Mitchell deJong opened the inaugural Porsche Esports Carrera Cup North America season with victory at Sebring International Raceway, edging Coanda Esports teammate Xander Reed by just 0.006 seconds in a decisive run to the checkered flag.
The race marked the opening round of a six-event championship running from March 18 through April 22, with additional rounds scheduled at the Miami International Autodrome (March 25), Watkins Glen (April 1), Road America (April 8), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (April 15) and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (April 22).
A 35-car field of North America’s top sim racers competed using the new Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2) on iRacing, mirroring the real-world Porsche Carrera Cup North America platform with fixed setups and identical machinery.
Starting second, deJong took the lead at the opening corner and, alongside Reed, established control of the race for Coanda Esports – a leading sim racing organization with close ties to Porsche’s global esports ecosystem and regular involvement at the highest levels of Porsche competition.
“We had a good plan throughout the whole race, just trying to manage things,” deJong said. “Once we qualified one-two, everything was to play fo,r and we knew we could control it from there.”
The Coanda pair ran nose-to-tail for much of the 40-minute race, balancing tire wear and using the draft to maintain track position while keeping the chasing pack at bay.
“The draft is really strong in these cars, and the lead car actually has a bit of a tire disadvantage,” deJong said. “So it’s not always where you want to be. We just tried to keep the pace high and not bring anyone else into the fight.”
A mid-race caution reset the field and eliminated the leaders’ advantage, setting up a sprint to the finish. On the restart, deJong maintained control, with Reed slotting back into second as the pair again edged clear.
“The safety car definitely threw a wrench in it,” deJong said. “That’s the one thing we didn’t really want because it brings everyone back together. After that, it was just about hitting our marks and keeping things clean.”
Reed remained within striking distance in the closing laps and mounted a final-lap challenge at Sunset Bend, diving to the inside in an attempt to take the lead. DeJong held firm on the outside line and carried superior momentum off the corner, reclaiming the advantage in a drag race to the line.
“We knew we wanted to race it out at the end, and it came down to that last corner,” deJong said. “I could trust the guy on my inside, which makes a big difference in that situation.”
“My tires were falling off quite a bit at the end, so I knew it was going to be close. It was stressful, but really fun racing.”
Manuel Troncoso completed the podium after closing on the leaders late, while Parker White advanced seven positions to finish fourth. Andrew Caron rounded out the top five.
Kai Dalziel delivered one of the standout drives of the race, gaining 12 positions to finish sixth, while Sean Campbell recovered from a mid-race incident to finish ninth.
The opening round featured multiple incidents throughout the field and highlighted the challenge of Sebring’s surface, with drivers managing both close-quarters racing and the circuit’s signature bumps.
Of note, Porsche Carrera Cup North America’s defending Rookie Champion and 2026 Kellymoss driver Aaron Jeansonne has qualified for the championship, but his first priority is his “analog” season. De Jong leaves Sebring as the championship leader as the series continues March 25 at Miami.
All Porsche Esports Carrera Cup North America races stream live – and are available to watch anytime – on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel. Stay up-to-date on all the latest news by following Porsche Motorsport North America on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and Twitter, and by subscribing to the newsletter.
RESULTS.
Qualifying
- Xander Reed #77
- Mitchell deJong #48
- Andrew Caron #6
Race
- Mitchell deJong #48
- Xander Reed #77
- Manuel Troncoso #62
