PMNA, Author at Porsche Carrera Cup North America

Kay van Berlo has been among the elite drivers in international Porsche one-make racing since first breaking into the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in 2019. As part of a racing family, it was no surprise that the Dutch driver, who now lives in the United States while studying for his bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami in Florida, would go into the sport. Despite this ingrained familiarity, there is no sense of complacency in the two-time Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands Pro class runner-up. In fact, chasing the titles and the dream of racing at the top of the sport seems to drive him harder to be among the elite striving for perfection.

With 13 career race wins in his two-year Carrera Cup North America career – more than any other driver – and two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship LMP3 class wins, van Berlo already has the credentials to be included in a very short list of the auto racing’s young lions. By virtue of finishing as the highest Pro class driver under the age of 23, the 21-year-old secured the Junior Championship of the 2022 Carrera Cup North America season. As a result, van Berlo earns the opportunity to represent North America in the Porsche Junior Global Shootout.

The driver who has wheeled the No. 3 KellyMoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car the past two race seasons earned flights and accommodations for the annual event. He will be North America’s representative facing one-make champions from around the world. With the intent to provide the best opportunity for success at the test, Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) has included a $40,000 financial support package to van Berlo. The package provides a test day in Europe prior to the Junior Global Shootout to gain experience in a non-ABS equipped Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car such as will be run at the Shootout. Furthermore, Porsche Factory Driver Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) will offer expert coaching during the test at France’s Circuit Paul Ricard. Evans, the 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion, has experienced the Shootout firsthand. As a result of his appearance there four years ago, Evans was selected as a Porsche Junior and ascended to factory driver status with the German sports car manufacturer.

“We had a great two day test at Paul Ricard,” said van Berlo shortly after his return to Florida. “We chose the track because the infrastructure will be a bit more like I will face at the Shootout and the tracks in Europe are a bit more forgiving. This is beneficial especially when I am testing without ABS. It gave a me a chance to find the limits pretty quickly. I could make some mistakes, use the runoffs and learn; to develop the skills. I always enjoy driving a Porsche without ABS, you can’t just stand on the brakes all the way into the corner which is what we do with ABS. It makes it more difficult but it is a very cool and useful skill.

“Having Jaxon at this test was great,” van Berlo continued. “Obviously, he has a lot of experience with this car which he shared with me. He is well known within the Porsche family so in addition to talking about the Shootout, we talked a lot about Porsche, the way things work. It was really valuable to me, an aspiring Porsche driver. I want to thank Porsche for the opportunity.”

The Porsche Junior Global Shootout will draw 12 drivers from around the world of Porsche one-make racing. Each region can nominate talent from their respective Carrera Cup or Sprint Challenges to compete for the prestigious title of Porsche Junior. Once the three-day program begins, each driver will undergo medical checks, be evaluated on media awareness and professionalism including interview skills. Two days will be spent focusing on driving. The driver selected as the winner of the Shootout will receive not only the title of Porsche Junior but significant funding for a Porsche Mobil1 Supercup seat in 2023.

Van Berlo began his career in his native Netherlands racing karts in various Dutch championships. He graduated up to the full European schedule and, in 2018, competed in his first car race. A podium in two starts in the Dutch Winter Endurance Championship began him on a course of one-make Porsche racing. He also added two rounds in the 24 Hour GT Series in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car (type 991.1). The same year he made his first prototype start racing a LMP3 class entry in the European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup earning victories in each as well as two wins in the 24 Hour Proto Series. By 2019, he was a regular on the top step of the podium behind the wheel of a Porsche in the GT4 racing. Additional starts in other marques always led back to a seat in a Porsche and in 2019 he won his first Porsche Carrera Cup round in the Benelux series. Trips to Asia secured more green flags… and more checkered flags in LMP3. Stints in Carrera Cup Germany as well as other series marked the remainder of his teenage years. It was not until deciding to pause fulltime racing to focus on college did the career changing decision to join KellyMoss come about.

Van Berlo reflected on the distance traveled in a short period. “When I moved to the U.S, my first priority was to get settled here before returning to the race track. Obviously, it is a big transition. I was 19 at the time, on my own and I really didn’t know what I was going to do in the States, but I knew I was in for a good challenge. After about two months of being here I went to Sebring, to the 12 Hour, just to meet some people. That is when I met Jeff Stone of KellyMoss. He offered for me to do a test and that went super well and ended-up with two seasons in Carrera Cup North America. Pretty crazy thinking about it now. We had two successful seasons, a lot of wins and even winning Daytona in the LMP3 car which was, ultimately, a result of my performance in Porsche Carrera Cup North America. If you had told me this two years ago, I would have told you ‘you are crazy’ but here I am. It has been a cool journey.”

That started the current run with the leading operation. Since sliding behind the wheel of the green and white machine prepared in Madison, Wisconsin, van Berlo has been a force to be reckon with. He has been a leading contender since 2021 when he took seven wins, the most of any driver. In 2022, van Berlo added six more victories and seven pole positions. He has gone into the final weekend of the championship both seasons either fighting for the lead or in the points lead of the Pro category. While first coming up just short to teammate Seb Priaulx (UK) in 2021 and then this year’s champion Parker Thompson (Canada), van Berlo has so narrowly missed the title that he was selected by PMNA to attend the Porsche Junior Global Shootout in both years – the first year joining Priaulx. In addition to the testing and tutelage of Evans, the lessons learned last year should benefit the Dutchman in this year’s battle for the prestigious roll of Porsche Junior.

“At the end of the day, 2021 was a great experience. One of the things you learn at the Shootout is what Porsche looks for,” revealed van Berlo. “Before you go, everyone tells you Porsche is looking for this or they are looking for that. But, as a driver, what do they really value? During those three days, you get a feel for what they really want you to do. When it comes down to interviewing, when it comes down to the physical test, to driving… there are so many things they can test you on. Having had the opportunity to do the Shootout last year helped me to narrow what Porsche is specifically looking for. Coming back this year, I have been developing those skills. Hopefully that will allow me to do a better job. The greatest thing I learned is that what Porsche is looking for helps everywhere. You jump into a car at a track you don’t know without ABS and you have to perform straightaway every time. There is a lot of pressure. It is a valuable lesson as a driver. You are going to be in this situation a lot more times in your career. That is something I was able to practice and learn.”

Van Berlo continues to strengthen his skillset in the intense competition of one-make racing and LMP3. In fact, driving a select schedule for Riley Motorsports in the IMSA LMP3 class, he scored two wins and one pole position in only four starts. Highlighting that success was a victory in the most prestigious of all North America endurance races, the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open his year in January.

The success in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America as well as WeatherTech Championship – in addition to one-off events in other international races, have proven a perfect stage to promote van Berlo’s stock as he looks to the future. Like his major competition in the first season of Carrera Cup, Priaulx, who went on to score his first victory in the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGTE-Am competition with Porsche customer team Dempsey-Proton Competition, van Berlo is looking to move into open competition while staying in a Porsche.

“Looking back at two years in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, we have lost out on the title twice,” offered an insightful van Berlo. “It has been so disappointing but, at the same time, a couple months later, I have been able to turn that into fuel. It drives me to fight for another title next year regardless of what series that will be in. For me, the most important thing is to be in a competitive team, to be able to develop myself. To do that, a driver has to be surrounded by the right people and have the right tools available. I would love to continue to work my way up the Porsche Pyramid and, ultimately, do well within Porsche; to have great success together. I would love to make the step up to IMSA fulltime, but we will see how things turn out in the next couple of months.”

Regardless of the results from the Porsche Junior Global Shootout, van Berlo will find a place even higher on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America in 2023. Wherever he chooses to wheel a Porsche, evidence proves that Kay van Berlo will continue to strive for Porsche perfection.

Carrera Cup aces earn Porsche Selected Driver status for 2023

Porsche has a long tradition of not only developing winning race cars but also successful drivers. The Porsche Motorsport Pyramid began as an informal pathway for drivers to grow their craft and experience from novice laps to the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the mid-2000s, that course was more formalized first in Europe and then North America. With the introduction of the Talent Identification Program North America up to customer teams entering Porsche 963 prototype race cars, Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) has further tuned the steppingstone process to the top – all through Porsche race cars and technical support – for drivers, teams and marketing partners.

President and CEO Volker Holzmeyer announced today that PMNA will further improve the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in the United States and Canada. The step-by-step strategy now offers a clear entry for aspiring race car drivers from high-level kart racing into the entry level GT4 sports car racing. In addition, two proven aces from the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands have been named to the updated Porsche Selected Driver Program North America. This trio will be provided placement assistance as well as support to compete at the next level of open competition within the Porsche racing “family”.

Talent Identification Program North America

Motorsport has a natural entry point with karting events. However, little has been done to ease the jump for drivers from kart to automobile racing. Porsche Motorsport North America will remedy that with the inclusion of Talent Identification Program North America program to its Motorsport Pyramid.

The objective is to recognize young talent at the sharp edge of kart racing and help provide a platform, and the tools, to perform in Porsche race cars. A shootout using a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport will provide one of four chosen karters the opportunity to earn a scholarship in the Cayman class of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama next season.

To highlight this, Holzmeyer and Porsche racing legend Patrick Long will be on-site for the 25th running of the SKUSA Supernationals at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Participants can visit the PMNA booth to see the Porsche GT4-spec contender November 16 – 20. As one of the world’s largest and most prestigious karting events, the Supernationals draw talent from around the globe.

Porsche Junior Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge North America Programs.

The Porsche Junior program was developed to provide a bridge between one-make racing and factory driver status. It provides an opportunity for exceptional talent to be trained by Porsche to maximize performance at the factory level. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior Program was first introduced in 2021 and is being fine-tuned entering 2023 through increased education and financial support. Like in Carrera Cup, North America’s premier one-make race series, drivers in the Sprint Challenge North America Junior Program will now also enjoy specialized training in areas such as tires, chassis dynamics, media and fitness as well as the same financial support as Carrera Cup. This extension of the junior program to Sprint Challenge delivers a key first step in the develop in young talent within the North American market, will accelerate progress through the ranks, strengthen skills earlier and maximize performance sooner.

Porsche Selected Driver Program North America

2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Parker Thompson (Canada) and two-time Carrera Cup race winner Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) have each been named to represent the premier one-make championship in the Porsche Selected Driver Program North America for 2023.

Each driver will receive mentoring from Patrick Long, financial support and assistance in securing a seat with a Porsche customer race team at the next level as part of the position. In addition, each driver will have the honor of carrying the Porsche Selected Driver Program North America signet on their helmet and uniform for the coming season.

While Thompson is finalizing his plans within the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid for next season, the core of Estep’s 2023 plans are already set. He and MDK Motorsports will move up the Porsche Pyramid to open competition in the SRO Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS. The 2018 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge champion will race a new type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 R race car with Seth Lucas.

The Selected Driver title highlights the three as special talents within the Pyramid system. The objective of the program is to assist the drivers with a hand-up to the next level of the sport through support both in and out of the car. A Selected Driver is neither an official Porsche factory driver nor a Porsche Junior but is highlighted for the open competition categories such as IMSA and the SRO.

Comments

Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.

“In North America we have such a huge market, we have so much talent. That is why we want to show them the pathway to get to the top level with Porsche. From 2023 on, we will create something new, taking care of the whole driver development Pyramid. First, scouting for talent at the karting level, elevating the drivers to Carrera Cup and, finally, helping them get into GT and even GTP racing. The long-term goal is to find someone in karting, develop them through Sprint Challenge, Carrera Cup and GT racing, ultimately having them on the podium at Le Mans. To find the next Patrick Long.”

Patrick Long, Motorsport Driver Mentor, Porsche Motorsport North America.

“My role with this program is to help these drivers understand where I have sat and where I can help them with their learning curve. The goal is to help the mental approach as they transition from sprint to endurance racing. It isn’t about teaching them to drive faster. They know how to race, how to turn quick lap times, but if I can help them in their application and preparation, how they can work within their teams, then I have done my job.”

"A hand up is worthier than one's own fist grasping a higher rung of the ladder. "

Doris Grumbach

Head-to-head, equal footing, every driver for themselves… that is the foundation of Porsche one-make racing. The use of the same platform – the newest generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car – provides equal opportunity to reach victory lane. It is the driver and the team which sets apart the competitors in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands and the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama. The results reflect the performance of the human element.

In 2023, KellyMoss, one of the most successful North American Porsche customer teams in modern times, will set out to demonstrate that the car knows no gender. KellyMoss, the Entrant champion of the last two seasons of Carrera Cup North America, will field a 500 hp, naturally aspirated rear-engine race car for Sabré Cook (Grand Junction, Colorado), the winner of the team’s first Female Driver Shootout, with full support for every race on the 16-round calendar.

By virtue of winning the two-day KellyMoss Female Shootout, Cook has earned her spot behind the wheel of one of the most coveted rides in the paddock. The program includes funding for the 2023 race season, six tests, race entry fees, testing, Michelin Pilot race tires, fuel and a championship winning staff of professional driver coaches, engineers and technicians.

Cook was quick to recognize the magnitude of being selected. “Winning the shootout and thus the scholarship with KellyMoss is incredible. I’m eager to have the chance to run a funded season with a top team for the first time in my career. KellyMoss has a great group of people and I’m confident they can provide me with the tools to be successful. I cannot thank Victoria [Thomas], Andy [Kilcoyne]and the team enough for believing in me and creating such an amazing opportunity. I look forward to our future success together and breaking down barriers.”

The first steps began in late October, when the Madison, Wisconsin-based race team sent invitations to a dozen proven female race car drivers to gauge their interest in participating in the Shootout. All 12 immediately submitted their application and, after extensive consideration, three racers with the skillset and experience capable of competing for race wins and championships in the Porsche one-make category were invited to Putnam Park Raceway in Indiana.

Cook was joined by Loni Unser (Sun Valley, Idaho) and Sarah Montgomery (Lafayette, Louisiana) for the two days of on and off-track tryouts in front of an elite panel assembled by the team.

Cook was chosen from this select trio by committee which included oversight by 1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, 24 Hours of Daytona (twice) and 12 Hours of Sebring winner Lyn St. James, KellyMoss owners, Victoria Thomas and Andy Kilcoyne, team Race Manager Ken Swan, Team Manager Will Alexander, Data Engineer Alex Stone and Pro class race-winning driver Riley Dickinson.

“Our focus goes beyond podiums,” enthused Victoria Thomas, CFO and co-owner of KellyMoss. “Our mission is to bring more women, and diversity as a whole, into motorsports: drivers, technicians, engineers, truckers and especially fans. Focus on the missing half of the population is a win for everyone: teams, vendors and the series.“

The KellyMoss Female Shootout fit perfectly within the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid as developed by Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) to progress talented drivers, teams, technicians and even marketing partners through the ranks of sports car racing. Each level corresponds with a platform for aspiring participants to learn, succeed and advance to the next tier of the program as talent, desire and funding allow. Through the introduction of this year’s Female Driver Shootout, KellyMoss – which has Porsche programs throughout the Pyramid – provides an avenue for a talented female driver to move up the ranks with a dedicated top-level program.

“Diversity in our sport is important to its future,” offered Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America. “The foundations of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid are about opportunity. These two things work in perfect harmony. In one-make racing, everyone has the same platform to demonstrate their talent. Motorsport is about performance. There are no physical barriers behind the wheel. What Victoria and Andy have done through the KellyMoss Female Driver Shootout is remove the remaining barriers, to level the playing field, to support a female driver to succeed based on their skill. KellyMoss has put the effort in to choose a talented young driver and now will give her the tools to succeed. This is a top seat with a championship team in the Carrera Cup. It is the top class of the highest level of one-make racing. This is the newest and fastest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car. It will be professionally prepared and enjoy full engineering and coaching. We are in absolute support of providing this hand-up to Sabré, a truly deserving young talent who now has the stage to demonstrate that potential.

Porsche Motorsport North America One-Make and GT Sports Manager Troy Bundy sees the Porsche Carrera Cup North America a perfect proving ground for the KellyMoss concept. “Porsche one-make racing is where future Porsche factory drivers come from. The Porsche Motorsport Pyramid has been created to provide a clear path from karting up to our new Porsche 963 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” said Bundy. “We are proud to offer a platform where KellyMoss can provide an unprecedented opportunity for a driver the caliber of Sabré to show her skills not only in Porsche Carrera Cup North America but ultimately to the top of the Pyramid.”

The shootout at the Greencastle, Indiana race track was broken into two distinct portions to assess the drivers’ skill not only on-track but also the many elements required of a professional race car driver at this high level of competition.

Day One began with a physical fitness assessment by Jim Leo of PitFit Training – a top motorsport training facility in Indianapolis. In this session, the three were monitored on reactive skills, endurance and heart rate. The day concluded with an engineering overview of the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car, the type 992, a seat fitting and a track walk to familiarize themselves with the popular test track. In addition, a photo session was held to provide the trio a sense of the media and marketing demands associated with being a KellyMoss driver.

Day Two largely focused on in-car performance. With a baseline time and setup set by two-time Carrera Cup race winner Dickinson, each driver had 15 laps on used Michelin Pilot race tires and five laps on new racing slicks in a simulated qualifying run. Changing weather conditions challenged the drivers in maximizing performance while the varying circumstances also made it difficult to evaluate each on a head-to-head basis. However, the team used the data on hand to determine the overall best performer on-track while also using those challenges to determine the driver’s ability to adapt and maximize output.

Additionally, each driver went through a gauntlet of reviews by the panel of experts ranging from assertiveness, media awareness and interview skills as well as emotional intelligence. The team closely scrutinized the drivers for their consistency, coachability, understanding of debriefing with data and video as well as how they interacted with the other drivers and team as a whole. Following the weekend, the panel combined their insights and dug through the data which included not only lap times but a look at the errors, as well as successes, that each driver displayed, in addition to how each approached feedback and her overall confidences. Ultimately, the personal impression, the gut feeling each member of the panel felt, was the final factor in selecting Cook in the intensely competitive program.

“What an experience it was to watch these women exit the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car! All three were visibly and quite vocally exhilarated,” continued Thomas. “Although Sabré won the seat in Carrera Cup, Loni and Sarah not only have fans but champions in KellyMoss. We will absolutely do what we can to help them achieve their dreams. The whole team was incredibly impressed by all three.”

It was Victoria Thomas, speaking on behalf of KellyMoss, who wrapped the team’s first shootout with the best overview on not only this program but the move towards greater involvement by women in the motorsport paddock as a whole: “It really struck what a powerful thing we are tackling. The support from the industry has been incredible. Everyone is wanting to help how they can, with so many supporters in the paddock helping to make this happen.”

Kellymoss Porsche 911 Gt3 Cup Finish Line

Race 2

Porsche Junior driver Laurin Heinrich (Germany) concluded his North American debut with a victory in the 311RS Motorsports No. 12 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. It was the young German’s first weekend of competition in the Porsche Carrera North America Presented by the Cayman Islands. He charged from pole position to the top step of the podium in the premier one-make championship’s final round held today at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The win in the second race of the weekend on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course in Braselton, Georgia by the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion was also the first win for 311RS Motorsports, one of the founding teams of the all-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup series in 2021.

Race 2 – 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Pro class.

Second place overall in the 40-minute race went to Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) in the No. 53 Kelly Moss Porsche. As Heinrich was in an invitational class, the Pro class win went to Dickinson. It was his second career win in the series, the first coming at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Porsche Sports Car Together Fest in round 14 of the 16-race championship. The performance awarded the second-year driver third place in the championship.

Parker Thompson (Canadian-native living in Indianapolis, Indiana) drove to third-place overall, second place in Pro class, behind the wheel of the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche. In combination with yesterday’s win, Thompson will be crowned the 2022 Pro class champion and the Al Holbert Cup awarded to the series’ overall champion.

Third place, with his highest finish in the series, was Dimitri Dimakos (Chicago, Illinois) in the No. 11 311RS Motorsport race car. It was the first time the 311RS Motorsports program has placed two cars on the Carrera Cup podium.

Pro-Am class.

Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) won the Pro-Am class race, as he did in race one yesterday, in the No. 65 Kelly Moss Porsche. However, the sweep of the weekend was not enough for the 2021 Pro-Am champion. Just as it did last year, the championship came down to Castro and Kelly Moss teammate Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) in the No. 99. While Castro did everything, he needed to win the title, so did Metni, who finished in third place to take the Drivers’ championship by a single point. Marco Cirone (Canada) placed the No. 84 Mark Motors Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car between the two title contenders to earn the runner-up spot on the weekend.

Am class.

Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) opened the year with a victory, and he closes it the same way. In that time, he has captured a total of 10 wins in the class for drivers 57 years of age and older. The success led to his first championship in series. Chasing down the No. 43 MDK Motorsports entry was the Bob Mueller (Solana Beach, California) in the Goldcrest Motorsports No. 28. Third place went to John Goetz (Westcon, Connecticut) in the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Goetz will finish in second place of the Am championship.

Kelly Moss locked their second Porsche Carrera Cup North America Entrants championship yesterday in round 15.

Comments after race 2

Overall Winner.

Laurin Heinrich, No. 12 311RS Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“It has always been a dream of mine to come here and race in North America. Now to get to come here at the end of my first season as a Porsche Junior is just an amazing experience. I knew I had all the tools with my team, 311RS Motorsports, to win the race. We were really unlucky yesterday, but the team did an amazing job to make the Deluxe Corporation Porsche really fast again. Today I knew it was really straight forward, I just needed to push as hard as I can again. That is what I did and in the end it was enough. It was a dream of mine to win a race in the U.S. Thank you to the team.”

Pro Class Winner.

Riley Dickinson, No. 53 Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“What an unbelievable year for the series as a whole. I feel that Porsche Carrera Cup, from start to finish was, hands down the most entertaining championship that was on track throughout the course of the year. That is a testimony to everything Porsche Motorsport North America has done behind the scenes and at the forefront in making sure this championship is successful. If this is any indication of what years to come is going to look like it is great stuff. A huge thanks to everyone at Porsche for all their hard work. For me, a huge thank you to everyone at Kelly Moss at the track and back home at the shop. I can’t thank them enough. I am proud to represent them and my partners like Race for Childrens and Porsche Austin. I would not be able to do what I am able to do on the weekends without everyone, my friends and family, for their support. I am very much looking forward to what 2023 is going to bring.”

Pro-Am Class. Winner.

Efrin Castro, No. 65 Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“We did everything we had to do. I want to give a big thanks to the team. They supported me so much this year. It was amazing working with Kelly Moss. It came down to the wire. I am a big believer in whose destiny it is going to win the championship is going to win it. I did everything possible. Alan [Metni] is a great guy and a great racer and I am very happy for his championship win. The race was a very tough race to compete. I found a rhythm and a pace and I kept my position and came home in first place. That is all I could have done.”

Am Class. Winner.

Mark Kvamme, No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“I was very focused. Goetz is the guy I was racing against [in the championship]. I got a really good start and he, unfortunately, got stuck in the melee a little bit and got pushed down to P6. About two-thirds into the race I was just focused on that sticker [for a race win]. I had Mueller right behind me the whole time. He was driving really, really well. I would gap him, and he would close, and I would gap him, and he would close. I really just focused on hitting my points. I was praying for no yellows. It was really great race.”

Race 1

Parker Thompson (Canadian-native living in Indianapolis, Indiana) drove a flawless race to earn his fifth win of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands season today at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. His victory at the Braselton, Georgia-track moved the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car to within five points of the Pro class championship leader Kay van Berlo (native of the Netherlands studying in Miami, Florida) with one race remaining to be run. In the Pro-Am class, Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) won his eighth race of the season on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit. It moved his No. 65 Kelly Moss Porsche to within nine points of leader and teammate Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) in the No. 99. The Am class also saw the title contenders finish one-two with John Goetz (Weston, Connecticut) piloting the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to a second victory of the year just ahead of championship leader Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio). Goetz trails the No. 43 MDK Motorsports machine by 11 points.

Race 1 – 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Kelly Moss wrestled home their second-consecutive Porsche Carrera Cup North America Entrants championship. Despite JDX adding 25 points to the team’s total raising it to 285 points, van Berlo’s second-place finish moved the Madison, Wisconsin-based Kelly-Moss operation out of reach with 325 points. 25 points are available for a win, 20 points for a second place in all classes.

Porsche Junior driver Laurin Heinrich (Germany) made his North American debut in the No. 12 311RS Motorsports Porsche. In the Invitational class, the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion won the overall pole position and lead from the green flag until the race’s midpoint when the car spun off into the uphill right hand turn one. It was unable to finish.

The season’s final 40-minute race to decide all champions will go green on Friday, September 30 at 10:55 a.m. ET/ 7:55 a.m. PT.

Comments after Race 1

Pro Class Winner.

Parker Thompson, No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“That feels pretty darn good. I will only be able to enjoy it for 15-20 minutes and then I have to go back into the hauler. We have a race to go out and win tomorrow. All to play for tomorrow. Road Atlanta in 2021 was not my or JDX Racing’s strongest track. So, to come here and get a trophy with the number one on it was exactly what we needed to do. I could not be prouder of my team.”

Pro-Am Class. Winner.

Efrin Castro, No. 65 Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

“It was a very exciting race. A lot of action. I had to fight to get that position. I was able to do that with five minutes remaining. With the win that was most I could have done. Metni did his job finishing P2. I am grateful for the win and let’s see what tomorrow brings. This is so much fun. I am just going to do my routine tonight and just be ready for tomorrow.”

Preview

The 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands season ends with rounds 15 and 16 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, September 29 – 30. The premier one-make series has enjoyed remarkable growth in its second season in all areas. This weekend that continued success includes on-track action with 35 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars entered for the Braselton, Georgia track. Championships in its three classes and the Entrants title are all undecided as practice begins on Wednesday, September 28. The 2.54-mile, 12-turn race course with its long straights, sweeping corners, technical turns and elevation changes cut through the red Georgia clay northeast of Atlanta plays host to the final two 40-minute races of the series’ second year. With four drivers capable of capturing the Pro class title, two in the Pro-Am category and three in the Am class – all racing the same type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car directly based on the road-going Porsche 911 GT3 – who will stand at the front of the Celebration of Champions to receive the impressive list of awards and trophies all comes down to this weekend.

Seven months ago, the sophomore year for the premier single make race series opened at Sebring International Raceway. This weekend it will close. In that time 47 drivers have taken part in at least one of the 42 class races across 14 event weekends. Twelve drivers have at least one race victory in their class.

Al Holbert Cup

September 30 is historically significant for Porsche in North America. Not only will it see the crowning of champions in each category of the one-make championship but also the awarding of the Al Holbert Cup to the overall champion of the series. The Al Holbert Cup recognizes Holbert’s commitment, inspiration and leadership in the formation and organization of Porsche motorsports in North America. The silver cup carrying his name has been crafted as a timeless and traditional trophy to commemorate each Pro class champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America starting with this inaugural season in 2021. This award recognizes the true racing spirit of Al Holbert conveying his professional driver’s skill, engineer’s precision and a racer’s passion. The unique award represents a link between the past, present and future of Porsche. Holbert was a storied racer and one of the all-time leaders in IMSA race victories (63) and pole positions (27).

Making the award even more poignant, it will be presented on the same day the affable leader died in a small aircraft accident in 1988, 34 years ago, Friday.

Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich makes North American debut

The top Pro class talent of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will have a firsthand look at the competition they could face at the peak of the international Porsche one-make ladder, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, at Road Atlanta. Porsche Junior Laurin Heinrich (Germany) will take the wheel of the 311RS Motorsport No. 12 Porsche for the final two rounds of the year. Having recently completed the Supercup season with a third-place finish in the championship, Heinrich – who was named as a Porsche Junior in December, 2021 – will run in the special Invitational class. Like NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon (Charlotte, North Carolina) did at the most recent two rounds at Porsche Sports Car Together Fest earlier this month, Heinrich will be eligible for podium results within the Pro class but will not be eligible for championship points.

As a result of offering his seat to Heinrich, this marks the first Porsche Carrera Cup North America event not to include GRAND-AM GT Champion, Leh Keen (Atlanta, Georgia).

The Entry

35 Entries. Pro. 15, Pro-Am. 13, Am. 7

Pro Class.

Fifteen, nearly half, of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars entered this weekend are in the Pro class. The intense competition at the sharp end of the field comes with overall championship implications as four drivers are still eligible for the Pro class title.

The early favorite for the title, Kay van Berlo (the Netherlands currently studying in Florida), did not disappoint from the start sweeping not only rounds one and two at Sebring but three and four on the Long Beach street course as well. Since that time, he added back-to-back victories at Watkins Glen International (rounds seven and eight) for a total of six wins, most in the class, for the year behind the wheel of the No. 3 Kelly Moss Porsche. He has three more podium finishes, seven pole positions and seven fastest race laps. The 2021 runner-up has 270 points coming to Georgia. However, four wins, three pole positions and one fastest race lap for Parker Thompson (Canadian resident living in Indianapolis, Indiana) in the No. 9 JDX Racing machine bring the talented former open-wheel driver into contention. The winner of twin races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (rounds five and six) and single trips to victory lane at Road America (round 12) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (round 13) have combined for 259 points for Thompson – who finished in third-place in the class last year. Forty points back from van Berlo is first year contender Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas). The driver of the No. 6 MDK Motorsports Porsche has three wins (rounds nine and 10 at Toronto as well as round 12 at Road America), three pole positions and two fastest laps. Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) is the last driver in the Pro class with a victory and the last driver with a shot to take the title from his Kelly Moss teammate. Dickinson scored his first win in the series at the most recent round at Indianapolis in the No. 53. The 2021 fourth-place championship finisher has three fastest race laps and one pole position.

With a theoretical 56 points available (25 x 2 for race wins, 2 x 2 for pole position wins and 1 x 2 for fastest race lap in each session) to a single driver over the course of a normal weekend, all four drivers are still in the hunt for the title.

To the Point. Pro Class.

Van Berlo… 270
Thompson… 259
Estep… 230
Dickinson… 223
Fischer… 112

Pro-Am Class.

Echoing the thrilling battle to the last corner of the inaugural 2021 season, Kelly Moss teammates Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) and Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) are again the final contenders for the Pro-Am title. Last year, Castro – then racing for another team – made a late season charge on the early year dominance of Metni. While the balance between Metni’s No. 99 and Castro’s No. 65 has been more consistent this year, the two enter the final two races of the season with Metni again the leader. As in 2021, Castro, who has seven wins to Metni’s three, again must overcome the point gap to his teammate to repeat as the Pro-Am class champion. With only a 14-point deficit, we could see the positions swap in round 15 on Thursday. While technically out of title contention, Marco Cirone (Canada) could play foil for victories. The Canadian, who sits third in the standings, has three wins in the No. 84 Mark Motors Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and is 70 points behind Metni’s 252. Curt Swearingin (Chattanooga, Tennessee) remains winless in 2022 but has three consecutive podium finishes in the No. 17 ACI Motorsports entering the finale. While unable to win the title, adding a victory would bring the year to strong close for the Tennessee-based race team. Closing out the top five is the 2021 Pro-Am 991 class champion Matt Halcome (-110 points). The resident of Dallas, Georgia is looking for his first win in the category this year driving the popular Scooby Doo Mystery Machine livery at his home event. The Pro-Am class is for drivers between the ages of 36 and 57.

To the point. Pro-Am Class.

Metni… 252
Castro… 238
Cirone… 182
Swearingin… 169
Halcome… 142

Am Class.

Midway through the season, the general opinion was that Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) would march away with the Am championship in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche. However, the nine-time race winner missed rounds nine and ten at Toronto opening up the opportunity for John Goetz (Weston, Connecticut) and Bill Smith (Dallas, Texas) to close on Kvamme. When Smith missed Road America due to an injury sustained at home, that flipped the top-three in the class for drivers age 57 and older. Entering the final race weekend, Kvamme holds 272 points, Goetz is 16 points behind in the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Smith has raced the No. 42 Topp Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car to third-place, 31 markers out of the lead. The three are the only drivers with a chance to secure the Am championship in the seven car class.

To the point. Am Class.

Kvamme… 272
Goetz… 256
Smith … 214
Willingham… 129
Lombardo… 108

Entrant Championship

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.

Wednesday, September 28 – Practice 1 – 9:45 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.

Wednesday, September 28 – Practice 2 – 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 29 – Qualifying – 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, September 29 – Round 15 – 5:00 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.

Friday, September 30 – Round 16 – 10:55 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands recognizes the successes of its season at tonight’s Celebration of Champions. Each of the three drivers’ championships: Pro, Pro-Am and Am came down to the final 40-minute race of the premier Porsche one-make race series on Friday, September 30 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Tonight, the fruits of a 16-race labor for 48 drivers and 19 teams as well as series officials and partners were acknowledged by Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA).

2022 Champions

Pro class. Parker Thompson (Canadian-native living in Indianapolis Indiana)
No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Pro-Am class. Alan Metni (Austin, Texas)
No. 99 Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Am class. Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio)
No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Entrant.
Kelly Moss, Andy Kilcoyne and Victoria Thomas, owners

Champions’ Awards

For the second year, the top award for the champions in each of the series’ three class (Pro, Pro-Am and Am) remains a trip for two to the five-star Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in the Cayman Islands. The four-night stay in the five-star resort includes airfare, and transportation, a visit to the iconic Stingray City and a culinary experience in one of the esteemed restaurants in the Grand Cayman.

Additionally, PMNA will provide a full-season entry fee for the champion of each class to use for the 2023 Carrera Cup season. TAG Heuer, who joined as a full-season partner in the championship’s inaugural season in 2021, increases its support of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid race series by celebrating the top-three in each class with a timepiece recognizing the achievement as well as the top pole winner in each class. In addition to the annual Porsche Night of Champions in Stuttgart, Germany, each class title-winner will earn a trip to the Porsche Ice Force Pro Experience in Canada.

The Al Holbert Cup

The Al Holbert Cup was created 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 starting with last year’s inaugural champion, Seb Priaulx. The Al Holbert Cup is engraved each year with the champion’s name and year of the championship. The original cup is on display at PMNA headquarters in Carson, California. A replica trophy is presented to the champion as their tangible reminder of their milestone season. This award recognizes the true racing spirit of Al Holbert conveying his professional driver’s skill, engineer’s precision and a gentleman racer’s passion. A true link between the past, present and future of Porsche.

Making the award even more poignant, its awarding comes on the same day the affable leader was killed in a small aircraft accident in 1988, 34 years ago, Friday.

Class Driver Awards*

Al Holbert Cup to the overall, Pro class champion. Pro-Am and Am classes receive only a class championship trophy.
2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands season entry.
Trip to the Porsche Night of Champions in Stuttgart, Germany to celebrate Porsche motorsport champions from around the world. Including tours of the Porsche factory tour, Porsche Museum and Motorsport headquarters at Weissach.
Four-night Cayman Islands stay at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa.
TAG Heuer watch presented to the top-three finishers.
Porsche Ice Force Pro Experience in Canada including travel and accommodations.

Junior Championship Awards

Kay van Berlo

Kay van Berlo has won the Junior Championship for the driver (26-years or younger racing in the Pro class) who earns this title will earn the opportunity to compete in the Porsche Junior Global Shootout. Thompson earns:

All flights and accommodations will be included as this driver competes against champions from around the world.
Trip to the Porsche Night of Champions in Stuttgart, Germany.
$40,000 USD financial support provided for a test day prior to the Porsche Junior Global Shootout to gain experience in a non-ABS Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car as will be run at the Shootout. Porsche Driver Jaxon Evans will provide expertise coaching during the test.

Michelin Race Wins Award

Mark Kvamme

Presented to Mark Kvamme as the driver, regardless of class, who has scored the most victories across the entire season. With today’s victory, Kvamme earned ten race wins in 16 starts. He was one victory ahead of Efrin Castro who, with both race wins at the finale, moved to nine victories.

Michelin Guide Champion Experience including attendance for two to a 2023 Michelin Star Reveal Gala event in North America. Includes airfare, hotel and dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant.

No. 43 MDK Motorsports – Mark Kvamme

Entrant Championship Awards

Kelly Moss

With eight Pro class, or half, the season victories Kelly Moss owners Andy Kilcoyne and Victoria Thomas carry home the Madison, Wisconsin-based team’s second Entrants championship.

The organization that wins the season-long Team Championship will receive a three-night Cayman Islands stay at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa.
Team champions in each class will receive three sets of Michelin passenger car or light truck tires.

Pole Award

Kay van Berlo

By accumulating the seven pole positions in the Pro class over the course of the season, the Pro class championship runner-up, Kay van Berlo (native of the Netherlands studying in Miami, Florida) will earn a TAG Heuer watch.

To the Point

Pro Class.

Parker Thompson… 306
Kay van Berlo… 290
Riley Dickinson… 264
Trenton Estep… 247
T.J. Fischer… 125

Pro-Am Class.

Alan Metni… 289
Efrin Castro… 288
Marco Cirone… 210
Curt Swearingin… 200
Matt Halcome… 160

Am Class.

Mark Kvamme… 317
John Goetz… 298
Bill Smith… 245
Grady Willingham… 149
Joseph Lombardo… 108

Entrants.

Kelly Moss… 340
JDX Racing… 307
MDK Motorsports… 286
Topps Racing… 199
311RS Motorsport… 163

* This is a summary of awards as outlined and provided to entrants by Porsche Motorsport North America. More details are available to official entrants by contacting PMNA.

Round	event	date
Round 1	Sebring International Raceway	March 18 – 20
Round 2	Long Beach Street Circuit	April 17 – 19
Round 3	Miami International Autodrome	May 1 – 3
Round 4	Watkins Glen International	June 25 – 27
Round 5	Road America	July 30 – August 1
Round 6	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	September 18 – 20
Round 7	Road Atlanta	September 30 – October 2
Round 8	Circuit of the Americas	October 23 – 25