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Porsche Carrera Cup North America headlines on-track Indy action at Sports Car Together Fest

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Rounds 13 and 14 of 16

• 35 entries for Porsche Sports Car Together Fest headliner.
• NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon teams with Ray Evernham for brief racing return.
• Indy promises intense battles for prestigious Brickyard road course wins.
• Championship battles in all classes up for grabs at penultimate event.
• Porsche Sports Car Together Fest offers action for the whole family.

Indianapolis, Indiana. For the second year, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands will headline Porsche Sports Car Together Fest at the “Racing Capital of the World”, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Rounds 13 and 14 of the 16 race second season of the world’s premier one-make race series will enjoy 35 entries across its three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Am. Included on the impressive list of Porsche racers is NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana. With only four races remaining in its sophomore season, championship battles are raging across all three classes.

The September 2 – 4 weekend will see not only the Porsche one-make racing series, including four races of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, but all things Porsche. The Labor Day weekend event will celebrate the German sports car manufacturer’s long history of performance road and race cars, along with trackside activities for families and fans of all ages.

Utilizing portions of the legendary oval that has hosted 106 Runnings of the Indianapolis 500, the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course winds its way through the infield before crossing the “Yard of Bricks” start-finish line. Race one will take the green flag on Saturday, September 3 at 3:15 p.m. ET/12:15 p.m. PT. Race two will start at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, September 4 as the final competition of Sports Car Together Fest.

All classes utilize the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car. The 500 hp rear engine, naturally aspirated competition machine is almost mechanically identical to the road going Porsche 911 GT3 that will pace the field for both 40-minute races.

The Entry.
35 Entries. Pro. 16, Pro-Am. 13 Am. 6
Pro Class.
A grid of 16 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars make up the Pro class, the top category of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, at Indianapolis. The most recent weekend at Road America tightened the battle at the sharp end of the series significantly when points leader Kay van Berlo (the Netherlands currently studying in Florida) finished off the podium in race one and failed to finish race two in the No. 3 Kelly-Moss Porsche. Instead, his most heated rivals Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) piloting the No. 6 MDK Motorsports machine and Parker Thompson (Canada) in the No. 9 JDX Racing 911 GT3 Cup car won the two rounds respectively. While the three top the class points leaders are the only ones with wins on the season to date, just behind are Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) in the No. 53 Kelly-Moss entered car and T.J. Fischer (Vacaville, California) in the No. 58 Topp Racing entry. Both are eager to take their first win in the hallowed halls of Indy.

Included in the Pro class is four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon who will briefly step out of retirement to race the No. 24 Hendrick Performance Group-entered Porsche. The three-time Daytona 500 winner will be a reunited with longtime and storied crew chief Ray Evernham. It marks the first time the championship-winning combination has teamed together since 1999. Gordon will race in the Pro class but will be technically considered an Invitational class driver and not eligible for points toward the Pro class championship.

To the Point. Pro Class.
Van Berlo… 248
Thompson… 232
Estep… 216
Dickinson… 176
Fischer… 92

Pro-Am Class.
At 13, the Pro-Am class has one if its largest grids of the season for Indianapolis. Like the Pro class, Road America threw more speculation into the mix of who would come out as champion at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta finale in just over a month. Like 2021, Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) remains at the top of the standings coming into Sports Car Together Fest but with growing pressure from behind. The three-time winner in 2022 had a second-place finish in the first race at Road America but his Kelly-Moss No. 99 only scored five points in the second race after damage. Behind him, after three straight wins, 2021 class champ Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) earned only a total of 14 points on the weekend with the No. 65 Kelly-Moss car. This set the stage for Marco Cirone (Canada) to add both Road America wins in the No. 84 Mark Motors Racing Porsche and closed to within 59 points of Metni. Curt Swearingin (Chattanooga, Tennessee) in the No. 17 ACI Motorsports Porsche sits in fourth-place with a surging Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) moving into the top five.

To the point. Pro-Am Class.
Metni… 215
Castro… 188
Cirone… 156
Swearingin… 132
Halcome… 128

Am Class.
The Am class has been the most active in swapping points positions in the last several rounds. While No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche of Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) controlled the early season, missing rounds nine and ten pushed the motorsport veteran but Carrera Cup rookie out of the top spot. Bill Smith’s two wins in the No. 42 Topp Racing Porsche moved the resident of Dallas, Texas to the lead. However, an at-home injury forced Smith to miss Road America. By returning to form with two wins at Road America, Kvamme took over the top spot again and a second place finish by John Goetz (Weston, Connecticut) moved the No. 57 Wright Motorsports Porsche into second-place entering Indy. All three are entered for Sports Car Together Fest as is Grady Willingham (Birmingham, Alabama) in the No 21 Goldcrest Motorsports Porsche who sits in fourth-place.

To the point. Am Class.
Kvamme… 222
Goetz… 219
Smith … 188
Willingham… 105
Hanley … 94

Timing. (all times ET)
Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.
Friday, September 2 – Practice 1 – 11:10 a.m. – 11:50 p.m.
Friday, September 2 – Practice 2 – 3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.
Saturday, September 3 – Qualifying – 10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Saturday, September 3 – Round 13 – 3:15 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.
Sunday, September 4 – Round 14 – 1:30 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.

Where to Watch.
Broadcasts as well as live timing and scoring of each Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands round can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us. The races will also be streamed live on the official series web site, on the Peacock Streaming App as well as on IMSA.TV. IMSA Radio provides play-by-play commentary.

Porsche Sports Car Together Fest.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by the Cayman Islands will headline the racing action on the track while multiple aspects of the Porsche automotive and sports culture will entertain and educate Porsche fans and casual attendees alike at the three-day end of summer event. Sports Car Together Fest will play host to multiple activities off the track as well including the:

• World’s largest gathering of Porsche GT cars. A special exhibition area dedicated to what is expected to be the largest gathering of highest performance models developed by Porsche.

• Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge. For the second consecutive year, Porsche dealerships are invited to return a beloved Porsche sports car from the 1950s to 2000s back to its original glory.

• The Porsche Esports Challenge USA. In-person and online qualifiers will race for part of a $30,000 purse and real world driving experiences at a North American Porsche Experience Center. The top 12 drivers will be competing for the title on Saturday, September 3 in the Sports Car Together Fest Fan Zone.

• Lifestyle. The Porsche Sports Car Together Fest doesn’t only revolve around the car culture, it is a family-focused weekend. Porsche-centric events, programs, activities and displays around the facility include artists creating themed works, health and wellness activities for the entire family to participate in and more. Bringing in aspects of its sports and lifestyle experiences, Sports Car Together Fest is an event the entire family and fans of all ages can enjoy.

Several ticketing options will be available highlighted by special pricing for students. Special options for Porsche GT car owners are also available as the event is looking to become the world’s largest gathering of Porsche GT cars and a spotlight on the 50th anniversary of the 911 RS model. Students will receive special pricing on-site when a student idea is shown.

Tickets are available for pre-event purchase at: https://porsche-ezentrum.us/sctf22 .

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

08302022