Reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion and Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver Ryan Yardley is set for a triple-program Porsche season in 2026 with ACI Motorsports, Wright Motorsports, and JTR Motorsport Engineering.
The New Zealander will contest Pirelli GT4 America with ACI Motorsports alongside Damir Hot, GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with Wright Motorsports alongside Dave Musial Jr., and Porsche Endurance Challenge North America by Yokohama with JTR Motorsport Engineering alongside Dave Musial Sr.
The programs span GT4, GT3, and Porsche One-Make endurance competition – all within the Porsche ecosystem.
It is a significant expansion built directly on the momentum of his Carrera Cup title.
Carrera Cup as the stepping stone
Winning Porsche Carrera Cup North America has increasingly proven to be the ideal launch pad within the North American Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. The identical 911 Cup cars reward precision, discipline, and qualifying execution. There are no technical variables to hide behind.
For Yardley, that championship campaign was validation.
“Even once the checkered flag fell at COTA for Carrera Cup, I had some ideas of what was going to happen,” Yardley said. “But nothing was set in stone for 2026.”
The title positioned him squarely within the Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver program, opening doors to remain in the Porsche family while stepping up into multi-driver and multi-class endurance racing.
“It’s honestly a dream situation for me,” Yardley said. “To have three programs set, all on the Porsche platform, is fantastic.”
Rather than defending a single crown, Yardley will now balance three distinct programs – often competing twice in a single SRO weekend.
GT4 America – ACI Motorsports
The first pillar of the 2026 campaign comes in Pirelli GT4 America with ACI Motorsports, where Yardley will share the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport with Damir Hot in Pro-Am competition.
“I’ll be double duty for SRO this year with ACI Motorsport alongside Damir Hot as a Pro-Am pairing,” Yardley said.
“I’m super excited to be part of a new championship and a new car as well, a new platform for myself.”
The partnership began midway through last season in Porsche Sprint Challenge competition before extending into a GT4 America outing at VIRginia International Raceway.
“We did VIR last year together in GT4 America with ACI and that went really well,” Yardley said.
“From that stage on, I knew Damir was putting a program together for 2026. I’m super thankful and super happy to be driving alongside him and continue our relationship.”
GT4 introduces multi-manufacturer racing, driver changes, and race strategy variables that do not exist in Carrera Cup.
“It was nice to do Virginia last year just to have some sort of idea of multi-manufacturer racing,” Yardley said.
“It’s definitely a new challenge, which makes it super exciting for me.”
ACI brings pedigree. The team won the Pro-Am championship two years ago and finished second last season.
“There’s no question the car’s quick and the team can do the job for us,” Yardley said.
“That’s exciting, knowing that going into the first race we’re going to have the car underneath us to do the job. It’s up to Damir and I to extract the most out of each other and out of the car.”
The objective is clear.
“We’re here to win. We’re here to contend for a championship.”
GT World Challenge America – Wright Motorsports
From GT4, Yardley steps into GT3 competition in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS with Wright Motorsports, sharing the Porsche 911 GT3 R with Dave Musial Jr.
“It’s super exciting to join Wright Motorsports,” Yardley said.
“They’re a household name in Porsche racing and within the Porsche family. I’m super privileged to be joining another team where their equipment is going to be top-notch.”
The relationship with the Musial family was strengthened last season through Porsche Sprint and Endurance Challenge competition and continued earlier this year at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Yardley competed with Mühlner Motorsport alongside Dave Musial Sr., Dave Musial Jr., and Peter Ludwig, gaining valuable mileage in the GT3 R on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
“To do Daytona with both senior and junior was awesome,” Yardley said.
“That endurance experience definitely helps leading into GT World Challenge.”
The step from 45-minute Carrera Cup races to three-hour GT3 contests demands a shift in mindset.
“Endurance racing has a different aspect to the sprint races we grew up doing,” Yardley said.
“But being three hours, these cars are built so strong and so reliable that it’s almost flat out for three hours. Yes, you manage things, but you’re still pushing.”
Traffic management across Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes, tire management, and pit stop execution add complexity.
“It’s still quite a new platform for me,” he admitted. “But that’s what makes it exciting – a new paddock, a new championship.”
Porsche Endurance Challenge – JTR Motorsport Engineering
Yardley’s third program keeps him rooted in Porsche Cup machinery with Porsche Endurance Challenge North America, partnering Dave Musial Sr. with JTR Motorsport Engineering.
The series has become an increasingly important development bridge for Porsche One-Make drivers transitioning toward professional GT endurance racing.
“After the Road Atlanta four-hour in Endurance Challenge last year with myself and Junior – we won that race – that’s where the conversations got started,” Yardley said.
“They seriously looked at doing GT World Challenge, and thankfully, those plans have now come to fruition.”
Endurance Challenge events introduce driver changes, pit strategy, and long-run consistency within the Porsche One-Make environment.
“Endurance racing is about being consistent and being there at the end,” Yardley said. “Doing your role and doing your job within an endurance race. Pit stops, driver changes – it’s another element.”
“Doing that Road Atlanta race last year was a great introduction to the Endurance discipline. It really is a great stepping stone and learning opportunity for Porsche for when you are looking to move into IMSA or SRO endurance competition.”
From uncertainty to opportunity
Only a few years ago, Yardley was coaching while searching for a stable racing opportunity. He debuted in Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2023 with TOPP Racing – three years later, he was crowned series champion.
“If someone had told me five years ago I’d be in this position now, I would have ripped their arm off for the opportunity,” he said.
The Carrera Cup championship became the perfect stepping stone – validating his pace and positioning him within Porsche’s long-term structure.
“It’s been a crazy journey here in North America, one that I’m super thankful for,” Yardley said. “There have been so many people behind the scenes who have supported me.”
It is a demanding schedule. It is also the clearest indication yet that winning Carrera Cup can serve as a direct pathway into professional GT endurance racing within Porsche’s North American ladder.
For Ryan Yardley, the title was not the destination.
It was the beginning.
