At the very first Porsche Carrera Cup North America race in 2021, 34 drivers lined up on the grid at Sebring International Raceway. Four years and 64 races later – only two racers hold the honor of entering every single event in championship history.
Now teammates at Kellymoss, Efrin Castro and John Goetz, had contrasting fortunes in that first-ever event. Then racing for Team Hardpoint EBM, Castro finished second in the Pro-am class behind the driver who he would go on to have a never-ending championship battle with – Alan Metni.
Then competing for Wright Motorsports, Goetz wasn’t as fortunate – failing to finish the first-ever race. Castro went on to win the championship in 2021, while Goetz scored three podiums en route to fourth place in the points.
“Both Efrin and John have been wonderful ambassadors for our championship and it has been an honor for Porsche North America to have them join us for every single event we have run over the past four years,” said Volker Holzmeyer, Porsche Motorsport North America President and CEO.
“It’s not just the fact they have raced in every event – it is how they go about their racing. They are both fast but fair, and everyone in the paddock loves competing against them.”
The Kellymoss pair passed the 50 races mark at Sebring earlier this year and that mark now stands at 64 after the final races of 2024 recently at Circuit of The Americas.
“It was a wonderful feeling to pass the 50 races mark earlier this year because John and I are truly committed to this sport,” Castro said.
“We’re also both with a really good team at Kellymoss who always get us to the start of our races.”
Now racing in the Masters class, Goetz welcomes the challenge that Porsche Carrera Cup North America provides.
“I think the two big things about Carrera Cup for me – one is you can always be better. There’s always someone better than you, so you’re always trying to improve. But also, I think the sportsmanship is just superb,” said Goetz.
“And here at Kellymoss, we all work together. It’s just an awesome team.”
With championship wins to his name, Castro is impressed with how the championship has grown over the past four years.
“The series has grown tremendously. We were all excited when it was first announced in 2021. And now, with the F1 races on the schedule as well – it’s amazing,” said Castro.
“The series just keeps growing. Porsche is doing an amazing job. They keep getting it right and doing things better, and that’s why we continue to race. It motivates us to come back.
While both drivers are fighting for their own success in their respective classes, they continue to be impressed with the level of talent that the championship now attracts.
“I think the way you could tell the series is getting better is the drivers are getting better,” said Goetz.
“I’ve been around a long time and I keep moving back in the pack because the other drivers keep getting better. The kids that come in, like Loek Hartog with Kellymoss, are real pro-caliber kids – it’s great.”
Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) has announced the 2025 race season schedules for each of its one-make championships with a focus on continuity. Each of the four championships will return with event calendars mirroring the successful 2024 race season.
Competitors in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Porsche Endurance Challenge North America, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama and Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama will again race on the continent’s most famous and popular road courses.
Multi-class, single-brand racing will continue to support IMSA and IndyCar weekends in 2025. Porsche Carrera Cup North America, the premier one-make championship for the German marque in the United States and Canada, will again support Formula 1® at three events: Miami, Florida, Austin, Texas and in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
By utilizing the same car for all competitors, the demand for performance is on the driver and on the team alone. Porsche one-make racing, which dates to the founding of Porsche Carrera Cup Germany in 1990, is the backbone of the global Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America is the premier one-make race series in the United States and Canada utilizing a combination of the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car, type 992, and Yokohama’s ADVAN® A005 racing slick to challenge the best road and street race courses on the continent.
The fifth season of the championship is scheduled to host 16 rounds at eight venues. Each 40-minute race counts toward a season-long driver championship in each of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Masters as well as a Team champion.
As the pinnacle one-make series of the Porsche Motorsport North America Pyramid, the series is a launching point for young drivers aspiring to a career in auto racing.
Previous champions Seb Priaulx (2021), Parker Thompson (2022), Riley Dickinson (2023) and two-time runner-up Kay van Berlo (2021, 2022) have each moved into open competition racing, where they compete in the SRO GT4 America, IMSA Pilot Challenge and/or the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. More on Porsche Carrera Cup North America can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us.
Porsche Sprint Challenge.
Entering its fifth season, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama has proven a vital and vibrant one-make series with a focus on learning the craft of professional motorsport.
In 2025, the national series keeps its core events as it has since the series’ creation in 2021. One exciting addition will be the premiere of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on both the Sprint Challenge North America and Sprint Challenge USA West schedules.
The Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama moves into its fourth season with great momentum as well. Focused primarily on tracks in the western portion of the United States, the series runs to the same regulations as the national series and shares select dates. Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and USA West continue as the primary feeder series to Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Porsche Endurance Challenge North America.
The Porsche Endurance Challenge North America returns as a four-event championship with each race lasting longer than 40-minutes. As it did in its inaugural 2024 season, cars which are currently authorized for the United States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama are eligible to enter the Porsche Endurance Championship. Details of the final structure of the Endurance Championship will be made available in the coming weeks.
Porsche Motorsport North America Pyramid.
The Porsche Motorsport North America Pyramid provides the racing industry with a clear path for drivers, teams and marketing partners to progress through the ranks of sports car racing. At each step on the Pyramid, Porsche provides the appropriate tools, personnel and strategies to model the career path for drivers, teams and partners.
Where to Watch.
All rounds of the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America will again be found on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us. They will be cataloged on both the Porsche Motorsport North America and IMSA YouTube channels as well. The experts of IMSA Radio will again provide commentary and color for the 16-race championship.
The Porsche Endurance Challenge North America, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and Porsche Sprint Challenge USA championships, all supported by Yokohama, will continue to be found live on the PMNA YouTube channel.
Once the checkered flag has fallen, all rounds will be archived on the series YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica.
Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.
“The goal in car setup is to find a fast balance and then fine-tune. We have carried the same philosophy to our scheduling for next season. We are fine-tuning to maximize what is already very good. The schedules for each of the one-make series have proven very popular with our competitors and fans so we want to continue with this successful formula, which we have enhanced from year to year by incorporating our series into highlight events such as NASCAR, Indy Car and Formula 1 to find the best mix. We have received positive feedback from the competitors, tracks and our partners at each level with this approach. We are looking forward to the new season opening, in traditional fashion, at Sebring in March.”
2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Schedule.
March 12 – 15: Sebring International Raceway* – IMSA
May 2 – 4: Miami International Autodrome – Formula 1®
June 13 – 15: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve – Formula 1®
June 26 – 29: Watkins Glen International* – IMSA
July 31 – August 1: Road America* – IMSA
September 19 – 21: Indianapolis Motor Speedway* – IMSA
October 8 – 11: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta* – IMSA
October 17 – 19: Circuit of The Americas – Formula 1®
* ANDIAL Cup rounds
2025 Porsche Endurance Challenge North America Schedule.
February 28 – March 2: Sebring International Raceway
April 4 – 6: Sonoma Raceway
May 16 – 18: Circuit of the Americas
September 12 – 14: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
2025 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.
February 28 – March 2: Sebring International Raceway
April 4 – 6: Sonoma Raceway*
May 16 – 18: Circuit of the Americas*
June 27 – 29: Watkins Glen International (TBC)
July 11 – 13: Virginia International Raceway
August 8 – 10: Road America
September 12 – 14: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta*
2025 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama.
March 21 – 23: Spring Mountain Motorsport Ranch
April 4 – 6: Sonoma Raceway*
May 16 – 18: Circuit of the Americas*
June 6 – 8: Utah Motorsports Campus (TBC)
July 25 – 27: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – IndyCar
September 12 – 14: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta*
*Joint event with North America and USA West
Congratulations are officially in order, not only for class champions but also for the Round 16 winners, as the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America season came to a close with Sunday’s checkered flag for Ryan Yardley at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).
Yardley started on the second row with Topp Racing Performance, but within 10 minutes, had chased down and passed the leaders to capture the final Pro class victory of the year. The win was crucial, as Yardley broke his tie with Alex Sedgwick (JDX Racing) for second in the championship standings.
For the second weekend in a row, Yardley and and JDX Racing’s Zach Vanier mirrored the scene in victory lane – Vanier winning the first race of the weekend and Yardley the second.
“It’s been an awesome year,” said Yardley after his third win of the season.
“To finish off with a win and to be here with Formula One and here your national anthem on the podium is also pretty special. It’s been a pretty cool day and I was just glad to get through Turn 1 clean, and thankfully, we did that. It was just head down from there.”
While Sedgwick was unable to close the gap to Yardley, he and JDX Racing teammate Vanier had a thrilling battle for second and third that came down to the final 60 seconds. Both drivers ultimately had a successful run in Race 2, as Sedgwick started sixth and finished second, while Vanier started fourth to finish third.
Loek Hartog – who was mathematically crowned the Pro class champion at Road Atlanta earlier this month – completed his season with a fourth-place result on Sunday.
In the Pro-Am class, Alan Metni (Kellymoss) knew he had to beat his teammate Efrin Castro to take the crown, and the Austin resident did just that. Metni celebrated with friends and family on Sunday after enduring pressure from Castro for both the win and the title.
“This is what we talked about – whoever wins, wins,” Metni added. “That was the idea. I was all keyed up by it, but I was also motivated by it. It was really fun, close racing with (Efrin), and I enjoy racing with him.”
Castro was one of several competitors who fell victim to a spin on Sunday, but he lurked in Metni’s mirrors, running in second place before doing so. Moisey Uretsky (Baby Bull Racing) ultimately finished second, and Castro battled back to finish third.
“It feels great, and it’s amazing that we did this here at home,” said Metni.
“I love racing with Efrin and Mosiey and Marco (Cirone) and everybody else. These guys taught me how to race. It’s amazing coming back here. Getting to see my lovely wife and daughter here, and all the guys at Kellymoss did a phenomenal job.”
The Masters class race and championship results were determined on the final corner of the race. Kellymoss driver Chris Bellomo – who was also Friday’s polesitter and Saturday’s Race 1 winner – battled door-to-door with Kyle Washington (GMG Racing) for the win, but tapped his competitor off track coming to the checkered flag. Scott Blind (Ruckus Racing) watched the drama unfold in third place and snuck by both cars for the win, his second of the season.
“(Carrera Cup) is super competitive,” explained Blind, who also competes in the Porsche Sprint Challenge series. “There’s a lot more on the line, a lot more cars in front of me. All in all, both paddocks are full of great people and the grid is fabulous.
“I have some good people behind me and Andrew Davis is one of them. He’s a great coach and good for my headspace, keeping me focused, and Mike Johnson is on the radio. I had a great start and was in first, went deep into Turn 12 and lost a few places. I made all the spaces back and at the end of the day, it was a great day to take first.”
Bellomo was assessed a 10-second penalty for the late incident but maintained second place in class. Therefore, after his success in Texas, Bellomo captured the championship by the narrowest of margins over Matt Halcombe, who finished a place shy in third.
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America field celebrated its accomplishments on Sunday evening with the end-of-season Celebration of Champions, while the class champions will also be recognized at the annual Porsche Night of Champions later this year.
All races from the 2024 season are archived for replays on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube Channel.
After taking his second win of the season last week, JDX Racing’s Zachary Vanier wasted no time getting his third today at Circuit of The Americas with stunning speed in the opening lap today in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Starting third on the grid, Vanier pounced in the first corner and actually grabbed the lead heading into turn two on the opening lap.
Despite multiple restarts, Vanier held off the back for his third win of the year and his second in a week. He won round 13 of the championship last week at Road Atlanta with similar opening lap pace.
“This is a track I’ve had a lot of success at in the past and of course, to carry it on is really nice,” said Vanier.
”For the season, it’s been a really strong year of development for me personally, inside and outside the car. There’s a lot of expectation when you move up and being in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship, the competition is very fierce and it’s very high pace.
“For me, I’m very happy with it. This is the third win of the season and it feels the best.
“I want to give a huge thanks to JDX Racing and all my partners for making it happen. Tonight, we’ll go back to analyze and try again tomorrow.”
Hartog went on to finish runner-up, while Topp Racing’s Ryan Yardley’s third-place puts him in a battle for second in the championship with one race remaining.
Kellymoss driver Efrin Castro surpassed his teammate and Pro-Am class polesitter Alan Metni before the first caution en route to his fourth win of the season. The pair will face a championship showdown on Sunday after Metni finished fourth.
James Sofronas (GMG Racing) and Marco Cirone (ACI Motorsports) rounded out the Pro-Am class podium.
“First, I want to thank the man above for giving me this opportunity and everybody who contributes to the race – Porsche, the team, Riley Dickinson, everybody who is part of it,” said Castro.
“It was a switch that turned on in me and I was in full attack mode. Turn one opened up and there was a big gap. I was able to go right through and sit right behind Alan.
“From there, it was just a switch that was on, and I just kept driving and hitting my marks and putting the pressure on.”
In the Carrera Cup Masters class, the battle will also come down to the last laps of Sunday’s race. Championship leader Matt Halcombe was involved in the Lap 1 incident on Saturday, while his rival Chris Bellomo held off the rest of the field and narrowed his gap in the title.
“I have a fantastic team behind me with Kellymoss and a very excellent coach and a super supportive family,” Bellomo credited. “All of that makes for a very enjoyable experience here and it’s a lot of fun.
“We did a lot of visualization and a lot of data work. I’ve got a performance coach and I’ve got everything I can possibly think of to help me succeed. It doesn’t always work out, but it worked out today.”
Finishing second and third, respectively, were GMG Racing’s Kyle Washington and Ruckus Racing’s Scott Blind.
Only one round remains before all champions are crowned for the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America season. Race 2 is scheduled for Sunday at 11 p.m. Central prior to the Formula One United States Grand Prix.
The races will stream on Peacock TV, IMSA.tv, IMSA and Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) YouTube channels plus the PMNA X and LinkedIn channels.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Loek Hartog hasn’t backed off the throttle since clinching his title, and the Dutchman qualified on pole position Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).
Hartog’s time of 2:06.237 driving the No. 24 Porsche for Kellymoss was nearly two-tenths quicker than second place, Michael Cooper (Baby Bull Racing).
The second row today will feature the race winners from last weekend at Road Atlanta – Zach Vanier (JDX Racing) leading Ryan Yardley (Topp Racing).
“It’s not only me,” Hartog said after qualifying.
“The team did a very good job, especially after yesterday. We just did the right thing to the car and the car is very nice to drive. I’m very happy to get pole position here at COTA.
“Personally, I feel like there are still some things to do better. In the race, I hope to dial a few things, and hopefully, we can get a clean getaway and drive a very good race. Hopefully, we can then really show what we’re capable of. To me, it’s still not perfect, so I’d like to show that in the race.”
While Hartog will lead the Pro class field to green, his Kellymoss teammate Alan Metni will do the same in the Pro-Am class. Metni, who lives locally near the Austin, Texas racetrack, also posted the fastest practice time on Friday before setting his qualifying time of 2:07.564. Six Pro cars separate Metni from the second-place Pro-Am driver, Marco Cirone.
“It feels great,” said Metni.
“I love racing here, and it’s also quite nice to wake up in your own bed and go to the racetrack, so I’m happy about how it turned out today.”
Of the Masters drivers, Chris Bellomo continued his quest for the class championship by landing on pole position with a time of 2:09.006. Bellomo – along with Hartog and Metni – also runs under the Kellymoss banner, making it a qualifying sweep for the squad.
“It felt good, the conditions were much cooler,” described Bellomo.
“I felt l had much more grip than FP1. I am just going to try to survive the start and put in as many solid laps as I can for 35 minutes and see what happens.”
The first race of the weekend – and penultimate of the season – goes green later on Saturday at 4:40 p.m. ET. The final Porsche Carrera Cup North America race of 2024 is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. ET prior to the Formula One United States Grand Prix.
The races will stream on Peacock TV, IMSA.tv, IMSA and Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) YouTube channels plus the PMNA Facebook, X and LinkedIn channels.
Fresh from his victory at Road Atlanta last weekend, Topp Racing’s Ryan Yardley continued his impressive speed by topping today’s practice session for Porsche Carrera Cup North America at the US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.
The Texas-based Topp Racing Performance driver’s time of 2:07.860 seconds was a mere .056 seconds over Zachary Vanier from JDX Racing.
Recently crowned Pro champion Loek Hartog (Kellymoss) was third fastest ahead of Alex Sedgwick (JDX Racing) and Dan Clark (Era Motorsports).
“Atlanta was nice and it’s cool to be back here at COTA,” said Yardley after practice.
“It’s obviously a tough weekend with only one practice, but it was a reasonable practice for us. We have a lot of work to do before qualifying tomorrow, and I’m sure it’s going to be tight as always, which is why it’s important to qualify up front. I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend.”
In the Pro-Am class, points leader Alan Metni began the weekend by leading his field with a practice time of 2:08.868 seconds. Metni – the hometown hero from Austin, Texas – is one of 10 entries on the grid this weekend for Kellymoss and enters with a slim, eleven-point championship lead over teammate Efrin Castro.
Remarkably – Metni’s time was seventh fastest overall and 1.6 seconds faster than his nearest rival.
“I love this track,” Metni said.
“This is my home track, and this is the first racetrack I ever drove on about eight years ago. This is where it all started for me. Sleeping in your own bed, being rested, eating your own food, it’s nice being at home.
“The repave is really quite nice. All the bumps are gone, and I hope it stays this way for quite some time. It’s definitely faster because of that. I will say that, in a way, I miss the bumps because they required some extra technique that gave local knowledge a real benefit. But it’s nice and I’m sure everybody is enjoying it.”
Also running for Kellymoss is Masters class practice leader Chris Bellomo with a time of 2:10.232 seconds. Bellomo embarks on his final quest this weekend for the Masters championship and sits behind leader Matt Halcome and ACI Motorsports by 27 points.
“The conditions were decent,” said Bellomo.
“It was nice and a little bit cooler than when we tested here. We did a really good job during the test about a month ago and were able to carry that over. I like what they did with the repave. It’s a little less bumpy in certain areas and gives you a little more confidence.
Qualifying tomorrow for the final two rounds of the 2024 championship will take place at 9:50 am.
Race 1 for Porsche Carrera Cup North America takes place on Saturday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. ET, with Race 2 following on Sunday morning at 12 p.m. ET.
The races will stream on Peacock TV, IMSA.tv, IMSA and Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) YouTube channels plus the PMNA Facebook, X and Linkedin channels.
Season 2024 has again highlighted the key role that Porsche Carrera Cup North America is playing in developing young sportscar talent.
Three drivers, including two members of the Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver team, have enjoyed stellar seasons—each behind the wheel of Porsche machinery this year.
While AO Racing’s Laurin Heinrich may only have one Porsche Carrera Cup North America weekend on his resume, the young German star followed a similar path to success in Carrera Cup competition in Europe.
Two years ago, he lined up at Road Atlanta for his first North American race and dominated – setting pole position and running away with the second race of the weekend to earn his first victory.
Two years later, Heinrich was crowned as the GTD Pro Champion in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
For Heinrich, the title was a full-circle moment with the marque at Road Atlanta.
“Road Atlanta, what a phenomenal place,” Heinrich said.
“I did my very first race here in the United States in 2022 in Porsche Carrera Cup North America and put it on pole and won the race – great memories. Two years later, standing here in IMSA, a GTD Pro champion in the middle of the night at Petit Le Mans, I can’t believe it.
“It was a rollercoaster weekend, and in the end, it was such a fine margin to win the championship. It’s the biggest success of my life. I can’t thank my teammates and my team enough. They did a phenomenal job, and I’m over the moon.”
Porsche Motorsport North America’s pair of Selected Drivers, Kay van Berlo and Riley Dickinson, both tasted great success aboard the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport this year.
While van Berlo holds the record for the most number of Pro wins in Porsche Carrera Cup North America—13—he previously fell short of winning the overall championship.
This year, he made amends in the GT4 America championship – taking the Pro-Am title with ACI Motorsports team boss Curt Swearingin. The Dutchman helped clinch the championship at the iconic Racing Capital of the World – Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“We started this program two years ago. Not everything was perfect, but over the years, we progressed as a team and as drivers as well,” said van Berlo.
“I’ve seen Curt grow as a driver, which has been very satisfying to see as well. I’ve seen the team grow in this series and in other series, which has been awesome.
“Obviously, we were reaching podiums all throughout the season, and it’s all about collecting points. We clinched the championship here just by being consistent. I’m just super happy to get it done, and massive credit to the team, the engineers, the mechanics – they’ve put night-and-day effort into this program.”
Last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Riley Dickinson also made the step into GT4 machinery in 2024, teaming up with fellow ex-Carrera Cup racer Michael McCarthy and the Kellymoss with Riley Motorsports team.
The duo won the opening race of the season at Daytona International Speedway in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and bookended the season with another win in the final race of the season at Road Atlanta.
“Our Michelin Pilot Challenge program was a great effort all year long, and I couldn’t be happier with how we progressed as a team from start to finish,” Dickinson said.
“To go from starting the year out in Daytona with a fantastic strategy call to win the race, developing the car throughout the year to be in contention, and then finishing off our year on a high note at Road Atlanta with our second win of the season.
“Being able to “graduate” from the Porsche Carrera Cup North America this year was certainly a big step forward for me and my career, along with becoming a Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver. The support from PMNA this year was truly what made the difference in my growth and development as a driver this season.”
Not only did van Berlo and Dickinson shine bright in GT4 machinery – but they also teamed up to contest the Indianapolis weekend in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in GTD competition. The duo added fellow Kellymoss Carrera Cup young star Jake Pederson.
Heinrich, van Berlo and Dickinson are following in the footsteps of a host of former Carrera Cup aces who have gone on to enjoy incredible careers in sports car racing.
At Road Atlanta, we also said farewell to another champion who not only used Cup competition to revive his career a number of seasons after his final open-wheel drive but also used his pair of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup victories as a career springboard.
For 2006 and 2007 Supercup champ Richard Westbrook, his career fittingly came to an end back behind the wheel of a Porsche in 2024 – competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship aboard the Porsche 963 for JDC Motorsport.
Westbrook’s stellar career included wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, as well as five podiums at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“What Porsche did for me to get my career started in sports car racing was amazing,” said Westbrook.
“I always tell any young driver my story about how I had a few years out after Formula racing, and I came back through the Carrera Cup system. I was fortunate enough to win the Supercup and then had a really fantastic long career.
“To finish it off, having a year in the 963 makes it even sweeter. I’m really proud, and it’s surreal that I’ve gone full circle back into a Porsche.”
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America concludes its fourth season this weekend at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. For the second consecutive season, the premier Porsche one-make championship in North America will crown its champions with a two-round finale in support of Formula 1®.
Rounds 15 and 16 of the all-Porsche championship will run on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20 and presented by Penfed Credit Union.
The 3.4-mile, 20-turn Grand Prix circuit has drawn 36 pre-event entries across all three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Masters. Each Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car (Type 992) is mechanically identical and rides on the same Yokohama ADVAN® A005 racing slick, making driver performance and team preparation the determining factors in every session.
Since its founding in 2021, Porsche Carrera Cup North America has been a key training ground. Sebastian Priaulx (United Kingdom), inaugural champion in 2021, has Porsche race wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar and World Endurance Championships. Parker Thompson (Canada) took the championship in 2022 and progressed to become a current race winner in the IMSA GTD class.
Most recently, 2023 champion Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) won his premier and season finale races in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in January of 2024 driving a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport for Kellymoss.
There will be a single 30-minute practice session on Friday, October 18. A 30-minute qualifying session for all classes will set the grid on Saturday morning. The twin 35-minute races, shortened by five minutes to fit the Formula 1 ® standard, will race in the afternoon on Saturday, October 19, and in the morning on Sunday, October 20.
COTA FAST FACTS
- Field. 36 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars are entered for the weekend.
- Pro class. 15 Pro-Am class. 9 Masters class. 11
- Teams. 9 race teams are represented across all three classes.
Track Record: 1:20.089, Laurin Heinrich, No. 12 311RS Motorsport, set in 2022
2023 Race Winners
– Pro. Race 1 & 2. Riley Dickinson, No. 53 Kellymoss
– Pro-Am. Race 1 & 2. James Sofronas, No. 14 GMG Racing
– Masters (previously called Am). Race 1 & 2. Mark Kvamme, No. 43 MDK Motorsports
Point Leaders.
Pro. Loek Hartog, No. 24 Kellymoss
Pro-Am. Alan Metni, No. 99 Kellymoss
Masters. Matt Halcome, No. 55 ACI Motorsports
Entrants. Kellymoss
Schedule. All times Central
Friday, October 18.
2:35 p.m. – 3:05 p.m. – Practice
Saturday, October 19.
9:50 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. – Qualifying (all classes)
3:40 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. – Race 1 (35-minutes)
Sunday, October 20.
11:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. – Race 2 (35-minutes)
Hometown heroes:
Two Texans will have an opportunity to celebrate their success with their hometown fans this weekend. Alan Metni, 2022 Pro-Am class champion, is an Austin resident looking to capture his second Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship at his home track in the No. 99 Kellymoss Porsche.
Jeff Mosing also lives in Austin and is targeting a victory at COTA in the No. 56 Topp Racing Performance Porsche. .
Formula 1 ® support:
The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is the third weekend on the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America calendar to race in support of the Formula 1 ® World Championship. The second and third race weekends of the season were also headlined by F1.
Rounds three and four were held at the Miami International Autodrome, May 3 – 5. Loek Hartog raced to the overall victory in race one while Zachary Vanier earned his first career win in race two.
Rounds five and six came in Montreal where Carrera Cup was a support event for the Grand Prix of Canada on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, June 7 – 9. While rain battered both rounds, it was Yves Baltas who came across the finish line first in race one, and Hartog who took the checkered flag first in the second race of the weekend. .
Scheduling change:
As was the case in both Miami and Montreal, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America standard schedule will be tweaked for the COTA Formula One ® weekend. A single, 30-minute practice session (2:35 – 3:05 p.m. CT) will take place on Friday, October 18 rather than the customary pair of 30-minute practices on other weekends.
Qualifying on Saturday (9:50 – 10:20 a.m.) takes place as usual over a 30-minute period. Both rounds will be shortened to 35 minutes with round 15 set to take the green flag on Saturday at 3:50 p.m. CT. The season finale will come just before the United States Grand Prix at 11:00 a.m. CT..
Celebrate good times:
Porsche Motorsport North America will award the Al Holbert Cup for the fourth time on Sunday, October 20. For the second year, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Celebration of Champions will take place at Porsche Austin where the Pro, Pro-Am, and Masters classes, along with the Entrant champion, will be recognized. .
Al Holbert Cup:
Since 2021, the Al Holbert Cup has been awarded to the overall champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. The trophy was named in recognition of Holbert’s commitment, inspiration and leadership in the formation and organization of Porsche motorsports in North America.
The silver cup carrying his name is crafted as a timeless and traditional trophy to commemorate each Pro class champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. The Al Holbert Cup is engraved each year with the champion’s name and year of the championship. This award recognizes the true racing spirit of Al Holbert conveying his professional driving skill, engineering precision and a passion as a gentleman racer.
To the point:
Loek Hartog (Netherlands) secured his first Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro class championship with two podium finishes at Road Atlanta in rounds 14 and 15. The driver of the No. 24 Racing For Children’s Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car secured an insurmountable 87-point lead over Alex Sedgwick (United Kingdom) in the PT Autosport JDX Racing No. 98. Sedgwick’s position is more vulnerable.
He is a mere five points ahead of Ryan Yardley (New Zealand) in the No. 78 Topp Racing Performance machine and 29 ahead of Zachary Vanier (Canada) in the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche. Dan Clarke (Indianapolis, Indiana) holds fifth place in the overall standings, 38 points shy of second place in the No. 64 Era Motorsport racer.
To date, the Pro-Am class has traditionally been the most fiercely fought. The 2024 championship has been no exception. In fact, entering the final race weekend in Texas, four drivers have a realistic shot at winning the class. Alan Metni – driving the No. 99 Kellymoss entry – holds only a 10-point margin over his teammate and constant championship rival Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) in the No. 65.
Castro has made a serious run at the title in the last two races scoring both Road Atlanta wins. All three Pro-Am titles are held by either Castro (2021, 2023) or Metni (2022). Castro is only one point ahead of Marco Cirone (Canada) who has the No. 84 ACI Motorsports Porsche in third place. Moisey Uretsky (Miami, Florida) has raced the No. 44 Baby Bull Racing up to fourth place with two wins (round four at Miami and round six at Montreal). He is 19 points behind Metni.
The Masters class championship has come down to a two-driver showdown in Texas. Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) enters the final race weekend with 278 points scored over the first 14 races in the No. 55 prepared by ACI Motorsports. Chris Bellomo (Portola Valley, California) sits 34 points behind in the No. 68 Kellymoss machine. No other entry in the class is capable of acquiring enough points to win the title.
The Entrants championship has again come down to two legendary names in North American one-make racing, Kellymoss and JDX Racing. Kellymoss, which has won the title all three previous seasons, retains the standings lead with 291 points, 33 ahead of JDX.
There are now only 56 points per class remaining for a driver to capture. A victory pays 25 points, second place counts for 20 and third place is awarded with 17 points. A pole position is worth two points while setting the fastest race lap will add an additional point to the total of a driver in each class. Each of the two races pays a total of 28 points.
Broadcast:
Races air live at PorscheCarreraCup.us, on the IMSA YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@imsaofficial, on the Peacock streaming app and at IMSA.tv. All are archived on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica.
On the web. www.PorscheCarreraCup.us.
