Former World Challenge touring car and GT champion Michael Cooper had never driven a Porsche prior to the 2023 season; now, the 34-year-old New Yorker is making up for lost time with Baby Bull Racing / Accelerating Performance.

Cooper made his Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America debut at Watkins Glen this year in the Pro class – running a second car alongside team owner and Pro-Am race winner Moisey Uretsky.

He has proven to be a fast learner. In his second weekend in the championship at Road America, he scored a top five in Saturday’s race before taking his first podium on Sunday in third.

But Cooper is recording additional miles outside of his No.33 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine. Baby Bull Racing recently added a Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS to its stable, which both Cooper and Uretsky have been driving.

Cooper took victory in the first race in IMSA VP Challenge series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and last weekend he and Uretsky drove together in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the GT4 at VIRginia International Raceway.

“Before my Carrera Cup debut at The Glen, I certainly expected it to be pretty challenging,” Cooper said.

“That was from a competition point of view and also learning the car. It is undoubtedly very different from what I had been used to. I really had to go into the weekend with an open mind.

“It’s definitely a different experience. The Porsche communicates different things that I’m used to, so for the second weekend, I made some good adjustments, and we started to make some good progress.”

Cooper’s role as a teammate to Uretsky is to not only fly the flag for the team in the Pro class but also offer his advice and experience to his teammate and team owner. Their relationship has been strong – but things didn’t start out that way.

“Moisey and I initially got connected back when we were both running in World Challenge. We got connected, literally – I accidentally took him out while lapping him in Portland about six years ago,” laughed Cooper.

“Now in Carrera Cup, we’re in the same car, same setup, and on the track at the same time. Being able to give feedback and really being able to relate to what’s going on is beneficial.

“Moisey has been making really good progress, and in his last race at Road America, his pace was really strong.”

With running the Carrera Cup car and the GT4 entry, Cooper is getting plenty of miles aboard Porsche machinery in his first season aboard the famous German marque.

“You feel very similar sensations between the two cars. It’s certainly helpful to drive both cars as you can translate things back and forth. How the car feels, the steering, and some of the other systems are all very familiar between the two.”

Cooper is looking to build upon his impressive Road America weekend as the championship enters its final three rounds at Indianapolis, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Circuit of the Americas.

But having now had a close look at the level of competition in the Pro class, he knows the challenge of running in the top five and challenging for podiums is steep.

“I think you’ve seen what Kay van Berlo has done this year in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. If you can run at the front in Carrera Cup, you are very capable of jumping into GTD or any other championship,” Cooper said.

“Ten years ago, I was one of those young guys looking to move up the ranks, and now I can certainly see a lot of talent in our championship that is going to go places in the future.”