road-going Porsches.
Swearingin is a busy man with nine race cars competing in 2024 on top of the eight collision centers – but what’s more, he also owns the World Racing League – an amateur endurance series that races at major venues across the country including Road America, Daytona, Charlotte, Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen, Sebring, Mid-Ohio and more.
The secret to his success is building a good team of people to run the separate business ventures.
“We have a lot of good people on the collision side as well as the race team. Even with our World Racing League, having the right people is what it’s all about,” Swearingin said.
“We’re very pleased with our expansion in Carrera Cup, and our goal is certainly to chase championships – in Pro, Pro-Am, and Masters. The season started very well, and while there’s a long way to go, we hope to continue carrying the momentum through 2024 and into the future.”
