For JDX Racing’s Will Martin, today’s Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America race at Watkins Glen International was a day of redemption, with the British racer scoring his second victory of the season.
After qualifying on pole for both races, Martin held the top spot in yesterday’s race only to strike trouble with contact with a lapped car. A flat tire sent the 20-year-old to pit lane and handed the lead to MDK Motorsports’ Jason Hart.
Today, Martin drove a faultless race at the front to lead from turn one until crossing the finish line under safety car late in the race after Chris Bellomo crashed his No. 68 MDK Porsche in turn eight with 12 minutes to go.
Championship leader Riley Dickinson (Kellymoss) finished second ahead of yesterday’s winner Jason Hart (MDK Motorsports).
“We were sort of robbed yesterday and today we’ve got redemption. So I’m really pleased with everything that the team’s done,” Martin said.
“All weekend, we’ve had great performance, and hopefully, we’ll carry this forward into Road America and the rest of the season.
“Watkins Glen is definitely a great track in North America. This place, Long Beach, all of the tracks we’ve been to have been so different from what I’m used to. But for sure, I’ve enjoyed them all and especially this one.”
Topp Racing’s Jeff Mosing yesterday scored his first-ever victory in the Rafa Racing Club Pro-am class and today he proved that was no fluke by taking another win.
Today’s result matched yesterday’s win Mosing having to pass Pro-am championship leader Efrin Castro (Kellymoss) to take the win. Mosing made the move in the exact location with Castro running wide, exiting turn one.
ACI Motorsports’s Marco Cirone took third again – the podium exactly matching yesterday’s result.
Am class championship leader Mark Kvamme took his sixth victory today – the most of any driver in this year’s championship from the eight races contested to date.
Kvamme’s teammate Scott Noble finished second ahead of James McCann, who earned his second podium of the season and his second in as many race weekends.
The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America teams will next compete in just over a month at Road America when the championship races at the NASCAR XFINITY Series on July 27-28.
Jason Hart today became the oldest-ever winner of a Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America race – bouncing back from two tough weekends to stand on the top step of the podium for the first time at Watkins Glen International.
After qualifying third, Hart settled in second place on track behind British pole winner Will Martin. Martin – a winner at Long Beach this year – unfortunately suffered contact in lapped traffic and was forced to return to the pits with a flat tire.
From that point onwards, the 47-year-old was unchallenged as he headed to victory lane in the championship for the first time.
Points leader Riley Dickinson (Kellymoss) finished second ahead of McElrea Racing’s Tom Sargent.
Hart finished on the podium during the season’s opening weekend in Sebring but then suffered two challenging rounds. His car was heavily damaged at Long Beach when – while un-sighted in traffic – he struck the stranded car of Michael McCarthy.
He was back on track at Miami but only came away with a single seventh-place finish.
“It’s been a rough start to the season, but to get back up front in qualifying and then to win one of these races means the world to me,” Hart said.
“I can’t thank MDK Motorsports enough, plus Scott Noble, for all of his support. The No.20 car was just on a roll. We worked on it hard at a couple of tests we did here, got it to where we liked it, and we came to the decision that we just needed to race the car and see how it goes – and it did pretty well.
“It just means a lot to me to win one of these races. Everybody knows how hard it is to win a Carrera Cup race, and who knows? Maybe I’ll go down in history as the oldest winner of one of these.”.
In the Rafa Racing Club Pro-am class, Texas-native Jeff Mosing (Topp Racing) pulled off a pass on points leader Efrin Castro (Kellymoss) to take the lead and head to victory lane.
Marco Cirone continued his strong season form in third place.
In the Am class, Wright Motorsports’ John Goetz pulled off his first victory of the season. The win was also a return to form for the Connecticut-based racer who suffered contact during the previous race weekend in Miami.
Am class pole winner Scott Noble finished second ahead of championship leader and teammate Mark Kvamme.
The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America returns for race two tomorrow at 12:20 pm at Watkins Glen International.
British racer Will Martin has scored his first Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America pole with a stunning performance in qualifying at Watkins Glen International.
The former British Carrera Cup contender already has his first series victory to his credit this year at Long Beach for JDX Racing and is now set to start from the pole in both races this weekend.
The 20-year-old set a fastest time of 1 minute, 47.695 – holding off championship leader Riley Dickinson (Kellymoss) by 0.036 of a second.
The Pro class top five also featured Jason Hart, Michael McCann, and Tom Sargent.
“I’m really excited to get my first pole in Carrera Cup North America, and doing it here at Watkins Glen is great,” Martin said.
“This is such an iconic track, and the team has been working hard to really get the car set up, and we pulled set two really quick laps out of the bag. So I’m very pleased with that.
“This is a great track. It reminds me a bit more of a European track than some of the American ones that we’ve been to so far. So it feels slightly more homely for me, and we’ve been getting on here well.”
Efrin Castro continued his strong Pro-am pole – scoring the pole from Jeff Mosing and Alan Metni. Last year’s champion Metni is another racer pulling double duty this weekend – also competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with Kellymoss with Riley alongside Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver, Kay van Berlo.
In the Am class, it was the MDK Motorsports squad leading the way. Scott Noble earned the pole ahead of team owner Mark Kvamme. James McCann was third fastest.
The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America teams will greet the green flag here at Watkins Glen at 1:25 pm today.
While Riley Dickinson may have led the times at Watkins Glen International today in Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America practice, Michael McCann and Jason Hart again showed they expect to be strong podium contenders.
Dickinson stopped the clock this afternoon at 1 minute, 48.336 seconds – more than a second faster than what he achieved for Kellymoss in the corresponding session 12 months ago.
Michael McCann’s recent run of podium finishes were certainly not just down to luck – the 27-year-old today set the second-fastest time of the day for McCann Racing followed by Jason Hart in third.
Hart finished third in the second race of the season before encountering two tough weekends at Long Beach and Miami.
“It was a great day for us today, although I’m not really sure if this is a great measuring stick considering what the weather in the area might bring.
“It was more of a confidence morale boost than anything else. But lots of laps and data is data to help us keep moving forward. We’ll go on into qualifying with some confidence and see what we can get done.”
Tom Sargent, Michael McCarthy, and series newcomer Michael Cooper filled out the remainder of the top six. Cooper – a three-time World Challenge champion – is making his series debut in the Accelerating Performance entry driven in Miami by series veteran Kay van Berlo.
Efrin Castro led the Pro-Am times ahead of series returnee PJ Hyett – doubling up this weekend competing in Carrera Cup and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Hyett’s AO Racing squad continued to be a fan favorite at Le Mans with their “Rexy” dinosaur livery. The livery returns to IMSA competition on Sunday for the six hour enduro event.
MDK Racing’s Scott Noble set the pace today in the Am class – heading John Goetz and teammate Mark Kvamme. The championship leader Kvamme is also back in Carrera Cup action after competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in an LMP2 car.
Qualifying is up next at 8:35 am on Friday morning, followed by race one at 1:25 pm.
Following a break of over a month, the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will close the first half of its third season at one of the nation’s most revered racetracks, Watkins Glen International.
The competition at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course in New York state is the first time the one-make Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race series will run on a natural terrain road course in 2023.
Rounds 7 and 8 mark the midpoint of the 16-round, three-class championship. After the season-opening round at Sebring International Raceway (a former airfield), and the Long Beach and Miami street course events, the remaining races will all be held on purpose-built facilities providing a clear tipping point on the schedule.
Action supporting the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Six Hours of The Glen begins with practice on Thursday, June 22, followed by a pair of 40-minute races being held on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
WATKINS GLEN FAST FACTS
- Full Field. 35 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars are entered for competition at Watkins Glen.
- Pro class. 20, Pro-Am class. 8, Am class.
13 race teams are represented across all three classes. - Point Leaders. Riley Dickinson (157 points), winner of six of the seven races, has a 54-point lead over Tom Sargent. Will Martin remains third in points, the winner of round six is 67 points behind Dickinson. 2021 Pro-Am Champion Efrin Castro (125 points) moves into the lead of the class, nine points ahead of Marco Cirone. Mark Kvamme continues to pull away in the Am class. The defending class champion is 52 points up on Scott Noble with 155 markers. Kellymoss (142 points) is 28 ahead of McElrea and 46 up on JDX Racing in the Entrants championship. Dickinson heads the Junior ranks.
- Legacy Track. Watkins Glen International has been a fixture on the Carrera Cup schedule since its inaugural season in 2021.
- First Timer. A new overall winner will stand in the WGI victory lane this weekend. Kay van Berlo has taken Kellymoss to the winner’s circle in the four races previously held (2021, ’22). Van Berlo has moved up to the WeatherTech GTD class driving for Kellymoss with Riley in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
- New York State of Mind. Michael Cooper, a resident of Huntington, N.Y., is the only resident of the state entered at WGI. The ride in the No. 33 Accelerating Performance Porsche is the three-time World Challenge champ is his series debut.
- Accelerating Platform. The No. 33 Accelerating Performance Porsche is the same car that two-time series runner-up van Berlo piloted at Miami. The team’s fulltime entry is the No. 44 of Moisey Uretsky in the Pro-Am class.
- 762 Area Code. Nick Boulle is no stranger to sports car racing paddocks. The veteran racer has campaigned cars from the Porsche 911 GT3 R at Daytona to prototypes at Le Mans but is making his Carrera Cup debut in the No. 58 Porsche entered by 762 Motorsports at WGI.
- Rexy’s Keeper. While the wildly popular “Rexy” livery won’t be wrapped around a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car this weekend, P.J. Hyett will compete at WGI in Carrera Cup. Hyett, fresh off the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 911 RSR, will play double duty driving the green “Rexy” livery on the AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Six Hours of The Glen and the No. 23 Kellymoss “Cup car” in the Pro-Am class of Carrera Cup. Hyett was last entered at Long Beach, although he did not start either Carrera Cup races there. He has two series starts in 2022 (Road America and Indianapolis).
- Team Players. Kellymoss leads all teams with seven entries across two classes. MDK Motorsports is just behind with six cars with entries in all three classes.
- How to Watch: All races air on the Peacock streaming app, IMSA.tv and PorscheCarreraCup.us and are archived at: https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica.
WATKINS GLEN SCHEDULE (all times US Eastern)
Thursday, June 22.
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Practice 1
1:45 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. – Practice 2
Friday, June 23.
8:35 a.m. – 9:05 a.m. – Qualifying (all classes)
1:25 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. – Race 1 (40-minute race)
Saturday, June 24.
12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Race 2 (40-minute race)
While the world’s motorsport focus sits firmly on this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – did you know the Circuit de la Sarthe is also hosting one of the world’s biggest Carrera Cup races around the 8.467-mile circuit this weekend?
A total of 63 Porsche Carrera Cup machines will contest a single 45-minute race on Saturday at 10:45 am, just before the warm-up session for the 24 hours.
This year’s event features a combination of entries from both the French and Scandinavian Carrera Cup Championships, with a number of other international drivers making a guest appearance.
Despite most of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America regulars concentrating on the upcoming Watkins Glen rounds of the championship, there are several American racers in the Le Mans Carrera Cup event.
Jaden Conwright most recently drove a Porsche Cayman 718 in the Sonoma round of the GT4 America championship, but the American racer actually has past experience in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup competition as well as the French and Italian Carrera Cup championships.
The 24-year-old was second fastest in the first practice session on Wednesday and backed that up with the fourth fastest time in today’s session.
Dom Bastien is a Florida driver with lots of experience in not only GT4 and GT3 Porsche machinery – but he also has two races under his belt in the World Endurance Championship with Dempsey-Proton Racing.
Bastien also has competed in Carrera Cup competition in both the UK and Germany.
The final American driver in the field hasn’t competed in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America but has played a key role in one of the premier events on the championship’s schedule.
Jim Michaelian is President/CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach – an event where Carrera Cup is one of the major support races.
While he may not have competed in the North American championship, Michaelian actually has a number of race starts under his belt in the Italian Carrera Cup Championship in the past.
Qualifying for Saturday’s race will be run on Friday morning at 9:00 am.
While none of the drivers from this year’s Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America are competing in the cup race in France – three of our racers are actually contesting the 100th anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Reigning Am class champion and 2023 points leader Mark Kvamme is racing in the LMP2 class for Inter Europol Competition. One of his teammates is Danish sportscar legend Jan Magnussen who also drove for Kvamme’s MDK squad in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Don Yount returned to Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup competition recently in Miami and will drive at Le Mans aboard an LMGTE Am Porsche with Proton Competition.
PJ Hyett will also make his Le Mans debut aboard his AO Racing “Rexy” dinosaur-themed liveried Porsche. Hyett drove in Carrera Cup in the US last year before establishing his team and entering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
This weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will be live-streamed in full on subscription service – Motor Trend TV Plus.
Six out of the ten factory drivers for Porsche Penske Motorsport for next week’s 24 Hour of Le Mans have used Carrera Cup championships around the world as a springboard to their international career.
Michael Christensen, Matt Campbell, Kevin Estre, Mathieu Jaminet, Frédéric Makowiecki and Nick Tandy also sprung to prominence in championships across Germany, France, UK and Australia as well as the hotly-contested Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup which supports Formula 1 races across the globe.
Many also used the annual Porsche Junior Shoot-out as a stepping stone to their international careers – earning a spot in the annual competition via their Carrera Cup successes.
The top junior driver in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will receive the PMNA nomination to head to Europe at the end of the season to battle it out at the Shootout. Porsche’s Junior program has boosted the careers of 28 racing drivers since 1997.
Porsche Penske Motorsport racer and Long Beach IMSA race winner Jaminet is a firm believer that his decision to focus his attention on sports car racing through the Porsche Carrera Cup France championship was a critical decision in his career progression.
“When I started in Carrera Cup in France back in the day, my dream was to join Porsche and one day be in the top class in endurance racing in a prototype with Porsche,” Jaminet said.
“So I can say now my dream came true.
“Joining Carrera Cup was undoubtedly the best decision in my life. We can see that today in sports car racing, there are more brands here than anywhere else in the world.”
Jaminet quickly realized in his debut season in 2015 he had made the right choice.
“I realized after the first few races, and when I got the chance to go to the Porsche Junior Shootout, I knew I was in the right hands, and this was what I wanted to do,” Jaminet said.
“You can have a great career doing sportscar racing and travel all over the world.”
“So being here in the US, in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other big races like Spa, Nürburgring, and Bathurst. This has given me great opportunities, and I can certainly recommend it. Try to join the Porsche Carrera Cup and try to have a shot at it.”
Find out more about the extensive Porsche Motorsport North America junior program by clicking here: https://porschecarreracup.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Junior-Guide-Final-V2.pdf
The Porsche Penske Motorsport drivers’ Porsche Carrera Cup journeys:
Michael Christensen:
In 2012, the Danish ace joined the Porsche young driver program, finishing seventh in the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. He finished sixth in the 2013 Porsche Supercup before becoming a factory driver.
Kevin Estre:
One of three French Carrera Cup championship winners on the team. Estre contested the French series from 2008 to 2014 – winning the championship in 2011. He went on to win the Germany series in 2013 and drove in Supercup from 2011 to 2014 – finishing second in 2012 and fourth in 2013.
Frédéric Makowiecki:
Probably the most experienced Carrera Cup racer on the squad. Makowiecki is another Porsche Carrera Cup France graduate. After making his debut in 2003, he finished third in 2004, second in 2006, second in 2007, fourth in 2008, third in 2009 and finally took the championship in 2010.
Matt Campbell:
The Australian finished third in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in 2015 and went on to win it in 2016. Moving to Europe in 2017, the Australian finished third in Supercup with four wins in total, including the final three races of the season.
Mathieu Jaminet:
The Frenchman finished second in Porsche Carrera Cup France in his debut season in 2015 before winning the championship in 2016 and making his Supercup debut the same year. In Supercup he finished third in the championship with three wins including a pair of poles to victory lane successes at the final round of the championship at Circuit of the Americas.
Nick Tandy:
A Le Mans winner with Porche, Tandy’s Porsche journey began in 2008 when he climbed aboard the Porsche Carrera Cup UK guest car for a round at Silverstone – winning on debut. Contesting one-off races in 2009 – he finished third in his single German series race and third in his only Supercup start. He became a Supercup regular in 2010, finishing second in the points but a pair of DNFs and a disqualification pushed him back to fifth in 2011 but was champion in the German Series. He also contested the final four British rounds in 2011 – winning three out of four.
Sabre Cook was named as the first member of the Porsche Deluxe Female Development Program member earlier this year in March – now she has additional company with Porsche and Deluxe expanding the program to feature two new racers.
While Cook competes in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America, two racers from Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama will now be part of the program – both in the GT3 and Cayman divisions.
New Zealand third-generation racer Madeline Stewart is racing for JDX Racing in GT3 this season and has already impressed – scoring a podium on debut in Sebring. American Chloe Chambers is the other new addition racing for TPC Racing in the Cayman division.
Chambers debuted recently at Barber Motorsport Park – taking two victories on debut. Like Cook, she is a former competitor in W Series competition.
“It’s fantastic to see that Porsche and Deluxe are extending the female driver development program and including two new women this year,” Cook said.
“As I said at the beginning of the season, I didn’t wanna be the only one, and it’s just proof to see that Porsche and Deluxe are committed to this initiative.
“It’s not a one-off. They’re clearly trying to create a pathway to continuously get women into the different Porsche series and into Porsche race car seats. So I really love to see that they are bringing more women in this year.
“I have to give a big congratulations and welcome to Madeline and Chloe. I’m very excited to see that they are on board for the season.”
Cook has continued to make strong strides forward in her first season in what is a highly competitive Pro class in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America.
She was on target for her first top ten in Long Beach before striking a tire that had come off another car, but then bounced back in Miami to record two top ten finishes in the two races.
“I’ve steadily moved forward throughout the first three races of this season in the Porsche Deluxe Career Cup North America, and been working very hard on and off the track to make that happen,” Cook said.
“I’m continuing to put my head down and very focused on making another step forward.
“I’m learning a lot. Kellymoss has been fantastic in my support and development, and I’m very excited to see how I can step forward each time throughout the rest of the season.”
Cook’s next outing in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will be at Watkins Glen International from June 22-25, while Stewart and Chambers will be in action in Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama at VIRginia International Raceway from June 2-4.
