Porsche One-Make Series Sebring Dress Rehearsal Draws Record Entries; Cayman Islands Returns

by Thomas Moore

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands – Sebring International Raceway – Pre-Season Series Test

Sebring, Florida. Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands launched its second year of competition with a pre-season test at Sebring International Raceway, March 7 – 8. A record number of 41 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars, all type 992, warmed-up in an organized dress rehearsal on the 3.75-mile, 17-turn circuit in anticipation of the two season-opening rounds of the 16-race all-Porsche championship, March 15 – 17, at the Sebring, Florida-facility. The two-day test is believed to be the single largest gathering of Porsche one-make cars from a single championship ever assembled.

Caymankind Returns to the Porsche Family.

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) and Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) are also pleased to announce the return of the Cayman Islands as the ongoing title partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America in its second season. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands will continue to connect the leading luxury destination for discerning travelers with the premier German sports car manufacturer at events around the United States and Canada in 2022.

As a title partner, the CIDOT plans to continue both its on-the-ground presence at venues hosting the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands, as well as other broader activations with the series. The partnership again offers one of the most coveted prizes in all of sports: a trip to the Cayman Islands. The champion of each of the three classes (Pro, Pro-Am and Am) will earn a luxury trip to experience the culture shared by residents of the three islands known as “Caymankind”. The season-long championship-winning driver in each of the categories, as well as a guest, will receive a three-night stay at the five-star Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa in the Cayman Islands, airfare and transportation, a visit to the Cayman Islands’ iconic Stingray City and culinary experience at one of the esteemed restaurants in Grand Cayman.

Tom Ludington, U.S. General Manager for the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.

“Porsche Motorsport North America has been a tremendous partner for the Cayman Islands, and we are thrilled to extend this partnership for another year. It has been a pleasure sharing our beautiful destination with the Carrera Cup audience, drivers and community – and we look forward to deepening this strategic partnership and embracing more luxury-minded motorsport fans in Cayman in the future.”

The Entry.

41 Entries. Pro. 14, Pro-Am. 15, Am. 12

16 race teams represented all three classes at the test. Leading the pack in car count with nine cars across three classes was 2021 Team Champion Kelly-Moss Road and Race. Atlanta, Georgia-based Goldcrest Motorsports brought a quartet of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, type 992, race cars to the test with ACI Motorsports (four), Topp Racing (four), JDX Racing (three), Wright Motorsports (three), 311RS Motorsports (two), Irish Mike Racing (two) and MDK Motorsports (two) each fielding multiple cars. BGB Motorsports is back with a one-car team.

Debuting in the championship at the legendary central-Florida track was: Accelerating Performance, Mark Motors Racing, McCann Racing, Nolasport, Octavio and Premier Racing. Each program joins the series with single-entries.

The Times.

16-hours of available open track time offered the 40-plus entries an opportunity to ready their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars for the bumps and surface changes of the legendary central-Florida race track. All sharing the same platform for the first time, the fields across all three classes was remarkably close in the warm but dry conditions with the fastest laps being run in the third of four-sessions. Only the last hour of the test was run in wet conditions. Leading all sessions combined, Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) turned the quickest lap with a time of two-minutes, 2.254-seconds in the No. 53 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. The fourth-place finisher in the 2021 point standings turned his best lap in Session 3 on Tuesday morning. In the Pro-Am class, for drivers 35-years old and older, it was 311 RS Motorsports-entered Porsche driven by Leh Keen (Atlanta, Georgia) who set the quickest lap (2:02.363) in the third-session. The best lap time in the new Am class, for drivers 56-years-of-age or older, was run by Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports. The team new team and driver lapped at 2:04.776, in the fourth and final session on Tuesday afternoon.

Troy Bundy, One-Make and GT Sport Manager, Porsche Motorsport North America.

“The 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands season is shaping-up to exceed our already high expectations both on-track and off. We had a record number of entries for the test at Sebring and anticipate the largest single-region entry list for any Porsche one-make series when we return here for Rounds 1 and 2 on March 16 – 18. The grid numbers is a key indicator that the introduction of Carrera Cup into the North America has been embraced by the teams, competitors and fans.

This success is built with our partners. The return of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism is a perfect example of how matching Porsche with other premier brands benefits all involved. The Cayman Islands has been with us almost from the start of the Carrera Cup North America and we have grown together. They witnessed first-hand the advantages of the relationship and we are pleased to be expanding the partnership with them into the 2022 season.”

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. As with all national Carrera Cups worldwide, the inaugural season of the championship is scheduled to host 16-rounds. 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.

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

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  • Image courtesy of Porsche Cars North America