For the first time since 2022, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America returns to Canada, June 7 – 9.
Rounds five and six of the premier one-make race series on the continent will support the Formula 1 ® AWS Grand Prix du Canada in Montréal, Québec.
The Grand Prix of Canada is the second of three appearances of the year for the all-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 992) car championship to compete as part of an F1 weekend. The Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America series ran rounds three and four at the Grand Prix of Miami and will conclude its fourth season during the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (October 18 – 20).
The 2.71-mile, 14-turn Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will play host to 33 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars. Two 30-minute practice sessions on Friday, June 7 will be followed by a 30-minute qualifying session and the first 40-minute race on Saturday. The second race will take place ahead of the Formula 1 feature race on the morning of Sunday, June 9.
CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE FAST FACTS
- Field. 33 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars are entered for the weekend.
- Pro class. 15 Pro-Am class. 12 Masters class. 6
- Teams. 11 race teams are represented across all three classes.
Track Record: NA, New track to the series
Point Leaders.
Pro. Loek Hartog, No. 24 Kellymoss
Pro-Am. Marco Cirone, No. 84 ACI Motorsports
Masters. Matt Halcome, No. 55 ACI Motorsports
Entrants. Kellymoss
Schedule. All times Eastern
Friday, June 7.
10:00 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. – Practice 1
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Practice 2
Saturday, June 8.
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. – Qualifying (all classes)
5:55 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. – Race 1 (40-minutes)
Sunday, May 5.
9:40 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. – Race 2 (40-minutes)
Hometown heroes.
Three Canadian drivers are entered to compete in their home country this weekend. Included is Garson, Ontario’s Zachary Vanier who is seeking his second consecutive Pro class victory after winning round four in Miami in the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Toronto’s Roberto Tutino represents Canada at the wheel of the No. 26 ACI Motorsports entry in the Pro-Am class. Marco Cirone of Toronto looks to continue to hold tight to the Pro-Am class points lead in the No. 84 ACI machine.
Raising awareness.
The No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche of Masters class driver Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) continues to raise awareness of dementia and Alzheimer’s through his motorsport efforts. The two-time Porsche Carrera Cup North America class champion stopped at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium before leaving Ohio for Montréal. The public appearance honored Columbus Zoo Director Emeritus Jack Hanna, who is currently battling Alzheimer’s disease. While at the world-famous zoo, Kvamme added Hanna’s name to Racing to End Alzheimer’s livery. Each week, race fans are welcome to add names of loved ones they have lost or who are suffering from Alzheimer’s through a donation to Racing to End Alzheimer’s.
Pioneers performing.
The success of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America has been proven each season as new drivers, teams and marketing partners have joined the ranks of the one-make race series.
In fact, in only its fourth season, the North American-based race series is now regularly among the elite of the Porsche single brand series worldwide in entry list size as well as international appeal for teams and drivers. It has proven itself as an indicator of future performance as well.
With event venues like this weekend’s Formula 1 ® AWS Grand Prix du Canada in Montréal, Canada and classic road courses run in conjunction with IMSA, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America not only attracts global interest but hones the skills needed to thrive at the next level of the sport.
2021 series champion Seb Priaulx (United Kingdom) has won the last two rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro class in a Porsche 911 GT3 R with Laurin Heinrich (Germany) who, himself, is a former Porsche Junior and past race winner in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
2022 champion Parker Thompson (Canada) earned a GTD class win earlier this year at Long Beach while 2023 series champion Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) raced a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opening victory at Daytona.
Podium Jordan.
Earlier this year, Jordan Wallace (Annapolis, Maryland) became the first African American driver to enter the Porsche Carrera Cup North America at round one in Sebring, Florida in March. At the most recent round – the Grand Prix of Miami – Wallace drove the No. 23 Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to his first podium in the Pro-Am class. The series rookie but veteran racer and instructor comes to Montréal in search of a first win.
To the point.
With two race wins (Sebring, race one and Miami race one) Loek Hartog (Netherlands) moved back into the overall points lead coming to rounds five and six. By virtue of his overall victory in round four at Miami, Zachary Vanier (Canada) holds third place with the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche. Marco Cirone (Canada) has an 11-point lead in the Pro-Am class over Moisey Uretsky (Miami, Florida), 68 – 57. Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) maintains his lead in the Masters class behind the wheel of the No. 55 ACI Motorsports “Mystery Machine” Porsche. The Georgian is 14-points up on Chris Bellomo (Portola Valley, California). Kellymoss flipped the Entrant standings with a six-point swing at Miami. The Wisconsin-based operation is now three markers ahead of MDK Motorsports, 79 – 76. .
