Tyler Maxson started racing karts at age six, cars at 13, and at 20 years old is now starting to shine with an impressive rookie season with Topp Racing in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Part of the Porsche Motorsport EBOOST Junior Program North America and driving for Topp Racing, Maxson is proving he belongs in one of the most competitive one-make championships in the world.
Last weekend at Watkins Glen, he recorded a pair of top-five finishes, including a runner-up result in the final race of the weekend. After four rounds in 2025, he leads the Rookie championship.
“I started karting when I was six,” said Maxson. “I tried pretty much every stick and ball sport and didn’t like any of them. My mom actually suggested we try go-karting, and I just fell in love with it.”
What began with lunch break laps at a small track in Barnesville, Georgia, quickly escalated. By age 13, he was racing Spec Miatas. By 14, he was already making professional starts in SRO competition—before he even had a driver’s license.
“I want to say I was about 13 for my first Miata race, and my first pro race came six months after my 14th birthday,” Maxson said. “It was in an MX-5 Cup car at COTA.”
Based outside Athens, Georgia, Tyler Maxson balances his budding racing career with work in his family’s car wash business. However, his on-track development has been anything but conventional. After two SRO championships and a stint with the Hyundai-backed Bryan Herta Autosport TCR program, he found himself on uncertain footing in 2023.
“I had a last-minute deal to race GT4 at Daytona, but the whole thing fell apart right after the first round,” he said. “It went from having something to nothing, to then getting back in a ride again.”
That rebound came in the form of Mustang Challenge, where Maxson again jumped in late and impressed. But it was a conversation at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta that shifted his path again.
“I was just hanging out at Road Atlanta when we got introduced to Todd Oppermann from Topp Racing,” he said. “They invited me out for a test last December, and thankfully, they helped me get in the car and into Carrera Cup this year.”
The jump into the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car was a big one—but for Maxson, it clicked right away.
“It’s probably the most fun race car I’ve ever driven,” he said. “It’s fast, physical, and just begs you to drive it at 10/10ths every lap. That’s what stood out most. I’ve never driven a race car that liked being pushed that hard, lap after lap.”
Adjusting to the demands of the Cup car has been eased by working alongside experienced teammate Ryan Yardley, who’s already a multi-time race winner with Topp.
“Having Ryan as a teammate has been massive,” Maxson said. “Every weekend, I know I can compare myself to someone running at the front. He’s been an open book and really helped me get up to speed.”
While Tyler Maxson’s pace has turned heads, the level of competition in Carrera Cup North America has been a new challenge.
“There are very few series as tightly matched as this,” he said. “Top ten, top 12 guys all have the pace to win. Nobody at the front makes mistakes, so qualifying is everything. It forces you to be perfect, every single lap.”
Through the first half of the season, Maxson has shown steady progress—and an affinity for street circuits.
“I’d never done a street race in a car until this year,” he said. “But Miami and Montreal have been a blast. I loved street tracks in karting, so it was super cool to be back in that environment, especially running alongside Formula 1.”
His rise has coincided with a strong year for Topp Racing. Topp has emerged as a genuine front-running outfit thanks to the efforts of Yardley and the leadership of team owner Todd Oppermann – with Tyler Maxson on board – the team continues to lead the team’s points championship after four rounds.
“I’m super thankful to Todd and David Baker for believing in me and getting me in the car this year,” Maxson said. “The whole team is incredibly hardworking. They really want to succeed, and they’ve been pushing me to get better every weekend. I still don’t think I’m 100% there yet, but we’re on the right track.”
Being part of the Porsche EBOOST Junior Program has only added to that momentum. From training sessions to mentorship, Maxson is absorbing all he can from the opportunity.
“To be involved with a manufacturer like Porsche is a huge honor,” he said. “They’ve got the most developed ladder system of any brand, and just being in the mix—especially after chatting with guys like Mathieu Jaminet at the Penske garage last weekend—it’s really opened my eyes to what’s possible.”
At just 20 years old, Maxson already has more professional starts than many of his peers. But the goal remains clear.
“My dream would be to represent somebody like Porsche at a factory level in five years,” he said. “Whether it’s GT or prototypes, that’s what I want—to be a factory driver. That’s why I got into sports cars in the first place.”
Working his way towards that goal has not been a solo endeavour. He is quick to point out the people who’ve helped him along the way.
“A huge thank you to David and Apex and TCS for making this possible, and to my parents for believing in me,” Maxson said. “Without their support, I wouldn’t be doing Carrera Cup this year.”
