Porsche Carrera Cup North America Is Back At Watkins Glenn This Week

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IMSA RACING.COM –  Porsche Carrera Cup North America returns to its roots this week. After two race weekends supporting Formula 1 events, the one-make series returns to its role supporting IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Watkins Glen International will host Rounds 7 and 8 of the 16-race 2024 calendar. The weekend will feature 35 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars across the three classes.

The 3.4-mile, 11-turn traditional road course in the Finger Lakes region of New York State will host the two 40-minute races. Practice begins on Thursday. A 30-minute qualifying session for all cars comes Friday morning with the first of the two rounds to take the green flag at 4:20 p.m. ET Friday. The second race will run at 11 a.m. ET Saturday.

Watkins Glen has hosted two rounds of Porsche Carrera Cup North America each season since the series debut in 2021. But Watkins Glen has a much longer tradition of hosting Porsche one-make racing. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama celebrated its 100th series race at “The Glen” in 2013.

THIS STORY IS A REPRINT FROM IMSA.COM THE BEST SOUCE FOR FOLLOWING SPORTS CAR RACING. BE SURE TO CHECK IT OUT

•  2023 Race Winners.

  • Pro. Race 1, Jason Hart, MDK Motorsports; Race 2,  Will Martin, JDC Racing
  • Pro-Am. Race 1, Jeff Mosing, Topp Racing; Race 2, Jeff Mosing, Topp Racing
  • Masters. Race 1, John Goetz, Wright Motorsports; Race 2, Mark Kvamme, MDK Motorsports

•  2024 Point Leaders.

Pro. Loek Hartog, No. 24 Kellymoss

Pro-Am. Moisey Uretsky, No. 44 Baby Bull Racing

Masters. Matt Halcome, No. 55 ACI Motorsports Entrants. MDK Motorsports

•  Porsche Carrera Cup North America Point Standings. Click here

•  Schedule (all times ET)

  • Friday. 9:45-10:15 a.m., Qualifying (all classes); 4:20-5 p.m., Race 1
  • Saturday. 11-11:40 a.m., Race 2
  • Hometown heroes. Two New York-based drivers are entered in this weekend’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America rounds at Watkins Glen International. Included is Yves Balatas. Balatas, who earned his first career Pro class victory in race one at Montréal, lives in New York City. Veteran driver Michael Cooper calls Huntington, New York home.
  • Legacy Track. Watkins Glen International is a “Legacy Track” on the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup schedule. The track joins Sebring International Raceway, Road America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as tracks that hosted the premier one-make race series in 2021 debut season of the series. “The Glen” joins only Sebring and Indianapolis as having hosted Carrera Cup every season.
  • ANDIAL Cup. Debuting in 2024, the ANDIAL Cup is a championship within the championship awarded to participants at the most iconic road courses in North The ANDIAL Cup, named for the legendary Porsche race and road prep company provides competitors an additional award for competing at the most iconic road courses on the continent.

All full-season competitors receive automatic entry for the ANDIAL Cup, while those interested in running only at the more storied tracks can compete for a championship. ANDIAL Cup tracks include Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Road America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

  • 142 As Alzheimer’s Awareness Month draws to a close, MDK Motorsports will carry 142 names on the No. 43 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car driven by Mark Kvamme (Columbus, Ohio). To date, Racing to End Alzheimer’s has raised over $1 million for its two beneficiaries, the Nantz National Alzheimer’s Center at Houston Methodist Hospital and the UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program. 2023 saw the program raise a record $254,000 and Racing to End Alzheimer’s looks to exceed that effort this year. The 142 names on the car represent people from all walks of life who have suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s.
  • Mobil 1 Female Driver Longtime Porsche Motorsport partner Mobil 1™, in conjunction with Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), announced support of the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program North America on June 11. In 2023, PMNA began the program to help support aspiring female drivers compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. In the autumn of last year, the program was extended across all one-make race series on its Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America including not only Carrera Cup but also Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama and, in 2024, Porsche Endurance Challenge North America.

The program includes:

  • Financial Support. 50% of the season entry fee for each female driver will be covered to ensure access to race the full racing season.
  • Performance Incentives. Complimentary sets of Yokohama race tires to top- performing female drivers.
  • Specialized workshops for female drivers will provide valuable training and networking opportunities to advance their careers – including mentoring from legendary Porsche driver Patrick Long.

2024 participants include Sabré Cook and Madeline Stewart in Porsche Carrera Cup North America as well as Paige Morales, Caroline Candas, Loni Unser, Ashley Freiberg and Therese Lahlouh in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.

  • To the point. With more race victories than any other Pro class competitor, three, Loek Hartog sits atop the overall standings. The first-year driver has 110 points in the No. 24 Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. He holds a 23-point margin lead in the Pro class championship over Michael Cooper. Cooper sits five points up on Alex Sedgwick. The battle is far tighter in the Pro-Am category where two-time class winner Moisey Uretsky with 103 markers, is a single point ahead of Marco Cirone. Jordan Wallace is in third place with 80 points. Matt Halcome, with 138 points, leads the Masters class. The Dallas, Georgia driver has a 38-point gap over Chris Bellomo.

A victory pays 25 points, second place 20 and third place is awarded with 17 points. A pole position is worth two points while a fastest race lap will add an additional point to the total of a driver in each class.

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