Porsche Motorsport Weekly Event Notes: Tuesday, March 9, 2021

This Week.
• Verdict Reached. New Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Race Car Is a Winner. • Team Expansion. Team TGM Enters Porsche Carrera Cup North America. • Sonoma SRO. Porsche Customer Teams Score Multiple Victories in SRO America. • New Addition. Legge and Nielsen Announce Full-Season Porsche Program.

Verdict Reached. New Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Race Car Is a Winner.
Following the first of two days of open testing, the verdict on the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car is back. The decision: it is fast, comfortable and ready to race. Making its international customer debut today at Sebring International Raceway, the first race car produced on the type 992 chassis, turned 420 laps (1,571-miles) of testing across 19 cars. 20-year-old Sebastian Priaulx (Great Britain) was the quickest of the drivers on the venerable 17-turn circuit in central Florida with a best time of 2:00.870. The lap was a half-second quicker than his nearest rival, Kelly-Moss Road & Race teammate Kay van Berlo (Netherlands). Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) was third-quickest in the No. 3 Team Hardpoint-EBM Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car in Day One testing. In total, 28 Porsche-built race cars turned laps at Sebring in preparation for the March 18 – 19 series debut of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America to be held the same weekend as the 69th Running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Earmarked as the top contender in Porsche one-make race series around the world, North American entrants received the first 23 examples of the model year 2021 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars produced. Ten of the 4.0 liter, naturally aspirated flat-six engine-powered machines were entered in the Pro class – for professional drivers – while an additional nine were entered in the Pro-Am class for drivers who make their primary living outside of racing. The top-four best times on Monday were turned in Pro entries with Leh Keen (Dublin, Georgia) making his competition return turning a 2:03.647 in the No. 311RS Motorsports Porsche. Three additional Pro class cars are expected to turn their first laps on Tuesday. Two of the new cars were not present for the first test.

It was Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) who broke into the top-five overall with the quickest Pro-Am lap in the No. 99 Kelly-Moss Road & Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car with a time of 2:04.549. Efrin Castro (Palisades Park, New Jersey) was second in the Pro-Am class, tenth-overall, in the No. 10 Team Hardpoint-EBM entry.

Nine previous generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars – type 991.2 – also lapped the circuit in preparation for the twin, 45-minute races to be run next week. The No. 55 Goldcrest Motorsports Porsche driven by Matt Halcome was the quickest in the Pro-Am 991 class with a time of 2:05.214. Halcome’s time was two-seconds quicker than the pole position time set in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car at Sebring in November 2020.

Announced on September 25, 2020, Porsche Carrera Cup North America was 30-years in the making. The premier one-make race series in the United States and Canada utilizes 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. As with all national Carrera Cups worldwide, Porsche, through Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), manages the single-driver per-entry series.

The inaugural season of the championship will host 16-rounds at eight venues in the eastern United States and Canada. Each 45-minute race counts toward a season-long driver and team championship in each of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Pro-Am 991.

Each race will enjoy live streaming accessible through the IMSA app and Porsche Motorsport North America web page (www.PorscheCarreraCup.us).

Daniel Armbruster, President & CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.
“We could not be more pleased with how the first day of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America went. It is testimony to the PMNA team. Additionally, the customer debut of the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car was equally successful. The cars were immediately fast and the teams and drivers showed how professional they are by finding speed right from the start. We still have one full day of testing and I expect each team will leave fully ready to make the car’s competition premiere here next week. We have every expectation that Porsche Carrera Cup North America will prove equal to any Carrera Cup around the world.”

Team Expansion. Team TGM Enters Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Team TGM has announced that it will expand its footprint in Porsche Motorsport with the addition of a Porsche Carrera Cup North America entry in Rounds 1 and 2 of the new one-make series. Ted Giovanis (Highland, Maryland) will pilot a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car (type 991.2) in the Pro-Am 991 class of the series at the season-opening races at Sebring International Raceway on March 18 and 19. The entry into the first-year championship adds to the Porsche 911 GT3 R in the team’s stable. Giovanis, joined by Owen Trinkler, Hugh Plumb and Matt Plumb, competed at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener with the Porsche 911 GT3 R in the GTD class. Additionally, the owner/driver campaigns the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in the International GT Mission Foods GT3 Cup, a series in which he is the 2020 Champion.

Ted Giovanis, Team Principal/Driver, Team TGM Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
“This is an opportunity for me to continue to compete in a Porsche in IMSA competition which I also race in International GT events. The Porsche is a car that I enjoy driving, and I like the idea of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America single-make racing. It’s a unique challenge for drivers to navigate heavy race traffic in similar cars and handle the bumps that Sebring is famous for. I look forward to racing in the Carrera Cup and bringing more hands-on experience which can benefit the entire team.”

Sonoma SRO. Porsche Customer Teams Score Multiple Victories in SRO America.
Porsche customer teams opened the 2021 SRO America race season with a string of victories in each series represented at Sonoma Raceway in California. Porsche scored overall and class victories in each of the three major championships that opened the year on March 5 – 7 at the 2.52-mile race circuit in the California Wine Country of Sonoma.

Leading the way with two victories in the GT America series (single driver, 40-minute events) in the Am class was the No. 45 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Charlie Luck. Luck, a rookie in the series having made the step up from Porsche one-make racing into GT3-spec machines this year, captured second-place overall as well. Two-spots back overall but third-place in the SRO3 class was Kyle Washington behind the wheel of the No. 32 GMG Porsche 911 GT3 R racer. As the series is also open to GT4-spec cars, rookie Adam Adelson piloted the No. 120 Premier Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport to fourth-place in class, the best finishing of the GT4-spec Porsche race cars.

In the GT World Challenge America – two-driver, 90-minute events – Porsche was carried to the podium by Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen in the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R race car entered by Wright Motorsports. The pairing earned a Pro-Am class victory in Race 1 on Saturday and backed it up with a second-place on Sunday,

If there was any doubt the Nolasport is the real deal, the New Orleans-based operation picked-up right where it left off at the end of the 2020 race season scoring two overall victories in the 60-minute, two driver GT4 America races. Matt Travis and Jason Hart combined for overall and Pro/Am class wins. In the Am class, Patrick Byrne and Russell Walker scored a class win, fifth-place overall.

Fred Poordad, Driver, No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“Well that was a heck of a race one, and a great way to start the season at Sonoma Raceway. We struggled with car set up all weekend., but the team put it together for us and gave us a great car. Happy with the outcome of race one, finishing first in Pro/Am. We took our chances and opportunities when we could, and this is a good building block for the season. As for race two, I came out behind the 04 Mercedes, and didn’t have the pace to keep up. That was really the difference. Overall, given how quickly this season came about and how little we tested, I’m happy with my results and the rest of the season. Wright gave us a great car today, and I know they will for the whole season, so it’s up to the drivers.”

Jan Heylen, Driver, No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“We’re here to win the championship, so this is a good start to the season. We had enough pace to win in class in race one, and all that matters is we got the win and we got the points. It was not a perfect race for us but things came our way and it was sell deserved. We stayed out of trouble and gave Fred his first win of the season. Race two was a little more tough, but we did the best with what we had. We finished second and came away as the points leaders, that’s what we’re here for. Overall it was good. We had a good race weekend, especially when you consider we only had one test in the off season. I’m happy with the results and looking forward to Circuit of the Americas.”

Charlie Luck, Driver, No. 45 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“Coming from a Cup series, I didn’t know if I was going to be competitive here. The car is totally different than the Cup car. So a big thanks goes out to Bob Vigilone, John Wright, and Jan Heylen. Those guys have given me such a good set up and have done a great job coaching me, even on nutrition and exercise. The support from my wife, Lisa and our family is incredible. This weekend absolutely exceeded expectation. I didn’t make any major mental mistakes, and in race two, I pushed even harder and was closer to Kurt’s pace than before. I have so much more to learn, and so much more to grow. We’re so fortunate and blessed to do this and get in the cars to compete like this. I think we have a phenomenal start.”

Jason Hart, Driver, No. 47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
“At this point in the weekend I am overwhelmed with thanks and appreciation for this entire program. For Matt's choice in me to the years of trust Nolasport has given me. Driving for a team like this is a dream to be a part of.”

Matt Travis, Driver, No. 47 Nolasport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
“Boom! That just happened! I can't believe it. I'm still in a state of shock. Super appreciative of the Nolasport crew, who gave us an amazing car all weekend.”

SRO America travels to Austin, Texas next for Rounds 3 and 4 of each championship on April 30 – May 4.

New Addition. Legge and Nielsen Announce Full-Season Porsche Program.
Katherine Legge (United Kingdom) and Christina Nielsen (Denmark) will return to the No. 88 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R race car as co-drivers for the full 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) season. The International Women’s Day (March 8) announcement confirms the continuation of a program that began at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January. Legge and Nielsen teamed with Team Hardpoint EBM regulars and co-owners Earl Bamber and Rob Ferriol for a 10th-place finish in the endurance classic as a single-car team. Bamber and Ferriol will drive the No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R during the 2021 season.

Both drivers are familiar with the IMSA paddock beyond the season-opener. Legge has four career IMSA WeatherTech race wins and was the GTD championship runner-up in 2018. Nielsen became the first woman to win a major full-season professional sports car championship in North America with a GTD title in 2016 and is a four-time race winner in the class.

Both the No. 88 Porsche 911 GT3 R and the No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 R return to action for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 17 – 20.

Katherine Legge, Driver, No. 88 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I’m really excited to be joining Team Hardpoint EBM again. I’m really proud to represent both Richard Mille and Team Hardpoint EBM and team with my friend Christina. I think we’ll be a force to be reckoned with. I’m very grateful to be given that opportunity and have to thank VB Enviro Care for helping us to get the program started at Daytona.”

Christina Nielsen, Driver, No. 88 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“I’m looking forward to what will be a different setup with Katherine and I joining forces in our own car and being teammates to Rob and Earl. I’m grateful to the partners we have on board, especially Richard Mille, and to Team Hardpoint EBM and Porsche. I know we’ll have everyone working as a united effort to hopefully achieve some good results.”

Rob Ferriol, Team Owner/Driver, Team Hardpoint EBM.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Katherine and Christina back under the Team Hardpoint EBM banner. The team really gelled at Daytona and they both fit in right away with our crew. We’re looking forward to the challenge of running two cars and representing Porsche and all of our partners throughout the 2021 season, beginning at Sebring.”

*Image courtesy of Porsche Cars North America

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