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Porsche Carrera Cup North America debuts in Canada

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands – Toronto – Rounds 9 and 10 of 16

• Premier one-make series makes Canadian debut.
• Four Canadian drivers on Toronto entry list.
• Streets of Toronto second temporary track of season.
• TAG Heuer backs pole award.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands will make its Canadian debut this weekend at the Indy Toronto. Since its introduction in 2021, the championship has become the premier one-make series in the world regularly drawing the largest fields of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, type 992, race cars on the globe. While the series is in its second season of competition, it is the first time the three-classes that make Carrera Cup have been able to cross the border to fulfill its North American title. The twin 40-minute races will take to the streets of Toronto on Saturday, July 16 and just prior to the IndyCar feature event on Sunday, July 17. Supporting the IndyCar Series for the second time this season, the 17 entries will face the 1.755-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit that winds through the streets of the metropolitan city of Toronto.

Four drivers on the entry list are Canadian citizens. Parker Thompson, who is currently second in the Pro class driver standings, is a native of Red Deer, Alberta. Jeff Kingsley of the Toronto suburb of Ajax is making his first start of the season subbing for Mark Kvamme in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Thomas Collingwood, entered in the No. 69 BGB Motorsports Porsche is from St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador. Marco Cirone will be behind the wheel of the Mark Motors Racing No. 84 on the city streets of his Toronto hometown.

TAG Heuer, a founding partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, will present the TAG Heuer Pole Award to the overall pole position winner at Toronto. This is the first time that the luxury watchmaker has provided the award to the driver who sets the fastest time in Saturday morning’s 30-minute qualifying session.

The Entry.
17 Entries. Pro. 10, Pro-Am. 5 Am. 2
Pro Class.
Ten Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars headline the Porsche Carrera Cup North America in Toronto. The top-four challengers for the Pro class title will face one-another, the cement-lined walls of the street course and the increased pressure of the closing stages of the championship. Kay van Berlo (the Netherlands currently in school in Florida) has driven the No. 3 Kelly Moss machine to six victories in eight starts – including the two most recent rounds at Watkins Glen – to draw 47 points ahead of Canadian Parker Thompson in the No. 9 JDX Racing 911 GT3 Cup car. Thompson’s two wins have given him a 25-point margin over third-place driver of the No. 53 Kelly Moss Porsche Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas). Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) has the No. 6 MDK Motorsports Porsche in fourth-place. Leh Keen (Atlanta, Georgia) drove back into the top-five with his performance at the Glen in the No. 12 311 RS Motorsports Porsche. However, the road racing champion will not make the trip to Canada giving TJ Fischer (Vacaville, California) in the No. 58 Topp Racing Porsche a clear shot at reclaiming the position he held entering rounds seven and eight. Making his first start in 2022 is Jeff Kingsley subbing for Am class points leader Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche. The entry moves into the Pro class by virtue of Kingsley’s age.

Van Berlo controlled the pole positions, fastest race laps and took both wins at Long Beach, California, the only other street circuit on the Carrera Cup schedule.

To the Point. Pro Class.
Van Berlo… 199
Thompson… 152
Dickinson… 127
Estep… 116
Keen… 79

Pro-Am Class.
Five Pro-Am class cars are entered for Saturday and Sunday’s races. Leading the class is Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) with three wins in the No. 99 Kelly Moss machine – including a round on the streets at Long Beach. Narrowing the gap to Metni is his Kelly Moss teammate and 2021 class champion Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) in the No. 65. Castro also has three victories including round eight giving him momentum coming to Toronto. The two leaders will gain substantially on their nearest competitors as positions three through five have not entered to race in Toronto. Only five points behind Castro is Justin Oakes (Houston, Texas) but the one-time winner is not coming to Canada. Fourth-place points holder Curt Swearingin (Chattanooga, Tennessee) and fifth-place Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) will also not race this weekend.

To the point. Pro-Am Class.
Metni… 153
Castro… 124
Oakes… 119
Swearingin… 103
Halcome… 94

Am Class.
Since debuting in the series at Sebring, Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) has controlled the leading edge of the Am class. However, family obligations will keep the winner of five races away from the two rounds in Canada. This will give his nearest challenger, John Goetz (Weston, Connecticut) driving the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche, an opportunity to close the 33 point margin to Kvamme. Bill Smith (Dallas, Texas) will be Goetz’s in-class competition. The pilot of the No. 42 Topp Racing Porsche enters the weekend 34 points out of the class championship lead.

To the point. Am Class.
Kvamme… 172
Goetz… 139
Smith … 138
Hanley … 94
Willingham… 83

Timing. (all times local to track)
Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.
Friday, July 15 – Practice 1 – 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Friday, July 15 – Practice 2 – 1:10 p.m. – 1:40 p.m.
Saturday, July 16 – Qualifying – 9:10 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.
Saturday, July 16 – Round 9 – 3:35 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Sunday, July 17 – Round 10 – 1:35 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Where to Watch.
Live timing and scoring of each Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands session can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us. The races will be broadcast live on the official series web site – www.porschecarreracup.na – and on the Peacock Streaming App. IMSA Radio will again provide play-by-play commentary.

About the Cayman Islands.
The Cayman Islands, located an hour south of Miami in the vibrant tranquility of western Caribbean, is a premier destination for travelers, thrill-seeking divers, adventurous epicures, honeymooners and families alike. The trio of islands affords each guest with the ultimate setting to enjoy life’s finest comforts, as the Caribbean’s leading luxury lifestyle destination. Five-star resorts, high-end villas, condos and breathtaking beachfront properties unique to each island offer a myriad of accommodation options for discerning travelers to enjoy. Additionally, the Cayman Islands is frequently heralded as the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean” and offers endless gastronomic experiences to delight even the most seasoned of palates.

The Cayman Islands, world-renowned for impeccable “Caymankind” hospitality also employs best-in-class health and sanitation protocols to keep visitors and locals safe. To learn more about the Cayman Islands, please go to www.visitcaymanislands.com; www.divecayman.ky or call your local travel agent. For the most up-to-date travel guidance and protocols, please visit: https://www.exploregov.ky/coronavirus.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by The Cayman Islands.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America by The Cayman Islands is the premier one-make race series in the United States and Canada utilizing a combination of the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car, type 992, and MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup N3 racing slick to challenge the best road and street race courses on the continent. The second season of the championship is scheduled to host 16-rounds at eight venues. Each 40-minute race counts toward a season-long driver and team championship in each of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Am.

More on Porsche Carrera Cup North America by The Cayman Islands can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us.

  • Image courtesy of Porsche Motorsport North America.

07132022