Now, in its second year as a two-car team in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Baby Bull Racing has not only taken its first steps, but this pair of Bulls are on the charge!
Team owner Moisey Uretsky added a second car in the Pro class last year, with former GT World Challenge ace Michael Cooper racing a second edition of the team’s distinctly liveried Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries.
At the most recent round at the Miami Grand Prix, the team pulled out its best pair of finishes to date. Uretsky finished third in the opening race and capped off his home race weekend with a victory in the Pro-am class on Sunday.
And to repeat that performance, Baby Bull Racing mirrored that result in round six of the the championship at the Canadian Grand Prix.
Uretsky and Cooper also combine for the team’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge campaign aboard a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, but this combination started by accident—literally!
“I was racing a TCA car in Portland back in 2018 in my first year in pro racing, and with about three laps to go, I got a bit sideways coming out of the final turn, and I got nailed in the rear by Michael in a faster TCR car and got spun off,” Uretsky said.
“A couple of years later, I was looking for a co-driver, my old driving coach Justin Piscitell suggested we talk to Michael. He had worked with him before and told me that I should know him. I told him, “I’ve never met the guy…”
“He reminded me all about Portland – I wasn’t thrilled at the time and left in a hurry, but apparently, Michael came to try to find me to apologize.
“We had a good laugh about it when he joined the team, and he has been a huge help to me. Our approach is very similar, and having somebody with his experience as part of the team has been really beneficial for a guy like me who started racing a bit later in life.”
He was born in Russia and grew up in New York, but Miami is now home to Uretsky. Coming away from that event with four top fives, three trophies, and a win certainly meant a lot.
“It was a great home race for us. The Formula 1 events are always a big deal, and I really like the Miami track – it’s a lot of fun to drive,” Uretsky said.
“I think the Carrera Cup car is very well suited for that track. It was the first time Michael was racing there, he said the same thing. There are passing opportunities, and chances to get things right but also very wrong. I was fortunate to have a good start in the second race and make up a few places.
“There were a few yellows in the Sunday race but it did make the end very exciting. You knew in that final dash to the flag everyone was going to go 100 percent because, if you don’t improve your position, that’s kind of where you’re at.
“The atmosphere at Miami, the crowd, and the entire event itself are all fantastic, and finishing up standing on the Formula 1 podium was really special.
“In Montreal, the weather was definitely a bit challenging. The track was pretty good in the conditions, but the visibility was impossible. At 150 miles an hour, you couldn’t see anything and you are kind of guessing.
“You can’t even see the walls to the side, but I’m happy we survived. Baby Bull Racing also got third overall, so that one’s for our man Jason Hoover. He’s a little bit under the weather, so we hope he’s feeling better and what better way to get him there, than two podiums.
Miami, Montreal, and Austin are the trio of Formula 1 races on the Porsche Carrera Cup North America calendar for 2024. Porsche, of course, is no stranger to showcasing the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the Formula 1 stage.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has taken place on the Formula 1 schedule for the past 31 seasons and will continue this year with eight events, including the most recent round on the streets of Monaco.
While the Formula 1 events are a highlight, Uretsky and Cooper will face some busy weekends at the rounds on the IMSA schedule – juggling their Carrera Cup efforts with their IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge program.
While the engine in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport are the same, the two cars present different challenges.
“It is definitely better to go from a Porsche to a Porsche – 100 percent better than running another GT4 car,” Uretsky said.
“There are a lot of similarities between the two cars including little things like where the buttons are on the steering wheel.
“The Cayman is actually a bit more adjustable because the set-up in the Cup car is kind of set.
“The good news is that they drive similarly. The GT3 cup car is obviously faster. It brakes later, brakes harder, the tires are bigger, and it really communicates with the driver more.
“GT4 makes for great racing, and it’s also great to see the different manufacturers competing. In Carrera Cup, it is all about driver talent and car setup.”
