Michael McCann and Zachary Vanier are taking the next step up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in 2026 with a full-season Pro class effort in GT World Challenge America powered by Amazon Web Services.
The former Porsche Carrera Cup North America contenders will campaign the new Porsche 911 GT3 R with McCann Racing as they transition into professional GT3 endurance racing.
From rivals to co-drivers
For Vanier, the move is both a progression and a culmination.
“For 2026, I’m super excited to be joining McCann Racing with our effort in the SRO GT World Challenge North America Championship in the GT3 R,” Vanier said.
“It’s fantastic to be paired up with Michael. He was one of the guys in the paddock I managed to build a really close friendship with throughout my two years in Porsche Carrera Cup North America. An amazing family, an amazing team. For us to have nailed the program down together feels super special.”
Their partnership was not built in a boardroom. It began in the paddock.
Before they were teammates, they were rivals in Carrera Cup. They were in the same paddock at the track – conversations at the Porsche PenFed Driver’s Lounge about 2026 turned into concrete plans.
“I found a really good co-driver,” McCann said. “Before he was my teammate, he was obviously a very close friend of mine. Zachary and I always hit it off at the track. That friendship kind of developed into, ‘Hey, what are you doing next year? What are you doing in two years?’”
The answer, eventually, became clear.
Forged in Porsche’s single-make arena
Both had spent recent seasons sharpening themselves in Porsche’s single-make environment – a platform that leaves nowhere to hide. Identical machinery. Minimal variables. Forty-minute sprint races that demand total commitment from green flag to checkered.
“It’s just full-bore focus,” McCann said of Carrera Cup. “Green flag, and you’re driving like mad. There’s no strategy, no pit stops. You have to make up as much room as you can. That’s why qualifying is so important.”
Vanier views it similarly, but with a developmental lens shaped by his time in the Porsche Junior Program.
“The biggest thing was maturing within the Porsche product,” he said. “I feel very fortunate for the opportunities Porsche gave me within the Junior Program – being recognized, and representing Porsche Motorsport North America at the Porsche Global Shootout. Over the last three years, it was about emphasizing the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid and going through it as it’s designed to work. I feel like that’s exactly what I’ve been able to do.”
Those experiences reinforced the step-by-step progression the pyramid is built to create.
That structure now leads them to GT3 racing – a world of more downforce, more adjustability, longer races and, crucially, shared responsibility.
Learning the GT3 language
Vanier has not yet turned a wheel in the new GT3 R, with his first test scheduled at Sebring in early March. But he already understands the scale of the shift.
“There are some expectations related to results and outcomes that we want,” he said. “But there’s a lot to learn and overcome, both personally and as a team.
“We’re entering it with an open mindset – being a sponge, soaking in everything from the team side, from Porsche’s side, and trying to maximize the program.”
The transition from 40-minute sprints to three-hour endurance races fundamentally changes the objective.
“It’s not about outright pace for a short distance anymore,” Vanier said. “It’s about longevity. Making sure we have a car at the end of three hours – and at Indy, making sure we have a car at the end of eight hours. There’s more technique and finesse involved. It’s a different approach.”
That evolution aligns directly with his long-term ambitions.
“The ultimate goal for me is to solidify myself as an endurance driver,” he said. “Whether that’s in SRO competition or IMSA. This was the goal. Now it’s about incorporating Michael’s preferences in the car as well – working together to get the car in a window where we’re both comfortable and able to maximize it.”
A return to GT3 roots
For McCann, the GT3 return carries its own meaning.
He grew up in a racing family. His father competed in Speed World Challenge in the early 2000s before earning a Cadillac factory opportunity that was cut short during the 2009 financial crisis. Racing was always part of the household vocabulary.
“There’s no better place than being at the track,” McCann said. “I’ve always been around it. I’ve always loved it.”
McCann Racing previously competed in GT3 machinery between 2017 and 2019, before the team pivoted fully into Porsche Carrera Cup competition. Now, with a deep affinity for the brand and a trusted co-driver alongside him, the timing feels right.
“The most exciting part for us is getting back into GT3 racing,” McCann said. “And to have Zachary join the McCann Racing family – it’s honestly been a blessing that everything has come together like it has.”
Translating Cup pace to endurance consistency
Both drivers believe their years in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car will ease the transition into the GT3 R.
“The Cup Car is the best training tool to prepare for the GT3R,” said McCann. “It’s a similar chassis, similar concept. We’re hoping it actually does everything nicer than a Cup car – it turns better, stops better.”
Vanier agrees, noting that while the GT3 platform introduces more variables – including Balance of Performance and competition from multiple manufacturers – it also expands a driver’s technical understanding.
“In Carrera Cup, it’s ultimately down to the driver,” he said.
“In World Challenge we’ll be working closely with Porsche, with the team, and even with other teams in the same manufacturer to give yourself the best platform across seven rounds – that’s going to be the name of the game.”
The program will compete in the Pro class, raising the bar further. Long-run pace, tire management, traffic navigation and co-driver harmony will carry more weight than a single qualifying lap.
“I think long-term pace will be more valuable than just having a one-lap flyer,” McCann said.
“That’s one thing Carrera Cup taught me. Now it’s about sharing the car, understanding what works for both of us, and building something consistent.”
A new chapter begins at Sonoma
The car itself has already arrived at the McCann Racing shop, wrapped and prepared for its Sebring shakedown. From there, the countdown to the opening round accelerates.
Three weeks later, the green flag will fall on a new chapter at Sonoma Raceway.
Two ex-Carrera Cup aces. One Pro-class GT3 R. A friendship forged in a single-make paddock now tested in one of North America’s premier GT championships.
For both McCann and Vanier, this is more than a schedule addition. It is the next deliberate step up the Porsche ladder – from sprint specialist to endurance contender.
With the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid continuing to work as designed, it won’t be the last.
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Reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion and Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Ryan Yardley is set for a triple-program Porsche season in 2026 with ACI Motorsports, Wright Motorsports, and JTR Motorsport Engineering.
The New Zealander will contest Pirelli GT4 America with ACI Motorsports alongside Damir Hot, GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with Wright Motorsports alongside Dave Musial Jr., and Porsche Endurance Challenge North America by Yokohama with JTR Motorsport Engineering alongside Dave Musial Sr.
The programs span GT4, GT3, and Porsche One-Make endurance competition – all within the Porsche ecosystem.
It is a significant expansion built directly on the momentum of his Carrera Cup title.
Carrera Cup as the stepping stone
Winning Porsche Carrera Cup North America has increasingly proven to be the ideal launch pad within the North American Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. The identical 911 Cup cars reward precision, discipline, and qualifying execution. There are no technical variables to hide behind.
For Yardley, that championship campaign was validation.
“Even once the checkered flag fell at COTA for Carrera Cup, I had some ideas of what was going to happen,” Yardley said. “But nothing was set in stone for 2026.”
The title positioned him squarely within the Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver program, opening doors to remain in the Porsche family while stepping up into multi-driver and multi-class endurance racing.
“It’s honestly a dream situation for me,” Yardley said. “To have three programs set, all on the Porsche platform, is fantastic.”
Rather than defending a single crown, Yardley will now balance three distinct programs – often competing twice in a single SRO weekend.
GT4 America – ACI Motorsports
The first pillar of the 2026 campaign comes in Pirelli GT4 America with ACI Motorsports, where Yardley will share the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with Damir Hot in Pro-Am competition.
“I’ll be double duty for SRO this year with ACI Motorsport alongside Damir Hot as a Pro-Am pairing,” Yardley said.
“I’m super excited to be part of a new championship and a new car as well, a new platform for myself.”
The partnership began midway through last season in Porsche Sprint Challenge competition before extending into a GT4 America outing at VIRginia International Raceway.
“We did VIR last year together in GT4 America with ACI and that went really well,” Yardley said.
“From that stage on, I knew Damir was putting a program together for 2026. I’m super thankful and super happy to be driving alongside him and continue our relationship.”
GT4 introduces multi-manufacturer racing, driver changes, and race strategy variables that do not exist in Carrera Cup.
“It was nice to do Virginia last year just to have some sort of idea of multi-manufacturer racing,” Yardley said.
“It’s definitely a new challenge, which makes it super exciting for me.”
ACI brings pedigree. The team won the Pro-Am championship two years ago and finished second last season.
“There’s no question the car’s quick and the team can do the job for us,” Yardley said.
“That’s exciting, knowing that going into the first race we’re going to have the car underneath us to do the job. It’s up to Damir and I to extract the most out of each other and out of the car.”
The objective is clear.
“We’re here to win. We’re here to contend for a championship.”
GT World Challenge America – Wright Motorsports
From GT4, Yardley steps into GT3 competition in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with Wright Motorsports, sharing the Porsche 911 GT3 R with Dave Musial Jr.
“It’s super exciting to join Wright Motorsports,” Yardley said.
“They’re a household name in Porsche racing and within the Porsche family. I’m super privileged to be joining another team where their equipment is going to be top-notch.”
The relationship with the Musial family was strengthened last season through Porsche Sprint and Endurance Challenge competition and continued earlier this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Yardley competed with Mühlner Motorsport alongside Dave Musial Sr., Dave Musial Jr., and Peter Ludwig, gaining valuable mileage in the GT3 R on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
“To do Daytona with both senior and junior was awesome,” Yardley said.
“That endurance experience definitely helps leading into GT World Challenge.”
The step from 45-minute Carrera Cup races to three-hour GT3 contests demands a shift in mindset.
“Endurance racing has a different aspect to the sprint races we grew up doing,” Yardley said.
“But being three hours, these cars are built so strong and so reliable that it’s almost flat out for three hours. Yes, you manage things, but you’re still pushing.”
Traffic management across Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes, tire management, and pit stop execution add complexity.
“It’s still quite a new platform for me,” he admitted. “But that’s what makes it exciting – a new paddock, a new championship.”
Porsche Endurance Challenge – JTR Motorsport Engineering
Yardley’s third program keeps him rooted in Porsche Cup machinery with Porsche Endurance Challenge North America, partnering Dave Musial Sr. with JTR Motorsport Engineering.
The series has become an increasingly important development bridge for Porsche One-Make drivers transitioning toward professional GT endurance racing.
“After the Road Atlanta four-hour in Endurance Challenge last year with myself and Junior – we won that race – that’s where the conversations got started,” Yardley said.
“They seriously looked at doing GT World Challenge, and thankfully, those plans have now come to fruition.”
Endurance Challenge events introduce driver changes, pit strategy, and long-run consistency within the Porsche One-Make environment.
“Endurance racing is about being consistent and being there at the end,” Yardley said. “Doing your role and doing your job within an endurance race. Pit stops, driver changes – it’s another element.”
“Doing that Road Atlanta race last year was a great introduction to the Endurance discipline. It really is a great stepping stone and learning opportunity for Porsche for when you are looking to move into IMSA or SRO endurance competition.”
From uncertainty to opportunity
Only a few years ago, Yardley was coaching while searching for a stable racing opportunity. He debuted in Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2023 with TOPP Racing – three years later, he was crowned series champion.
“If someone had told me five years ago I’d be in this position now, I would have ripped their arm off for the opportunity,” he said.
The Carrera Cup championship became the perfect stepping stone – validating his pace and positioning him within Porsche’s long-term structure.
“It’s been a crazy journey here in North America, one that I’m super thankful for,” Yardley said. “There have been so many people behind the scenes who have supported me.”
It is a demanding schedule. It is also the clearest indication yet that winning Carrera Cup can serve as a direct pathway into professional GT endurance racing within Porsche’s North American ladder.
For Ryan Yardley, the title was not the destination.
It was the beginning.
Riley Dickinson and Loek Hartog, both former Porsche Carrera Cup North America champions, are set for full-season GT World Challenge America powered by AWS campaigns in 2026 with Kellymoss, continuing their progression through the Porsche ranks.
Kellymoss will field three Porsche 911 GT3 R entries in the Pro-Am class. Dickinson partners with Carrera Cup Masters class multiple race winner Todd Parriott. Hartog returns to the team alongside Porsche Endurance Challenge Pro-Am Champion John Gilliland. The third entry features former Porsche Sprint Challenge and Porsche Endurance Challenge champion Michael Clark paired with endurance race specialist Colin Braun.
Together, the trio of entries reflects the depth of the North American Porsche Motorsport Pyramid – from Sprint Challenge and Endurance Challenge to Carrera Cup and now into top-tier GT3 competition.
Both Dickinson and Hartog are former Carrera Cup champions and Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Drivers.
Their advancement reflects the core purpose of Porsche One-Make racing in North America: develop complete drivers capable of succeeding in global GT3 endurance competition.
A clear pathway from Carrera Cup to GT3
Porsche Carrera Cup North America was built as a proving ground. Identical machinery places the emphasis squarely on driver performance – racecraft, tire management, consistency, and mental discipline.
Dickinson – the winningest driver in Porsche Carrera Cup North America history –
claimed the 2024 championship, combining outright speed with the composure required to manage a title campaign. He also built experience in multi-class competition, earning victories in Michelin Pilot Challenge at Daytona and Road Atlanta.
Hartog followed with a dominant 2025 season, securing the overall Porsche Cup – a global accolade awarded to the most successful Porsche customer racing driver worldwide.
Hartog accumulated 14,892 points across various international Porsche customer racing series to claim the 2025 Porsche Cup title, underlining both his consistency and the breadth of his competition schedule.
His 2025 season was notable not only for its results but for its intensity. Hartog competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the Spa 24 Hours on consecutive weekends – a demanding sequence that highlighted his endurance credentials and adaptability at the highest levels of global GT racing.
That combination of international experience and one-make dominance positions him strongly for a full-season GT World Challenge America campaign.
Dickinson partners with Parriott
One of the three Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 R entries pairs Dickinson with Todd Parriott.
Parriott is a multi-race Masters class winner in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and a consistent front-runner, steadily progressing through Porsche one-make competition with proven race-winning pace.
“I’m extremely excited to start this new chapter in my career, but also for Kellymoss in GT World Challenge America competition,” Dickinson said. “We have a great team assembled to take on this championship and put our best foot forward from the very start of this campaign.”
Parriott views the move to GT3 as the natural next step.
“Moving into SRO with Kellymoss is an important next step for me,” he said. “Each season has been about raising the bar, and I am ready to learn, grow, and push myself at this next level.”
Hartog returns after global success
Hartog returns to Kellymoss to partner with Porsche Endurance Cup Champion John Gilliland in a second Pro-Am Porsche 911 GT3 R entry.
Hartog’s 2025 Carrera Cup title campaign was a benchmark season. His ability to manage races, execute consistently, and maximize performance from the 911 GT3 Cup car translated into the overall Porsche Cup crown.
“I’m really excited to be back with my Kellymoss family after an incredibly successful effort with them in Porsche Carrera Cup North America,” Hartog said.
“This season, I’m stepping up to GT3 with them, a category where I’ve gained a lot of experience over the past two years. With more than 30 GT3 race weekends behind me, I’m looking forward to bringing everything I’ve learned into the team and partnering with John as he begins his first year in GT3 competition.”
Gilliland embraces the opportunity to compete at the highest GT3 level.
“Our objective is to be competing for the top step of the podium in this championship,” Gilliland said. “Thank you to everyone at Kellymoss for their ongoing support and guidance in my racing career.”
Clark and Braun complete the Pro-Am effort
The third Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 R will be driven by Michael Clark and Colin Braun.
Clark is a former Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and Porsche Endurance Challenge champion and returns to the track for the first time since his Endurance Challenge title-winning race at COTA in 2024. His move into GT World Challenge America represents the next stage of development after multiple one-make titles.
“I’m very excited to be racing this season with Kellymoss in SRO’s GT World Challenge America,” Clark said. “We are looking to build on our championship year and bring it to the next level.”
Colin Braun brings extensive endurance racing experience to the lineup, highlighted by overall victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Michael has done an excellent job of adapting to the car, and his work ethic is incredible,” Braun said. “I’m confident we will achieve some great things together for Kellymoss.”
Together, the trio of Kellymoss entries demonstrates the full arc of Porsche’s customer racing structure – from Sprint Challenge and Endurance Challenge through Carrera Cup and into professional GT3 endurance competition.
The 2026 GT World Challenge America powered by AWS calendar features seven rounds, including six three-hour races before the Indianapolis 8 Hour finale. Each Kellymoss entry will add a third driver for the Indianapolis 8 Hour, with those names to be announced at a later date.
For Porsche Motorsport North America, the pathway remains clear.
A full-season Porsche Carrera Cup North America campaign, a new-generation 911 Cup (Type 992.2) car, and a clear focus on race wins define Jared Thomas’s outlook heading into the 2026 season..
After stepping up from Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Thomas entered Porsche Carrera Cup North America last season knowing exactly what awaited him.
The car itself was familiar, but the competitive environment quickly underscored just how unforgiving the series can be.
“It’s always a big step when you come into a new series,” Thomas said.
“I don’t care what level you’re at – you’re coming into somebody else’s championship that’s been around for a few years. Those guys know all the little tricks.”
“It was definitely a big learning curve coming from Sprint Challenge to Carrera Cup. But I felt like it was the right jump. You know the basics, you’re comfortable in the car, but the guys you’re racing against are top-notch.”
For Thomas, the defining difference wasn’t pace alone, but density.
“In the beginning of the season, we were close,” he said.
“But there are a lot of guys living in that last five-tenths of a second. That was the biggest jump for me – just how many people were that tight at the front.”
That reality reshaped expectations quickly. In Carrera Cup, progress is measured in details, and consistency is often as valuable as outright speed.
Resetting for 2026
Thomas’ full-season commitment for 2026 arrives alongside a major technical shift with the introduction of the new Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2). For a driver who stepped into the series racing against competitors with multiple seasons of experience in the outgoing 992.1, the timing matters.
“We put in a lot of work at the end of 2025 looking into ’26 with the new 992.2,” Thomas said.
“Our goal is to win races and finish on the podium. We’ll take it one step at a time, but that’s ultimately where we want to be.”
The new car represents both opportunity and challenge.
“I’m super excited about it,” he said. “I stepped up into Carrera Cup racing against guys that had been in the same car for two or three years. Now it’s a bit of a reset.”
“After the test last week, there are some new bits on the car that I’m really excited about. Especially on the front aero.”
While the updated GT3 Cup car remains closely related to its predecessor, Thomas believes the changes are significant enough to force teams to rethink established approaches.
“From a development standpoint, it’s a reset for everybody,” he said. “Even though the cars are similar, they’re different enough that everyone has work to do.”
That work has already become the focus of Thomas’ offseason.
Choosing a different path
In a paddock filled with long-established Porsche operations, Thomas continues to take a less conventional route. Rather than aligning with an outside powerhouse team, he has committed to building his program internally, expanding staff, engineering capability, and technical resources over time.
“We continue to build our resources here in the shop,” Thomas said. “Our knowledge base, our engineers – all of that.
“I look at it as a great challenge. I’m really engineering-driven, and that’s how we approach everything.”
That mindset shapes how Thomas views performance.
“We’re always turning over every rock,” he said. “We’re always asking where we can get speed.
“It’s been a lot of hard work testing and consulting with industry professionals who have been around the sport a long time. That’s helped us expand our notebook.”
One of the defining traits of the program, Thomas believes, is its willingness to experiment.
“We’re very open-minded,” he said. “We’re never the ones that say, ‘That can’t work.’ You don’t know until you go out and try it.
“As far as we’re concerned, you have to prove to yourself whether something works or it doesn’t.”
Two roles, one weekend
Race weekends demand a careful balance for Thomas, who carries the responsibilities of both driver and team owner. Learning to separate those roles took time.
“That’s something I’ve been perfecting over the last six or seven years,” he said. “It definitely wasn’t easy when I first started.
“I’d say early on, when I had a lot of other responsibilities, I probably suffered a little bit,” Thomas admitted. “But you learn how to get better at it.”
Today, the separation is intentional.
“When I’m in the car, I’m 100 percent focused on my car and the performance,” he said. “I’m working with the engineers and mechanics to get it the best we can.
“When I’m out of the car, I’m in the paddock with the rest of the team. Talking with the other drivers. Asking how their car feels. Seeing what we can do better.”
That often means putting team needs ahead of his own.
“Sometimes I put myself last,” Thomas said. “But that’s just how it has to be.”
Shared success
That perspective extends to how Thomas defines success. While personal results matter, he places equal value on his drivers’ achievements.
“I’ve found a lot of joy in it,” he said. “It just goes to show that all the hard work is paying off.”
“I’m in the shop every day. I’m working with every guy on this team, trying to give our drivers the best product we can.
“So when another driver on our team wins, it feels just as good as a win myself.”
As Porsche Carrera Cup North America enters a new era, Jared Thomas does so with clear intent. The learning phase has sharpened his perspective. The technical reset offers an opportunity. And the expectations are no longer abstract.
With a full season ahead and a program built around engineering, adaptability, and effort, Thomas is no longer simply measuring the challenge.
He’s preparing to meet it head-on.
With Tyler Maxson entering year two of Porsche Carrera Cup North America and Cole Kleck stepping up full-time after a breakout rise through the Porsche ladder, Topp Racing launches its 2026 campaign as the team everyone is chasing.
Led by team boss Todd Oppermann, Topp Racing won the 2025 teams’ championship, with Ryan Yardley securing the drivers’ title. While Yardley has graduated up the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid (making his IMSA debut at Daytona), the team retains much of the structure and personnel that contributed to its title-winning season.
Maxson returns following a debut Carrera Cup campaign that included two race wins and steady improvement across the second half of the year. After starting the season focused on learning the category, Maxson made gains in both qualifying and race execution as the year progressed.
“I think the biggest thing for me last year was learning how to really extract everything out of the car,” Maxson said.
“We got a much better handle on that in the second half of the year, so that’s something we’re definitely looking to build on. Especially in qualifying — I feel like we took a pretty major step forward there about halfway through the season.”
Maxson scored his first Carrera Cup podium at Miami before earning his first win at Road America. A second victory followed later in the season at Road Atlanta. He also points to the Montreal round as an important weekend in terms of pace and overall performance.
“Montreal was also a really important moment for me, especially in terms of pace and qualifying — that felt like a big step forward,” he said.
“That whole stretch of races helped me get more comfortable with the car.”
For 2026, Maxson enters the season as the more experienced driver within the line-up, following Yardley’s departure and Kleck’s move into his first full Carrera Cup season.
“There’s definitely a little added pressure being the defending team champions, but it doesn’t really change how we approach anything,” Maxson said.
“We’re still just as hungry as ever. We’re not naive to how competitive this championship is — you have to be on top of your game every single weekend.”
Kleck joins Maxson full-time after winning the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama championship and contesting the final two rounds of Carrera Cup last season. His Carrera Cup debut came at Road Atlanta, where he showed competitive pace immediately.
“We entered the final two rounds of Carrera Cup last year, with the first one being Road Atlanta,” Kleck said.
“Atlanta went really well for us. Topp Racing really put together a great car and gave me something that was capable of winning. We had all the tools to do it — it just came down to experience and execution on my end.”
Kleck said his Sprint Challenge season provided a strong foundation for the step up, though the intensity of Carrera Cup was immediately apparent.
“Sprint Challenge was a great way for me to really understand and learn the car over the course of a year,” he said.
“I knew the competition was going to be tougher, and it definitely was. The racing is more intense, there’s more beating and banging, but we rose to the occasion and came out pretty well — aside from qualifying at COTA.”
Qualifying quickly emerged as a priority area for Kleck, given the depth of the Carrera Cup field.
“It’s huge,” he said. “The guys I’m racing against are some of the best in the country, and even a few from outside the country. Three or four tenths can separate the top five.
“You really have to put your laps together and hit your marks. If you can’t rise to the occasion and get it done in those two laps, you’re suddenly sitting deeper in the field.”
Kleck’s late-season participation also allowed him to work closely with both Maxson and Yardley, gaining insight into the team’s approach and data-sharing philosophy.
“When we got to Carrera Cup at Atlanta, we all shared data and worked together,” Kleck said.
“Maybe Ryan was faster in one sector, Tyler in another, and I was faster somewhere else. We put it all together. It’s not a case of hiding data or competing internally — it’s a team sport at the end of the day.”
Maxson said that collaboration will be important as the series transitions to the new Porsche 911 Cup car, which resets development across the paddock.
“It definitely levels the playing field,” Maxson said.
“Early in the year, it’s going to be a lot of work developing setups and getting everything in the right window. But we’ve got a really strong team behind us, and Todd’s very good at getting the cars where they need to be.”
Kleck had his first opportunity to see the new car when he attended the Porsche Night of Champions after his Sprint Challenge championship win.
“I got to see the car in Germany, and it’s a really cool piece,” Kleck said. “It looks awesome, and it looks fast. With it being a new car, we’ll have to relearn a few things and make some adjustments during testing and the opening rounds of Carrera Cup. But I’m super grateful and really happy to have this opportunity.”
Both drivers also referenced the broader Porsche development pathway as a factor in their motivation, with Carrera Cup continuing to serve as a key step within the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
“It really shows how invested Porsche is in developing young talent,” Maxson said.
“I’m not naive to how narrow and challenging the path is, but just knowing that those opportunities are out there is really motivating. That was a big reason why I chose this championship and why I wanted to come back for a second year.”
Kleck echoed that sentiment after watching drivers progress through the Porsche ladder and succeed at the top level, pointing to Laurin Heinrich’s and Julien Andlauer’s recent Rolex 24 at Daytona victory as a clear example of the pathway working as intended.
“Seeing drivers who came from Carrera Cup go on to win at the top level shows that the ladder works,” Kleck said.
“If you perform and get results, they’ll take care of you and keep moving you up.”
Topp Racing and the rest of the 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup North America line-up will run for the first time at the pre-season test on February 16–17 at Sebring International Raceway ahead of the opening round of the championship – also at Sebring – on March 18–20.
Ryan Yardley’s Porsche ladder climb reaches its biggest milestone yet in January, as the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion prepares to make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Fresh off a title-winning season that went down to the wire, the 27-year-old New Zealander will step into GT3 competition for the first time, contesting one of the world’s most famous endurance race in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
For Yardley, the opportunity represents far more than a one-off start–it is the realization of a long-term goal that began when he first entered Carrera Cup three years ago.
“For me, it’s obviously a dream to graduate to not only doing the Daytona 24 Hour, but also the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” Yardley said.
“It’s just a one-off race right now, but I’m incredibly excited to get to Daytona next month for the Roar and then leading into the race. To continue my relationship with Porsche after three years of Carrera Cup, and to make my first GT3 start in a Porsche, is pretty special.”
Yardley’s Daytona debut with Muehlner Motorsports America will come immediately after the most successful season of his career.
In 2025, he captured the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship in dramatic fashion, sealing the title at Circuit of The Americas with pole position and two race wins for TOPP Racing in a finale that showcased his composure under pressure.
“To win the championship was massive,” Yardley said.
“But to do it the way we did–beating Riley [Dickinson], a past champion, and beating Kellymoss, which has been the dominant team in Porsche racing in North America for so long–that’s what made it even more special.”
The title marked the culmination of a three-year plan for Yardley, who joined the one-make series with a clear objective: to use Carrera Cup as a springboard to top-level GT racing. Making the jump straight into GT3 machinery, the season after winning the championship was always the target.
“That was a huge goal of mine–making sure I went straight from Carrera Cup into GT3,” he said. “To have my GT3 debut at Daytona is going to be pretty special.”
The path to the Rolex 24 came together quickly–and unexpectedly. Yardley revealed that the Daytona deal was finalized in a matter of days, the result of relationships built through coaching and endurance racing outside the Carrera Cup paddock.
“It all happened within almost 48 hours,” Yardley explained. “I had a few different options on the table for Daytona, but I’ve been coaching Dave Musial Jr. in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama. This race will be with Dave senior and junior, as well as Peter Ludwig, who’s senior’s coach. It’s wild how it all worked out.”
That connection has already produced results. Yardley and Musial Jr. previously teamed up to win the final round of Porsche Endurance Challenge North America at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this year, strengthening a partnership that now carries into one of the toughest events in global motorsport.
“We already had a win together, which makes it pretty special,” Yardley said. “To do his debut endurance race and get a win showed we had a strong partnership. Now we’re taking on one of the biggest endurance races in the world together.”
Daytona will present a very different challenge from the sprint racing environment that defined Yardley’s Carrera Cup success. Instead of 40 minutes of flat-out intensity, the Rolex 24 demands patience, traffic management, and long-run consistency–skills Yardley is eager to refine.
“Carrera Cup was 40 minutes of all-out sprint racing,” he said. “Endurance racing is different. We’ll need to manage fuel, look after the tires, and deal with traffic–both passing and being passed by LMDh and LMP2 cars. It’s a massive change in dynamic.”
Preparation will begin with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 – multiple days of testing leading into race week. While Yardley’s teammates has previous Daytona International Speedway experience, the race his first at the famous Florida venue.
“We’ve got plenty of time to get adjusted and learn the car,” Yardley said. “It’s the first race at Daytona for most of us, so the focus is on learning, ticking the boxes at the Roar, and putting our best foot forward for the 24.”
The Daytona opportunity comes on the heels of another career highlight: Porsche’s Night of Champions in Germany, where Yardley celebrated his Carrera Cup title alongside champions from across the global Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
“To experience that for the first time was really cool,” he said.
“Being in a room with drivers I’ve looked up to for years, doing the museum tour and the factory tour–it’s something not many people get to do. The group of North American champions this year was awesome, and the atmosphere was really special.”
While the celebrations marked the end of a successful chapter, Yardley’s focus quickly shifted forward.
“I’m 27 now, and after that night it was straight back to focusing on the future,” he said. “Carrera Cup will always be special, and my time there means a lot, but now it’s about the next chapter.”
That next chapter begins under the lights at Daytona, where Yardley will take on the Rolex 24 with the confidence of a champion and the mindset of a driver still hungry to learn.
“I’m under no illusions about how tough Daytona is going to be,” Yardley said. “You’ve got the best sports car drivers in the world all coming together in January. We just need to prepare as best we can, stay out of trouble, and see what happens.”
For Ryan Yardley, the jump from Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition is exactly where the road was always meant to lead–and Daytona is the perfect place to start the next climb.
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