Porsche Carrera Cup North America continues to stamp itself as a key development stepping stone for stars of the future, with 2023 Cup Pro-class champion Riley Dickinson and his Kellymoss teammate Michael McCarthy set to debut in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Championship in 2024.
Dickinson and McCarthy will drive the No.91 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS in the series which kicks off at Daytona next week with the four-hour opening round held in conjunction with the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
As with the Kellymoss GTD program in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Wisconsin-based Carrera Cup powerhouse will join forces with Riley Motorsports for the campaign.
The Texas-based Dickinson won his first-ever Carrera Cup round in Indianapolis in 2022 and pulled off a record-breaking 11-win season in 2023 to take the championship and be selected to represent Porsche Motorsport North America in the annual Porsche Junior Shootout staged last year in Portugal.
“I’m super excited to be back with Kellymoss for 2024 and to be paired up with Michael for our full-season effort in Michelin Pilot,” Dickinson said.
“We’ve already built a great relationship, being teammates in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. So, I’m quite confident that we will hit the ground running in a few days time at Daytona. I’m very much looking forward to the new challenge ahead of us this year!”
His Carrera Cup teammate McCarthy is also no stranger to success at the wheel of a Porsche. The Florida driver was the inaugural 992 champion for Kellymoss in the 2021 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.
“I am thrilled to be part of such a dynamic team and cannot wait to take on the challenges of the Michelin Pilot Challenge,” said McCarthy.
For the four-hour Daytona endurance event, the duo will be joined by another young star, Brady Golan. Golan is the son of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama Cayman Am champion Jason Golan (Kellymoss) and joins the team after completing his first season of USF Juniors in 2023.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America’s reputation as a vital stepping stone in the Porsche “pyramid” continues with the Dickinson / McCarthy news.
Inaugural series champion Seb Priaulx (Kellymoss) is set to enter his second full season of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition this season with AO Racing.
2022 champion Parker Thompson also will race full-time in WeatherTech in 2024. The Canadian scored a part-time factory drive with Lexus off the back of his Carrera Cup championship success last year and will graduate to a full-time drive this season.
Another Kellymoss Carrera Cup ace, Kay van Berlo, scored his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD race win last year at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (with his Pro-am class championship winning Carrera Cup Kellymoss teammate, Alan Metni).
Van Berlo won a record 13 cup victories in 2021 and 2022.
On the Daytona weekend, the Dutchman will be in action at the Dubai 24-hour alongside fellow Carrera Cup alumni Grant Talkie and Curt Swearingin, GT4 America Porsche racer Richard Edge, and Fanatec GT World Challenge North America Porsche regular Pedro Torres.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge program further expands Kellymoss’ extensive 2024 race program which also will include cars Porsche Carrera Cup North America, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.
“We are ecstatic to have Michael McCarthy and Riley Dickinson join forces for the 2024 Michelin Pilot Challenge season,” said Andy Kilcoyne, co-owner of Kellymoss.
“Both of these drivers have proven their mettle on the track, and we have every confidence that their combined talents will be a force to be reckoned with. This partnership underscores our commitment to fostering young talent and achieving excellence in motorsports.”
