Porsche Carrera Cup North America – Page 3

Porsche Carrera Cup NA set for Miami GP

For the first time in its short history, the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will be the featured support race for Formula 1 at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. While this may be the first for North America’s premier single-brand race …

For the first time in its short history, the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America will be the featured support race for Formula 1 at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix.

While this may be the first for North America’s premier single-brand race series, it is far from a first for Porsche. The German sports car manufacturer has a long history with F1. The Porsche Mobil1 Supercup has been acting as the open wheel championship’s primary support series since 1993. The North American series of all Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars will also join F1 to close its 2023 season at the U.S. Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, October 20-22.

A field of 40 cars are entered for Miami. Like the recent GP of Long Beach, this is full capacity for the event based on paddock space. The field includes 21 Pro class entries, 10 in Pro-Am class and nine in the Am class, representing 14 race teams.

Click here for full entry list.

Riley Dickinson, winner of five of the six rounds held thus far, has an 18-point lead over Tom Sargent. Third in points is Will Martin, winner of round six, 31 back from the lead. Marco Cirone and Mark Kvamme lead Pro-Am and Am respectively. Kellymoss tops the team standings while Dickinson tops the Junior ranks.

Porsche Selected Driver Kay van Berlo will make his return to the series in Miami. The two-time series’ runner-up has moved into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class driving for Kellymoss but, as a student at the University of Miami, will return to race in his adopted hometown behind the wheel of the No. 33 Accelerating Performance Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the Pro class.

The Miami International Autodrome is a 3.362-mile, 19-turn road course circling Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Schedule (All times Eastern):

Friday, May 5

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Practice 1

7:25 p.m. – 7:55 p.m. – Practice 2

Saturday, May 6

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Qualifying (all classes)

2:05 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. – Race 1 (40-minute race)

Sunday, May 7

12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Race 2 (40-minute race)

All races air on the Peacock streaming app, IMSA.tv and PorscheCarreraCup.us and are archived at: https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout set for August

PT Autosport continues to receive applications for its second annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, to be held August 1-3 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. The team is dedicated to increasing the presence of junior drivers in the …

PT Autosport continues to receive applications for its second annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, to be held August 1-3 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.

The team is dedicated to increasing the presence of junior drivers in the motorsports industry that come from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Paramount to this mission is creating career development opportunities and forming an educational, competitive, and supportive environment for all team members, allowing them to grow and learn.

PT Autosport has formed a multi-tiered development program that begins with the Aspiring Driver Shootout. The winner will earn a $100,000 racing partnership and join the team’s junior racing program, progressing to an advanced racing series within the team or with one of the team’s operational partners. Ultimately, the goal will be for each driver to graduate to the team’s professional level program, racing in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America series – and beyond.

Team founder and owner Jeph Dais joined the Order of DeMolay (a top international youth leadership organization) when he was 12 years old and saw firsthand the positive effects of investing in deserving young people of diverse economic and ethnic backgrounds. Joining forces with longtime motorsports team executive Jason Myers and driver Alex Sedgwick, PT Autosport is dedicated to giving opportunities to those that otherwise would not have that opportunity and to helping the individuals that we partner with to make their dream of becoming a professional in the motorsports industry come true.

“We’re really positive about this year’s shootout applications,” said Myers, PT Autosport team principal. “We have refined the process and given ourselves a little more time to hopefully reach some of the best candidates out there. We’re not looking for people that are already racing drivers – we’re looking for people who might not have known this was even an option they could pursue, but who dream of a racing career. We’ve been steadily building awareness and exposure, with more applications coming every day, so we’re quite positive that this year is going to be even more successful that our inaugural shootout last year.”

2022 Shootout winner Henry Drury has been working with the team on marketing and digital media efforts while recovering from spinal surgery, following an injury incurred while pursuing a career as an Olympic figure skater. The 22-year-old Londoner will return to racing this summer in the team’s junior racing program.

“As someone who’s been working flat-out for the last five years on making a racing career possible and searching for funding, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that PT Autosport has given me, and to finally be in a position to chase my dream of racing,” said Drury. “I have a delayed start to my season following my surgery, but in the meantime, I’m learning as much as I can from watching Alex at work and maximizing my recovery to hit the ground running once I’m cleared to start driving. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and prove that the team made the right choice, as well as using my season to prove to others with spine injuries that there is still hope after suffering a life-altering injury.”

The team’s flagship racing program, the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North Americas, is off to a flying start. PT Autosport has teamed up with 2022 series champions JDX Racing, with Sedgwick, who also serves as the team’s driver development director, behind the wheel. Sedgwick and the team have earned three top eight finishes in the first four races of the season, including a fifth-place finish at the recent Long Beach Grand Prix. But for Sedgwick, the importance of this season is as much off-track as on-track.

“I’m very excited about what we have the potential to build,” said Sedgwick. “With my experience as a driver coming through the ranks ‘the hard way,’ with no personal funding, I feel it places me in a very unique scenario to be able to help identify and develop those who have what it takes to make a career in motorsport.”

Applications for the 2023 PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout are open until May 15, with the Shootout taking place August 1 to August 3 at NJMP. 888 applications slots are available, with 88 drivers chosen after due diligence. Of those 88, 12 drivers between the age of 18 and 23 will have the opportunity to participate in a competition measuring their fitness, media, interview, problem-solving, teamwork, and racecraft skills. They will vie for the $100,000 driver partnership program which will provide support for the 2024 & 2025 seasons, with awards also going to second and third place (fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers will earn guaranteed entry as a competitor in the 2024 Aspiring Driver Shootout).

PT Autosport’s top tier program takes to the track next week, as the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America races alongside Formula 1 at the F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. Race one takes the green flag Saturday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, with race two Sunday at 12:25pm The race will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

PT Autosport is supported by JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, Renier Construction, PDCA Inc., and Revamp Marketing.

Visit www.DriverShootout.com or www.PTAutosport.com for more info and follow @pt_autosport on Instagram for updates.

Martin earns first win in Porsche Deluxe Carrera North America

Will Martin scored his inaugural win in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America in what was only his fourth start in the category. The win also marked the first of the young season for defending Pro class champion JDX Racing. In an overall …

In an overall battle that covered the top five Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, Martin exchanged the lead with fellow series rookie Tom Sargent in the No. 17 McElrea Racing and points leader Riley Dickinson behind the wheel of the Race 1-winning No. 53 Kellymoss Porsche over the course of the 40-minute event.

“Coming here, I have never done a street circuit before,” said Martin. “It was hard to get used to but we managed very quickly and the team did a great job with the car. I had pressure the whole way through.

“The start of the race was really good. I had a great launch and then on the restart as well. I was really pleased with that. After that it was just a matter of staying consistent and keeping the pressure under control.

“Miami is another street race but I have more confidence going into there. No one has really been to Miami there before, so I have a lot of confidence going into there. It going to be really interesting and a level playing field for me.”

Marco Cirone took the Pro-Am class victory in the No. 82 ACI Motorsports Porsche while Mark Kvamme repeated in the Am class with a win in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche.

“I am thankful that I have Parker [Thompson, 2022 Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America champion] and my teammate Grant Talkie here,” said Cirone. “We went through a ton of video as I have never been here before. They accelerated the learning curve very quickly for me.

“Without them I wouldn’t have been able to do so well. I want to thank Parker, the team ACI, Mark Motors and of course Porsche Motorsport and Michelin.”

Sargent took the early lead over Dickinson and Martin but a yellow flag five minutes into the feature tightened the field. Once the race returned to green flag racing, Dickinson and Martin battled with the Brit sneaking by the Texan and setting the sights of the No. 9 on the No. 17.

Martin would take the lead and, despite several strong attempts to regain the top spot by Sargent, the JDX Porsche returned to the top step of the podium. Sargent was in second place, Dickinson in third while Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama champion Jimmy Libre (Dominican Republic) was in fourth place ahead of Alex Sedgwick (UK) who closed out the top five.

Next up for the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America is Rounds 5 & 6 at the Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 5-7.

All Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America races air on the Peacock streaming app, on IMSA.tv and at PorscheCarreraCup.us before being archived on Porsche Motorsport North America TV: (https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica)

Dickinson continues win streak in Porsche Carrera Cup North America Race 1 at Long Beach

Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America points leader Riley Dickinson took his third-straight Pro class victory in the first of two 40-minute feature races at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The first event for the all-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car …

Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America points leader Riley Dickinson took his third-straight Pro class victory in the first of two 40-minute feature races at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The first event for the all-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car series saw the 20-year-old Texan resist early pressure before pulling away to a pole-to-checkered flag victory in the No. 53 Kellymoss-prepared Porsche.

Unlike the season-opening events, Race 1 at Long Beach had two caution periods, the second ending the race under yellow. The first incident involved John Goetz when the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche was pushed into the flower bed at the famous fountain corner on lap one. He was unhurt but the car was not able to continue. The second incident involved Michael McCarthy, Travis Wiley and Jason Hart with eight minutes remaining in the race. McCarthy’s No. 7 Kellymoss Porsche and Wiley’s No. 77 Topp Racing-entered machine made contact. Wiley continued but the No. 7 was turned backwards against the wall with rear end damage. Hart rounded the corner and made heavy head-on contact with the green and white Porsche. All drivers involved were evaluated and released from the infield care center.

“A bit tricky at the beginning. We fought a bit of understeer with the car,” related Dickinson (middle, above). “I don’t think we were expecting the track conditions to be what they were. The [first] full-course caution helped us quite a bit to get some temperature in the front tires, which is what I needed. When we went back green, we put together a few good laps and grew a gap.

“The full-course caution at the end of the race with my teammate Mike McCarthy was a disappointment. I feel bad for him, and I feel bad for the team. Looking forward to the race tomorrow. It is going to be a little different starting P2 [second starting position] but I am looking forward to building off what we had today.”

Other class winners included Marco Cirone (No. 82 ACI Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) in Pro-Am and Mark Kvamme (No. 42 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) in Am.

“I am thankful that I have Parker [Thompson, 2022 Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America champion] and my teammate Grant Talkie here. We went through a ton of video as I have never been here before,” related Cirone. They accelerated the learning curve very quickly for me. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to do so well. I want to thank Parker, the team ACI, Mark Motors and of course Porsche Motorsport and Michelin. I want to try and do the exact same thing tomorrow.”

“Long Beach is just about survival. Those cement walls are very, very close,” noted Kvamme, who scored his second class win of the season. “That first lap, I just wanted to survive, and I barely survived. I got hit from behind and I rear ended the guy in front of me who rear-ended the guy in front of him. It was a big old stack up at the Fountain. As the old expression goes, in order to finish first, you first must finish. I was just focused on that.”

Race 2 at Long Beach follows at 7:20 p.m. ET.