Porsche Carrera Cup competitors look for ways to break van Berlo win streak

by Thomas Moore

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands – Laguna Seca – Rounds 5 and 6 of 16

Monterey, California. The 34 competitors of the Porsche Carrera North America Presented by the Cayman Islands enter Rounds 5 and 6 with a common goal: break the grasp Kay van Berlo (Netherlands currently living and attending college in Miami, Florida) has on the series. The pair of 40-minute races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca could prove the ideal setting for the field to outduel the points leader. It is the debut event for the premier Porsche one-make series at the track in Monterey, California. While several drivers have seat time in a variety of other racing series in Monterey, van Berlo only has a single weekend under his belt at the 2.238-mile, 11-turn facility. However, he set a new track record (one-minute, 25.640-seconds) on his way to victory lane then. Competitors, all piloting the most current type 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, will have their first opportunity to topple the Kelly Moss juggernaut on Saturday, April 30 at 11:50 a.m. local California time (2:50 p.m. ET) and again on Sunday, May 1 at 8:40 a.m. Pacific (11:40 a.m. ET).

The Entry.

34 Entries. Pro. 13, Pro-Am. 12, Am. 6

Pro Class.

While all cars in the one-make series are created equal, only the No. 3 Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of van Berlo has been able to stand atop the overall podium thus far in the second year of the championship. Van Berlo’s performance has been so strong that he has won each of the first four rounds from pole position and set all but one fastest race lap. Those results have garnered him 111 points out of a possible 112. Challengers have not been lacking however, not even within the Kelly Moss camp itself, as teammate Riley Dickinson (New Braunfels, Texas) has consistently pressured in his No. 53. Entering this weekend, the Texan is the only driver to prevent a perfect point tally by van Berlo having earned the fastest race lap in Round 2 at Sebring International Raceway in March. Parker Thompson (Canada), piloting the No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche, and the No. 6 MDK Motorsports Porsche of Trenton Estep (San Antonio, Texas) have also been early season contenders for podiums and wins in the Pro class. T.J. Fischer (Vacaville, California) stood on the podium at Long Beach with a pair of third-place finishes.

To the Point. Pro Class.

Van Berlo… 111

Thompson… 71

Dickinson… 48

Estep… 48

Keen… 43

Pro-Am Class.

Adding to the Kelly Moss success, Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) comes to the Monterey Peninsula with two victories thus far in 2022 (Sebring, Race 1 and Long Beach Race 1). He also has a second-place in the No. 99 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car (Sebring, Race 2). Justin Oakes (Houston, Texas) secured the first win for Nolasport in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America taking the No. 47 to victory lane in the most recent round, Race 2 at Long Beach. 2021 Pro-Am class champion Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) – driving the No. 65 Kelly Moss Porsche – earned the class win at Sebring in Race 2.

Making his second start in the series is GMG Racing’s Kyle Washington (Indio, California). The driver of the No. 32 competed at Long Beach in both the Porsche Carrera Cup North America and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class. This weekend he will repeat that with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car in Carrera Cup and the Porsche 911 GT3 R racer in the WeatherTech series plus add a third Porsche, a 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

To the point. Pro-Am Class.

Metni… 84

Oakes… 69

Mosing… 66

Castro… 50

Swearingin… 46

Am Class.

Open to drivers 57-years-old and older, the Am class has seen a dominating performance of its own by Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio) in the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche. The veteran racer who is in his rookie season of Carrera Cup but has taken three wins in four races – both rounds at Sebring and Round 4 at Long Beach. Wright Motorsports driver John Goetz (Weston, Connecticut) piloted the No. 57 to a Round 3 win at Long Beach.

To the point. Am Class.

Kvamme… 85

Goetz… 68

Smith… 66

Hanley… 59

McClure… 43

Timing. (all times local to track)

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands.

Friday, April 29 – Practice 1 – 8:30 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

Friday, April 29 – Practice 2 – 12:25 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.

Friday, April 29 – Qualifying – 3:40 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.

Saturday, April 30 – Round 5 – 11:50 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 1 – Round 6 – 8:40 a.m. – 9:20 a.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. IMSA Radio will again provide play-by-play commentary. The races will be broadcast live on the official series web site – www.porschecarreracup.na – and on the Peacock Streaming App.

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, Bob Chapman

04262022