Ryan Yardley’s title charge in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America reached full throttle on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas.
The Kiwi produced a near-perfect day, first grabbing the Race Brew Pole Position Award and then converting it into victory under the Texas sun.
Entering the weekend trailing Riley Dickinson by two points, Yardley’s win swung the momentum — and the standings — firmly in his favor, giving him a 10-point cushion heading into the decisive final race on Sunday including the race two pole position.
“Honestly, I feel the same,” said Yardley after his win.
“Nothing has really changed. We knew going into this weekend that we just have to execute and do our job, and that doesn’t change for tomorrow. I’m just excited to be in a position to fight for a championship. That was the goal coming into this weekend… I’m excited to get back out there.
“After qualifying, it took a little bit of pressure off to be honest. Just get out there and enjoy it, we’re here at an F1 weekend in Austin. Get out there, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the moment, and bring it home tomorrow.”
Yardley got a strong leap at the green flag ahead of his ExxonMobil Pro class competitors, and held the position throughout the 35-minute race that ultimately ended under a yellow flag. Dickinson started fourth but finished third behind Kellymoss teammate Aaron Jeansonne.
Jeansonne is in a championship battle of his own among rookie drivers. His podium finish and a post-race penalty for rival Tyler Maxson widened the gap between the two in Jeansonne’s favor, giving Jeansonne a 26-point gap to wrap up the honor.
Also gaining valuable points on Saturday was Alan Metni in the Solairus Aviation Pro-Am category. Similar to Yardley, Metni gained a double pole position in qualifying and went on for a flag-to-flag win in his Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Metni was 19 points behind championship leader JP Martinez prior to the weekend at COTA – Metni’s hometown track – and the longtime Porsche driver closed the gap to only nine points.
“I need to win tomorrow, need to get the fastest lap and see if we can get a little bit of luck,” said Metni, who finished ninth overall.
“I’ve got friends from work, I’ve got my daughter here. It’s not extra pressure, it’s just extra support, and it feels great. I love it.”
Both Yardley and Martinez can clinch their respective championships with a third-place finish in class, regardless of where their rivals finish.
In a shocking twist in the Solairus Aviation Masters class, champion-elect Scott Blind was the car responsible for the race-ending yellow flag. Blind was solidly in the class lead before running off into the barriers with seven minutes remaining.
Therefore, Todd Parriott brought home a second win for Kellymoss after inheriting the lead despite a difficult qualifying earlier in the day. It was Parriott’s third win of the season and first since Watkins Glen International in June.
“It just finally came to me in the end,” said Parriott. “After the accident at Road Atlanta in Sprint Challenge, it took a while, and all of a sudden it just clicked. About the fourth or fifth lap, it just all started to feel strong.
“The F1 events are fun. This place is great, the stuff they put on – the teams, everybody – it’s just awesome.”
Chris Bellomo was elevated to second place, while despite the incident, Scott Blind finished third.
The final Porsche Carrera Cup North America race of the year is scheduled for Sunday at noon ET prior to the Formula One United States Grand Prix at 3 p.m. ET.
All Carrera Cup races, including replays from Road Atlanta, will be shown live on IMSA and Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube Channels, IMSA TV, Peacock, and the Porsche Motorsport North America social channels on Facebook, Linkedin, Threads and X.
