A full-season Porsche Carrera Cup North America campaign, a new-generation 911 Cup (Type 992.2) car, and a clear focus on race wins define Jared Thomas’s outlook heading into the 2026 season..
After stepping up from Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Thomas entered Porsche Carrera Cup North America last season knowing exactly what awaited him.
The car itself was familiar, but the competitive environment quickly underscored just how unforgiving the series can be.
“It’s always a big step when you come into a new series,” Thomas said.
“I don’t care what level you’re at – you’re coming into somebody else’s championship that’s been around for a few years. Those guys know all the little tricks.”
“It was definitely a big learning curve coming from Sprint Challenge to Carrera Cup. But I felt like it was the right jump. You know the basics, you’re comfortable in the car, but the guys you’re racing against are top-notch.”
For Thomas, the defining difference wasn’t pace alone, but density.
“In the beginning of the season, we were close,” he said.
“But there are a lot of guys living in that last five-tenths of a second. That was the biggest jump for me – just how many people were that tight at the front.”
That reality reshaped expectations quickly. In Carrera Cup, progress is measured in details, and consistency is often as valuable as outright speed.
Resetting for 2026
Thomas’ full-season commitment for 2026 arrives alongside a major technical shift with the introduction of the new Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2). For a driver who stepped into the series racing against competitors with multiple seasons of experience in the outgoing 992.1, the timing matters.
“We put in a lot of work at the end of 2025 looking into ’26 with the new 992.2,” Thomas said.
“Our goal is to win races and finish on the podium. We’ll take it one step at a time, but that’s ultimately where we want to be.”
The new car represents both opportunity and challenge.
“I’m super excited about it,” he said. “I stepped up into Carrera Cup racing against guys that had been in the same car for two or three years. Now it’s a bit of a reset.”
“After the test last week, there are some new bits on the car that I’m really excited about. Especially on the front aero.”
While the updated GT3 Cup car remains closely related to its predecessor, Thomas believes the changes are significant enough to force teams to rethink established approaches.
“From a development standpoint, it’s a reset for everybody,” he said. “Even though the cars are similar, they’re different enough that everyone has work to do.”
That work has already become the focus of Thomas’ offseason.
Choosing a different path
In a paddock filled with long-established Porsche operations, Thomas continues to take a less conventional route. Rather than aligning with an outside powerhouse team, he has committed to building his program internally, expanding staff, engineering capability, and technical resources over time.
“We continue to build our resources here in the shop,” Thomas said. “Our knowledge base, our engineers – all of that.
“I look at it as a great challenge. I’m really engineering-driven, and that’s how we approach everything.”
That mindset shapes how Thomas views performance.
“We’re always turning over every rock,” he said. “We’re always asking where we can get speed.
“It’s been a lot of hard work testing and consulting with industry professionals who have been around the sport a long time. That’s helped us expand our notebook.”
One of the defining traits of the program, Thomas believes, is its willingness to experiment.
“We’re very open-minded,” he said. “We’re never the ones that say, ‘That can’t work.’ You don’t know until you go out and try it.
“As far as we’re concerned, you have to prove to yourself whether something works or it doesn’t.”
Two roles, one weekend
Race weekends demand a careful balance for Thomas, who carries the responsibilities of both driver and team owner. Learning to separate those roles took time.
“That’s something I’ve been perfecting over the last six or seven years,” he said. “It definitely wasn’t easy when I first started.
“I’d say early on, when I had a lot of other responsibilities, I probably suffered a little bit,” Thomas admitted. “But you learn how to get better at it.”
Today, the separation is intentional.
“When I’m in the car, I’m 100 percent focused on my car and the performance,” he said. “I’m working with the engineers and mechanics to get it the best we can.
“When I’m out of the car, I’m in the paddock with the rest of the team. Talking with the other drivers. Asking how their car feels. Seeing what we can do better.”
That often means putting team needs ahead of his own.
“Sometimes I put myself last,” Thomas said. “But that’s just how it has to be.”
Shared success
That perspective extends to how Thomas defines success. While personal results matter, he places equal value on his drivers’ achievements.
“I’ve found a lot of joy in it,” he said. “It just goes to show that all the hard work is paying off.”
“I’m in the shop every day. I’m working with every guy on this team, trying to give our drivers the best product we can.
“So when another driver on our team wins, it feels just as good as a win myself.”
As Porsche Carrera Cup North America enters a new era, Jared Thomas does so with clear intent. The learning phase has sharpened his perspective. The technical reset offers an opportunity. And the expectations are no longer abstract.
With a full season ahead and a program built around engineering, adaptability, and effort, Thomas is no longer simply measuring the challenge.
He’s preparing to meet it head-on.
