Speedway, IN – January 17th, 2025 | BRM Chronographes, the esteemed French luxury watchmaker renowned for its groundbreaking designs and unwavering commitment to precision engineering, proudly announces its return to the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and USA West Championship as the Official Championship Chronograph.
With a rich heritage deeply intertwined with motorsports, BRM Chronographes eagerly joins forces with the Porsche Sprint Challenge, a premier racing series known for its adrenaline-charged action and relentless pursuit of excellence. The brand’s timepieces, crafted with unparalleled technical precision and eschewing mass production, epitomize the pinnacle of luxury lifestyle.
BRM Chronographes is synonymous with individuality, exemplified by its bespoke Porsche Sprint Challenge-designed timepieces. The brand has cultivated global relationships within the elite circles of racing, establishing a presence in over 20 countries.
Kevin Miller, CEO of United States Auto Club, expressed his enthusiasm: “BRM Chronographes epitomizes the spirit of precision and performance that Porsche champions. We are delighted to welcome them as a partner of the Porsche Sprint Challenge. Together, we will continue to deliver unforgettable experiences for drivers in the Porsche Sprint Challenge.”
Frédéric Gasser, President of BRM Chronographs Americas “As President of BRM Chronographs Americas, I’m proud to partner with the Porsche Sprint Challenge, uniting precision, passion, and performance in motorsport and watchmaking.”
As a testament to their commitment, BRM will present custom Championship timepieces to Class Champions from the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and USA West. Each bespoke Chronograph will feature personalized Porsche Sprint Challenge branding, commemorating their 2025 Championship victory.
The championship model boasts automatic movement, a stainless steel case with a red dial accented by white hands and the Porsche Sprint Challenge logo at 6 o’clock, a screw-down crown, and a sapphire crystal front and back. Enhancing its allure are features like an alcantara strap and customizable options for hands color, dial font, tachymeter color, lacquer additions to the case, and more, reflecting BRM Chronographes’ commitment to personalization and luxury.
In alignment with the sponsorship, BRM Chronographes will showcase its exquisite timepieces at Porsche Sprint Challenge events, offering enthusiasts a firsthand encounter with the brand’s craftsmanship and sophistication.
The collaboration between BRM Chronographes and the Porsche Sprint Challenge heralds a union of two iconic brands in motorsports, poised to elevate the championship experience and create enduring memories for drivers and fans alike.
After a highly successful inaugural season, Porsche Endurance Challenge North America is set to return in 2025 with exciting new venues, race distances, and an updated class structure attracting the nation’s top Porsche racers.
Last year’s inaugural championship featured three one-hour races culminating with a six-hour championship decider at Circuit of The Americas.
For 2025, two of America’s most prestigious endurance racing venues, Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta, will join the calendar for the first time.
The updated race format will feature a season-opening two-hour battle at Sebring followed by a pair of 90-minute races at California’s Sonoma Raceway and Circuit of The Americas in Texas.
The championship will conclude at Road Atlanta with a four-hour contest to determine who claims the championship prize. As in 2024, the championship is open to racers competing with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine as well as the Porsche 718 Cayman RS Clubsport.
The opening season of the championship featured four different winners in the GT3 Cup class, with JTR Motorsport Engineering’s Anthony McIntosh taking the prize.
The Cayman championship was won by Kellymoss’ Michael Clark, who teamed with Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro champion Dutchman Loek Hartog.
For 2025, both the GT3 Cup and Cayman divisions will feature both Pro-am and Am classes.
All four 2025 races will take place on the same weekend as rounds of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America presented by Yokohama – allowing teams and drivers to use the same car in both sprint and endurance competition.
“The inaugural season of Porsche Endurance Challenge North America was a massive success, and we are really looking to grow the championship even further in 2025,” said Volker Holzmeyer, Porsche Motorsport North America President and CEO.
“We have worked closely with our teams, our drivers, and our sanctioning body, USAC, to gain valuable insight and feedback about how we can make the championship even bigger and better.
“We’re placing a greater emphasis on the ‘endurance’ part of the name for 2025 with tweaks to the race lengths and formats, with the shortest race now extended from an hour to 90 minutes.
“Adding two iconic endurance racing venues like Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta, also makes the series even more attractive to our competitors.
“We’re very proud of Porsche’s incredible history in endurance racing. This type of motorsport really defines what the brand is all about.
“The Porsche Endurance Challenge North America will play a key role in not only developing young drivers who are looking to climb their way up the Porsche pyramid into IMSA, SRO and FIA WEC, but also giving a great opportunity to our Pro-am and Am drivers to be able to compete in the same event with their driving coach.”
2025 Porsche Endurance Challenge North America
February 28 – March 2: Sebring International Raceway – 120 minutes
April 4-6: Sonoma Raceway – 90 minutes
May 16-18: Circuit of The Americas – 90 minutes
September 12-14: Road Atlanta – 240 minutes
Porsche Endurance Challenge North America Fast Facts
What better way to win a championship than taking the win in the final double-points race of the year – that’s exactly what JTR’s Anthony McIntosh (GT3 Cup) and Kellymoss racers Michael Clarke and Loek Hartog (Cayman) did in the final round of the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America.
The four-round championship came to a conclusion with a six-hour battle at Circuit of the Americas yesterday, with more than 50 of the top Porsche racers in the country doing battle.
McIntosh teamed with 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Parker Thompson and recent Sonoma Raceway winner Aaron Jeansonne to take the win.
The JTR Motorsport Engineering crew pulled off a master strategy stroke of actually taking a longer pitstop – remarkably pushing them to victory lane.
“T Mac did an awesome job. Our MacIntosh Porsche 992 handled great. Everybody at JTR did a fantastic job. Our engineer Chris Bowman comes in for his first race and calls an absolute stunner of a race,” Thompson said.
The maximum stint length for the race was 60 minutes. The JTR crew actually held Thompson in the pit for a longer stop than the mandatory minimum until the clock had ticked past 60 minutes to go. Had they left at the end of the scheduled stop – they would have been forced to make an additional pit stop before the checkered flag.
“Our guys on the stand were constantly battling back and forth, challenging each other, pulling up the rule book,” McIntosh said.
“They had highlighted sections of the rule book and took pictures of it with their cameras. And they’re like, okay, if this comes down, we’re good. This is going to be our argument. This is argument A, B, and C.
“When they held him in the pit, I really didn’t even understand what was going on but the guys did a phenomenal job.”
After winning round three of the championship in a solo effort at Sonoma Raceway, Jeansonne completed a unique back-to-back pair of wins.
“Sonoma felt great, but to do this in a longer race, something more unfamiliar with great teammates like Parker and Tony, couldn’t feel better,” Jeansonne said.
“I’m really grateful to be part of this. And I’ve learned so much being with these guys this weekend.”
The victory was even more remarkable considering the team lost radio contact with the car early in the race – having to revert to a pit board and hand signals to try to communicate with the car.
Pole sitter BR Racing crossed the line in second place with Blake McDonald joined by 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion Riley Dickinson and fellow Porsche hot-shot Trent Hindman.
Road America Endurance Challenge winner Charlie Hayes finished third alongside Reinhold Krahn and Thomas Merrill.
In the Cayman class, Kellymoss racer Michael Clarke added to his Porsche Sprint Challenge North America title with an Endurance Challenge title with teammate Loek Hartog – the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship.
Clarke brought out the big guns for the COTA weekend – bringing Hartog’s fellow Dutchman – Kay van Berlo on board to complete the powerful trio.
“It was great. It was a long one, but the car held up well, and the team did a fantastic job getting it all set up and ready to go,” Clarke said.
“I was a little rough on my second stint, luckily, I cleaned it up on my third. I just kind of had to stay in contention and not mess up too much.
“My Dutch boys (Loek Hartog and Kay van Berlo) were incredible and drove the wheels off that car. So it was great.
“I have to say a huge thank you to Porsche. This has been a fantastic series, and it’s a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to next year.”
After finishing second in the final race of the year, Patrick Dempsey and Porsche legend Patrick Long took second place in the overall standings. The pair were joined at COTA by rallycross ace, Extreme E racer, TV host and stunt driver Tanner Foust.
Kellymoss also took third in the Cayman battle with William Peluchiwski joined by the experienced duo of Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell.
Remarkably, the race featured only a single yellow flag period. All three cars on the podium in both classes finished on the lead lap.
This weekend’s Porsche Endurance Challenge Circuit of the Americas 6 Hour features a “who’s who” of Porsche stars, including four drivers who have launched their careers via massive success in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
Between the four of them, these racers have won an incredible 63 percent of all Porsche Carrera Cup North America races between them.
In addition, the quartet has three championship victories and one holds the record for the most wins in series history.
All four will be behind the wheel this weekend for the final round of the inaugural Porsche Endurance Challenge, which will feature a six-hour battle at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
The “Fantastic Four” includes Dutchman Kay van Berlo, who holds the record for the most Carrera Cup wins with 13, plus championship winners Parker Thompson, Riley Dickinson, and this year’s champ, Loek Hartog.
Van Berlo – who also took the GT4 America Pro-Am title with ACI Motorsports’ boss Curt Swearingin this year – will join forces with fellow Dutchman Hartog this weekend as the duo drive alongside Kellymoss Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama champion Michael Clark.
Hartog clinched the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro championship this year at Indianapolis in what was the most competitive championship battle yet staged. Six different drivers visited victory lane in the Pro class this year, but Hartog’s consistency and seven wins earned him the crown.
Van Berlo, Hartog, and 2023 series champion Riley Dickinson all have one thing in common – they have taken the Kellymoss “Racing for Children’s” entry to championship success.
Last year, Dickinson scored the most dominant title win in series history, recording an impressive 11 victories from 16 races. The performance earned him a spot alongside van Berlo as a Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver.
He continued his winning ways in 2024 in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. Joined by former Carrera Cup teammate Michael McCarthy – the duo opened the season with a victory at Daytona International Speedway and completed the year with another win at Road Atlanta.
Dickinson will race the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry for BR Racing’s Blake McDonald. The pair will be joined by another Porsche star, Trent Hindman who also took two Michelin Pilot Challenge series wins this year for RS1.
Canadian Parker Thompson earned his Carrera Cup championship win in 2022 for JDX Racing, when he won three of the final six races to clinch the title.
Thompson has been a regular in this year’s Porsche Endurance Challenge North America alongside Anthony McIntosh in the No.224 JTR Motorsports Engineering entry.
The pair will be joined this weekend by Aaron Jeansonne, who impressed in his Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama debut this year. Jeansonne contested the final two weekends of the series and recorded a third, a second, and a win in his first three races.
This Sunday’s Porsche Endurance Challenge North America Circuit of the Americas can be seen live on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel as well as on X, Facebook and Linkedin.
In anticipation of the conclusion of the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America championship at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) next month, Dempsey-Wright Motorsports has announced the addition of Tanner Foust to the driver lineup of the No. 98 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, joining Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Long to the season finale event.
“It’s an incredible honor to be invited as the third driver for this powerhouse motorsports duo,” said Foust. “Pat Long and Patrick Dempsey are two of my personal heroes; they are both extremely inspirational on and off the track. To top it off, we’re hitting the iconic COTA circuit in a Wright Motorsports-prepped Porsche GT4—it doesn’t get much better than that! What makes this even more special is that, after more than 25 years in racing, this will be my official debut in an officially sanctioned sports car race.”
As a professional racing driver, stunt driver, and television host, Foust needs little introduction. The 51-year-old holds multiple championship titles in Formula Drift, Global Rallycross, and the Americas Rally Cross Championship. He holds various national championships and world records and has held four X Games gold medals. The Circuit of The Americas event will be his first foray into the world of sanctioned sports car racing, a welcome new arena for the world-record holder to conquer with Dempsey and Long.
“I’m absolutely blown away that Tanner is going to be racing with us,” said Patrick Dempsey. “He has such an incredible range as a driver. It’s remarkable that he’s not done any endurance racing, so to have him on board with us is really exciting and inspiring. Not only is he a talented driver, but he’s also such a great human being highly intelligent, great sense of humor and so kind and down to earth and just wonderful to be around.”
“I have so much respect for Tanner,” said Long. “This will be a lot of fun. A big theme of this program is going racing with people we all enjoy being around and Tanner is an amazing driver and an even better human.”
After three 60-minute rounds, the upcoming six-hour endurance event will provide the trio the perfect opportunity to showcase their skill, aided by the multi-championship winning sports car racing team. Dempsey and Long are currently second in the Cayman GT4 RS CS championship standings, following a successful three rounds. They started the season off strong at COTA with a second-place finish in round one and a fifth-place in round two. They’ll be riding the momentum of their third-place finish at Sonoma Raceway as they head into round four.
The No. 98 Dempsey-Wright Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport is supported by esteemed partners Porsche Motorsport North America, Mobil 1, Hagerty, Dream Drives for Kids, RAFA Racing Club, and Yokohama.
The November 22-24 event will not be open to the public, but the event will stream live for free on porschesprint.com on November 24th at 10:30 AM CT.
Additionally, race fans worldwide will get to experience the journey as part of a four-episode docuseries, Back on Track, debuting November 11 on the Hagerty YouTube and Samsung TV Plus channels.
“Motorsports nirvana occurs at the intersection of human performance and mechanical excellence,” said Larry Webster, Senior Vice President of Media and Editorial for Hagerty. “Patrick Dempsey, Patrick Long and Tanner Foust each embody this spirit both on and off the track — racing from a place of passion in pursuit of victory.”
With the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama season officially in the record books, the series today announced the schedule for both the North American and USA West championships.
The upcoming calendar – which features six events for USA West and seven events for the fifth season of the North America championship – reflects remarkable venue stability for both championships, while also introducing a new circuit and a new challenge for competitors at the season finale.
Also, after great success with joint events in 2024, North America and USA West will come together another three times in 2025.
Throughout 2025, the race structures will remain the same, with two rounds per weekend and races lasting 35 minutes plus one lap in duration.
As it has for multiple seasons, Sebring International Raceway will host the opening doubleheader for Porsche Sprint Challenge North America on February 28 – March 2.
This will be three weeks prior to the season opener for USA West at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, located just outside Las Vegas, on March 21 – 23.
Sonoma Raceway – which the series just visited for its 2024 season finale last month – will host the first joint weekend of 2025 on April 4 – 6.
Next, there will be back-to-back events where the two championships share the track, with Circuit of The Americas hosting the third round for both North America and USA West on May 16 – 18.
The busy month of May will continue for USA West as the series heads to Utah Motorsports Campus for Round 4 on May 30 – June 1 before a nearly two-month hiatus ahead of its fifth round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on July 25 – 27.
The North American series has an identical break after May’s race in Austin, Texas, and returns to track at VIRginia International Raceway on July 11 – 13. The series picks up the pace the following month with two events – the first at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on August 8 – 10 and Watkins Glen International in Upstate New York on August 29 – 31.
As a final test for the teams and drivers, the North American and USA West titles will wrap up at Road Atlanta, which hosts the season finale on September 12 – 14.
Full calendars are listed below, and all Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama races stream live and are archived on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube Channel.
February 28 – March 2: Sebring International Raceway
April 4 – 6: Sonoma Raceway*
May 16 – 18: Circuit of The Americas*
July 11 – 13: VIRginia International Raceway
August 8 – 10: Road America
August 29 – 31: Watkins Glen International
September 12 – 14: Road Atlanta*
March 21 – 23: Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch
April 4 – 6: Sonoma Raceway*
May 16 – 18: Circuit of The Americas*
May 30 – June 1: Utah Motorsports Campus
July 25 – 27: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
September 12 – 14: Road Atlanta*
*Joint event with North America and USA West
Sonoma Raceway was doubly significant for Porsche competitors, as the track hosted the Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama finale and the third round for the Porsche Endurance Challenge. The track in Northern California wrapped up seven rounds for Sprint Challenge’s North American series and six rounds for its counterpart USA West series.
While Sprint Challenge action concluded this past weekend, the Endurance Challenge continues on with one round remaining later this year at Circuit of The Americas on November 22-24.
In a solo effort, Aaron Jeansonne won the third Porsche Endurance Challenge event of the season in a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup after starting third and managing traffic throughout the hour-long race.
Jeansonne cycled to the lead after the mandatory pit stop and finished more than three seconds ahead of the rest of the class.
BR Racing, with polesitter Blake McDonald and co-driver Riley Dickinson, finished second after Dickinson used the lapped traffic to make a pass for the runner-up spot.
The BR Racing squad wound up third after the pit stops behind JTR Motorsports Engineering and Anthony McIntosh, but the two cars diced between lapped cars in the closing minutes, with Dickinson taking the spot and McIntosh finishing third.
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport finish came down to the final corners, with Rafa Racing Team by JDX finishing 1-2 and Ian Porter leading the way. The team swept both races in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America earlier in the weekend and Porter found himself once again holding off teammate Caroline Candas by mere car lengths.
The two similarly navigated traffic – with Porter having a close call that allowed Candas to close in – but the two crossed the finish line ahead of the Wright Motorsports Porsche driven by Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Long.
Porsche Endurance Challenge North America – Race Results
In the Sprint Challenge North America finale, Jared Thomas was crowned the 992 GT3 Cup Pro-Am champion and sealed his success with a victory on Sunday. The JTR Motorsports Engineering driver tallied eleven wins in 2024 en route to the title.
While Thomas was victorious in Race 2, it was Aaron Jeansonne who snatched the Race 1 win – and his first overall – on Saturday with two minutes remaining. Paul Bocuse finished runner-up in both 992 GT3 Cup races at Sonoma, his eighth and ninth of the season. His MDK Motorsports teammate Conrad Geis finished third in Race 1, and Ashley Freiberg finished third in Race 2.
In the 992 GT3 Cup Masters class, the battle between Scott Blind and Mark Boden was down to a narrow 14 points entering the weekend.
However, Blind finished with two podiums to capture the title for Ruckus Racing.
Northern California driver Kayden Kelly with Throttle Therapy Motorsports won both races at Sonoma – the team’s first appearance with the series this year – while Rob Walker also finished on the podium Saturday and Sunday.
In the 991 GT3 Cup class, Niels Meissner secured the title at the drop of the green flag on Sunday with the Kellymoss team. He went on for the win the same day, while Tony Malito and Thomas Herb took second and third-place, respectively, in the championship.
Ian Porter added ‘Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Champion’ to his resume alongside ‘Call of Duty Champion’ with a victory on Saturday at Sonoma.
He and teammate Caroline Candas split the Porsche 718 Cayman RS GT4 Clubsport wins of the weekend, with Candas taking advantage of her pole position on Sunday to do so. Loni Unser finished third place in both races and ended the season with four consecutive podium finishes.
In the Cayman GT4 Clubsport Masters class, Michael Clarke earned the class championship with Kellymoss while Patrick Dempsey scored his inaugural win in the Sprint Challenge series. Dempsey was at the front in both races, but finally stood atop the podium in Race 2 after lengthy battles with William Peluchiwski.
Peluchiwski, Bill Fenech and Daniel Ammann all scored podium finishes of their own at Sonoma, while Clark capped off his championship efforts with a third-place result on Sunday.
Porsche Sprint Challenge North America GT3 Cup Results – Race 1 and Race 2
Porsche Sprint Challenge North America 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Results – Race 1 and Race 2
The final races for Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West ended in identical fashion at Sonoma, featuring restarts with seven minutes remaining for competitors to fight to the checkered flag.
Blake McDonald with BR Racing was poised for a weekend sweep and made his way to Victory Lane on Sunday, but a starting penalty in Race 1 took him from the lead with just minutes remaining.
Anthony McIntosh took advantage for the class win, his second of the season, ahead of Patrick Mulcahy in second and James Li in third. McIntosh was the only driver with a double podium in USA West at Sonoma, finishing third on Sunday behind Casey Dennis who powered to second place. However, McDonald went on to win the class championship by more than 100 points.
Meanwhile, Kevin Woods collected two wins at Sonoma en route to his USA West Masters championship also with BR Racing, finishing seven seconds in the lead on Saturday and two seconds on Sunday.
Woods started both races from pole position and finished ahead of Kyle Washington and Laura Ely in Race 1. Reinhold Krahn and Dmitri Novikov completed the podium on Sunday.
OTTO WERKS teammates Eli Kogan and Richard Kinsey won their two respective Cayman GT4 Clubsport races of the weekend, with Kinsey leading the way in the Masters class. Kogan was the undisputed champion in his category, while Michael Gaulke was the 2024 title winner in Masters.
Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West Results – Race 1 and Race 2
The Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama season has concluded, but one race remains for Porsche competitors to join in for a final endurance event of the year.
Circuit of The Americas will host an unprecedented six-hour enduro for Porsche Endurance Challenge North America on November 22 – 24, with details available at www.porschesprint.com.
Porsche Sprint Challenge race replays are available on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel
Imagine living every boy’s dream, growing up to make a living playing video games or driving race cars.
For Ian Porter, he doesn’t have to imagine – beginning with the 2024 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America presented by Yokohama, the RAFA Racing by JDX driver has done both.
In Porter’s previous life, he was known by his gamer tag of Crimsix. Porter began his professional life playing Halo in Major League Gaming. When the series dropped Halo, Porter made the previously unheard-of switch to a new game, Call of Duty. That’s essentially the esports equivalent of moving from road racing to dirt ovals.
Porter and his respective teams captured World Championships in 2014, 2017, and 2020, with Porter earning World Championship MVP honors in the 2020 season and a 2015 X Games gold medal. His 38 tournament wins make him the winningest player in Call of Duty history.
But by 2022, Porter had been in the first-person shooter world for 13 years – since he was 15. He was ready for a new challenge. And like anyone who had already lived one dream, that started with an important question – what was he passionate about?
Porter had acquired a sports car for the street and had become especially fond of Porsches. He began attending track day events, where he met up with the team at RAFA Racing, which sent him down a new career path.
With the RAFA Racing Team and Grid Finder backing him, Porter began training for a season that required him to “touch grass” outside instead of on the computer. Porter underwent rigorous pre-season physical and mental training with RAFA Racing, dropping 30 pounds as he got into race shape.
The results were immediate. He swept the opening weekend at Sebring in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport but fell in the second weekend at Barber to the more experienced Chloe Chambers.
He showed his progression later in the series when he topped Chambers and the rest of the field at Road America in her return, giving him nine wins in 12 races to open his career in Cayman Pro-Am and giving him a stronghold on the championship with just two races at Sonoma to go.
“The season has gone really well,” Porter said.
“Coming into it, I had no idea how fast I was. I’d never even timed any laps. Barber was a big hurdle. I got second, but during the test day my times were not fast. To come out and barely lose to Chloe and then win the next two at COTA was crazy.
“COTA was the turning point. Now, the expectation was to win every race. Considering where I was before the season started, it was a massive achievement.”
For good measure, he also won the class in the Porsche Endurance Challenge, driving solo against pros.
Even for Porter, who sets his expectations high, this season has exceeded his expectations. The work “IRL” (as the gamers say) and on the sim have merged to make him better at both.
“I think I’m significantly better than I was at the start of the season,” Porter said.
“There are a lot of things that I learned in real life that helped in the sim, and vice versa. I’m probably half a second quicker in general than I was a few months ago.”
Racing with RAFA Racing by JDX and now reunited with his old esports team, OpTic Gaming, he’s filling his time creating content online and improving daily.
None of that takes away from his ultimate goal, which is utilizing Porsche Sprint Challenge to launch a career in motorsports that takes him to the top.
“This Porsche Sprint Challenge season has been a significant step,” Porter says confidently.
“Its my first year racing and to come out and win a whole bunch of races, its setting me on the right path for what I want to do moving forward.”
Neither Porter nor his hundreds of thousands of social media followers have any doubts he’ll continue to succeed, both in his short-term goal to clinch the Porsche Sprint Challenge Cayman Pro-Am title and beyond.
Road America was once again a bustling site for the Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama series, which brought together its North America and USA West championships for a joint event at Elkhart Lake. Additionally, the fan-favorite track played host to the second of four Porsche Endurance Challenge North America races in its inaugural season of competition.
Across the three championships – which totaled to seven races on the weekend – more than 100 Porsches took to the longest racetrack on the circuit at 4.048-miles, all battling for points as the 2024 season nears its end.
Emerging victorious in the second round of Porsche Endurance Challenge North America was Charlie Hayes in a solo driving effort aboard the No. 233 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup. The Charlie Hayes Racing squad elected to delay its mandatory pit stop as others planned the opposite, and Hayes cycled to the lead as a result.
He kept the lead and went on for the win, but faced fierce pressure from Nik Romano – whose Porsche he shared with Therese Lahlouh – which was on the same strategy. Fresh from her first Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama podium at Watkins Glen, Lahlouh again impressed to run at the front before handing over to here teammate.
Romano loomed large in Hayes’ mirrors in the closing laps, but could not prevail before the checkered flag. Elliott Skeer and Aaron Jeansonne finished third to make it a double podium for Charlie Hayes Racing.
The Cayman Pro-Am class struck trouble immediately at the drop of the green flag. A hard, multiple-car collision on the front stretch brought out a lengthy red flag. The hour-long race was delayed until just before the 30-minute mark – while the drivers thankfully were uninjured – several cars and the Road America pit wall were heavily damaged.
Despite the wreckage at the start, the remaining Cayman competitors settled in during the race and it was Ian Porter with Rafa Racing Team by JDX who also captured the win in a standalone effort. The duo of Michael Clark and Loek Hartog scored the runner-up position with Rob Walker in third.
Porsche Endurance Challenge North America – Race Results
Jared Thomas notched his eighth and ninth wins of 2024 in the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup class, and did so with fun “intersquad” flair particularly on Sunday. After sailing to the win on Saturday from pole position – and in a new racecar after an incident in the last round at Watkins Glen International – Thomas battled door-to-door for the lead with series newcomer Aaron Jeansonne (Charlie Hayes Racing).
Thomas, owner of JTR Motorsports Engineering, fields Jeannsonne’s entry in a separate single-make series and was sure to show off his Porsche skills to his protégé. Thomas made a switch back move on Jeansonne about 10 minutes into the sprint race, looking to his outside before diving to the inside, to make the winning pass.
In his Sprint Challenge debut, Jeansonne finished on the podium twice with third place on Saturday and second place on Sunday behind his team boss. He swapped podium spots with Paul Bocuse, who finished second in Race 1 and third in Race 2 for MDK Motorsports.
Scott Blind with Ruckus Racing made significant strides in his fight for the 992 Masters class championship with a win and runner-up finish. Blind entered Road America just 21 points behind Mark Boden, whose best finish this weekend was third. Blind’s second-place result on Saturday came behind part-timer Peter Atwater, while Kyle Washington and Rob Walker also took home podium trophies.
In the 991 GT3 Cup class, Dimitri Dimakos with Honey Badger Motorsports scored both victories, although the true championship battle was between podium finishers Niels Meissner and Tony Malito. The pair were separated by only 19 points ahead of Road America, and Meissner finished one position ahead of Malito in both rounds.
In the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport class, Endurance Challenge winner Ian Porter led another weekend sweep, while the female trio of Loni Unser, Chloe Chambers and Caroline Candas spiritedly battled in both sprints for the remaining podium positions. All three brought momentum to Road America – Chambers coming off an F1 Academy win in Barcelona, Candas being the most recent class winner from Watkins Glen, and Unser finishing runner-up in the same race for her best finish of the season.
All three ladies ultimately scored a podium at Road America. Unser finished second in Race 1 and third in Race 2, Candas finished third in Race 1 and Chambers finished runner-up in Race 2.
The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Masters class lineup shuffled throughout both races at Road America, with Alain Scalzo of Scalzo Autosport and William Peluchiwski of Kellymoss earning the victories. The points were crucial for Scalzo, who continues to chase Michael Clark in the championship. Clark lucked into second place on Saturday following a crash ahead of him and finished fourth on Sunday to maintain a large points advantage going into the finale at Sonoma.
Patrick Dempsey, meanwhile, finished second for his first Sprint Challenge podium on Sunday. The trophy comes after hard- fought battles all weekend with fellow Cayman Masters drivers, even one that resulted in a last-lap incident taking away what could have been a double podium weekend.
Porsche Sprint Challenge North America GT3 Cup Results – Race 1 and Race 2
Porsche Sprint Challenge North America 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Results – Race 1 and Race 2
Blake Mcdonald of BR Racing and Anthony Mcintosh of JTR Motorsports Engineering split Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Pro-Am class victories among the USA West competitors at Road America.
Mcintosh controlled Race 1 on Saturday before Mcdonald made his late move for the win, his sixth of the season, to expand his championship points lead.
However, in Race 2, Mcintosh returned the favor early into the bout en route to his victory on Sunday.
Casey Dennis powered to a podium finish in Race 1 and was poised for the same in Race 2, but a battle with John Dubets in the closing minutes saw both drivers run wide in Turn 1 and Dennis ultimately spin.
Dubets then pulled to pit lane just ahead of the checkered flag, giving way to teammate Patrick Mulcahy for third place and his first podium of 2024.
In the 992 Masters class, Kevin Woods swept his third consecutive weekend with BR Racing, even finishing top three overall on Sunday. The remaining podium positions mirrored each other in both races, with Kyle Washington finishing second and Laura Ely finishing third.
Michael Gaulke with Competition Motorsports also swept his Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Masters class at Road America, doing so even after an unpinned hood forced him to start from the back of the pack in Race 2.
Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West Results – Race 1 and Race 2
One event remains for both Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and USA West by Yokohama, and it will be another joint event albeit this time on the home soil for USA West.
Both championships will head to Sonoma Raceway on September 27 – 29 for their season finales. Additionally, the track in Northern California will host the third of four Porsche Endurance Challenge North America events, with only Circuit of The Americas remaining on the single-make series’ 2024 calendar.
Race replays for all North American Porsche one-make series are available on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel.
An unpredictable weekend for Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama welcomed newcomers to the top step of the podium at Watkins Glen International, running the fifth of seven races for the series in 2024.
While Jared Thomas and JTR Motorsports Engineering took the honors in Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen, it was Sunday’s race that caught attention for a stunning conclusion in 992 GT3 Cup.
Conrad Geis found himself as the Race 2 winner for MDK Motorsports, albeit only after the top three contenders were collected in an incident during the closing minutes. Geis’ former teammate, Ashley Freiberg, led the majority of the race from pole position, but Thomas sought a three-wide move between her and lapped traffic that went awry.
The two went off track and collected third-place Paul Bocuse, elevating Geis to his first win, David Musial to second, and Therese Lahlouh to her first podium in the series.
Scott Blind swept the weekend in the 992 GT3 Cup Masters class, winning ahead of podium finishers Dave Musial Sr., Rob Walker and Joel Johnson across the two races.
In the 991 GT3 Cup class, Tony Malito gained ground on championship leader Nick Meissner following a win and runner-up finish in both races at Watkins Glen. While Meissner won on Saturday, he encountered an issue in the opening laps on Sunday that brought him to pit lane and promoted Malito to the win.
Caroline Candas scored her first victory on North American soil this weekend at Watkins Glen, winning on Saturday with Rafa Racing by JDX in the Cayman GT4 Clubsport Pro/Am class. Candas has been in the mix with Ian Porter and Nick Shaeffer throughout the season, and she took advantage of the two clashing early and removing themselves from contention while battling for the lead.
The Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program member led a 1-2 finish for the ladies in Sprint Challenge on Saturday, as fellow program member Loni Unser finished second-in-class en route to her best result of the year. Porter, meanwhile, battled back for the victory on Sunday, while Candas followed up with a second-place finish. Nick Shaefferthen rounded out the podium in his final race with the series before embarking on a two-year mission trip.
In the Cayman Masters class, Alain Scalzo emerged with his best performance of the year and a weekend sweep at Watkins Glen. Scalzo capitalized on excellent qualifying efforts to finish both races ahead of championship leader, Michael Clark.
For Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama and its sister USA West series, Road America will host the next round as part of a joint event. The weekend also features the second of four Porsche Endurance Challenge North America races, with on-track activity taking place on August 9 – 11.
Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama Official Results:
Porsche GT3 Cup – Race 1 and Race 2
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport – Race 1 and Race 2
Porsche Sprint Challenge race replays are available on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube channel.
| Round | event | date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Sebring Int Raceway | Feb 28 - March 2, 2025 |
| Round 2 | Sonoma Raceway | APRIL 4 - 6, 2025 |
| Round 3 | Circuit of the Americas | MAY 16 - 18, 2025 |
| Round 4 | Virginia International Raceway | JULY 11 - 13, 2025 |
| Round 5 | Road America | AUGUST 8 -10, 2025 |
| Round 6 | Watkins Glen International | AUGUST 29 -31, 2025 |
| Round 7 | Road Atlanta | September 12 - 14, 2025 |
| Round | event | date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Spring Mountain | MARCH 21 - 23, 2025 |
| Round 2 | Sonoma Raceway | APRIL 4 - 6, 2025 |
| Round 3 | Circuit of the Americas | MAY 16 - 18, 2025 |
| Round 4 | Utah Motorsports Campus | MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2025 |
| Round 5 | Weathertech Raceway | JULY 25 - 27, 2025 |
| Round 6 | Road Atlanta | September 12 - 14, 2025 |
