Category: Other Series PR

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Atlanta, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Atlanta. Porsche has presented its Formula E car for the next two seasons: the new Porsche 99X Electric. The all-electric open-wheel racer complies with the regulations for the updated third generation of Formula E cars, called GEN3 Evo, and features all-round improved Porsche in-house developments. The new Porsche 99X Electric made its debut online on 24 October, in a film with Bruno Correia, the Formula E safety car driver and GEN3 Evo development driver. The key technical innovations are the ability to power the front wheels in certain scenarios, tires with increased grip, and a modified front wing. World Champion Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa, last season’s driver with the most wins, retain their positions as the drivers for the works TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. The two Andretti Formula E customer cars will have former World Champion Jake Dennis, and the new Porsche works driver Nico Müller at the wheel.

Refined Porsche in-house developments
The evolution model inherits Porsche’s most successful formula sports car to date: In its GEN3 version, the Porsche 99X Electric won the drivers’ world championship two years in a row – with Dennis in 2022/2023, and with Wehrlein in 2023/2024. The concept remains the same: available energy is restricted according to series regulations. This forces the teams and their drivers to optimize the efficiency of the cars across all areas. Components developed by the manufacturer were allowed to be changed for the GEN3 Evo. The Porsche development department in Weissach took the opportunity to make optimizations identified over the past two seasons – particularly regarding the powertrain. The homologation of the manufacturer components is valid for two seasons. The fourth car generation, GEN4, is set to be introduced for Season 13 (2026/2027).

New features – GEN3 Evo
The key technical innovations of the GEN3 Evo relate to the standardized hardware of all teams and manufacturers taking part.

From now on, front-wheel drive may be engaged during qualifying duels, race starts, and Attack Mode. This gives the cars temporary all-wheel drive, enabling the Porsche 99X Electric to accelerate to 62 mph in about two seconds. Making the engagement of front-wheel drive as efficient as possible represents another technical challenge, with the lessons learned also benefitting Porsche road cars.

Higher performance tires from exclusive supplier Hankook will help the Formula E cars reach even higher speeds in the new season. To reduce the footprint, each car will still only have two sets of tires available per race weekend (three sets for double headers). The tire profile makes the tires suitable for both dry and wet conditions.

The evolution model is primarily recognizable by its modified front wing. The new form should make it more stable, enabling it to withstand contact better. Further modifications to the cladding were made behind the roll bar and in front of the rear wheels.

Colorways based on Taycan Turbo GT
Purple Sky Metallic and Shade Green Metallic – these are the new colors on the cladding of the Porsche 99X Electric. These were the colors that Porsche used to present the new Taycan Turbo GT, the most powerful production car the brand has ever built. The shades of purple and green replace the traditional combination of black, white and red. They symbolize the technology transfer from motorsport to production.

Next up
The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and Andretti Formula E will take part in Formula E’s official pre-season testing in Valencia, Spain (November 4 to 7). In addition to Wehrlein and da Costa, the two female drivers Gabriela Jílková and Marta García from Czechia and Spain will be taking the wheel of the two works Porsches in Valencia.

Quotes from the world premiere
Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport: “We build future sports cars, so we also want our appearance to be progressive. The young and innovative Formula E is an excellent platform for promoting our electric production sports cars. The preparation for the season thus far fills me with confidence that not only do we look good, but we can also build on the successes of last season. The bar has been set high: With Pascal as the World Champion, we are at the pinnacle of Porsche’s formula racing history to date.”

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E: “The biggest development task was and is the implementation of the temporary all-wheel drive. Since the hardware was already available for GEN3, a huge amount of work has gone into aligning the software. On the one hand we want to maximize acceleration and cornering speeds with the all-wheel drive. On the other hand, the goal is to not consume too much energy and to keep the car balance to the liking of the drivers. A task that is also relevant for our sports cars for the road.”

Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#1): “The new Porsche 99X Electric is a very cool car. I love the colors so much that I designed my helmet the same way. It also goes without saying that I am proud to now have number 1 on the nose of my car. I want to defend my title and the preparations for the new season are going according to plan.”

António Félix da Costa, Porsche works driver (#13): “We are excited to see where we are at. The all-wheel drive, the new tires, and the comprehensive overhaul of our own components may shake things up a bit, even though there aren’t any major changes to the regulations. I’m optimistic and am pleased that we will be lining up in São Paulo again at the beginning of December. Hopefully the fans will love our new colors.”

Technical data – Porsche 99X Electric (GEN3 Evo)
Drive power
• Normal operation: 300 kW (402 hp)
• Attack Mode, qualifying duels: 350 kW (469 hp)

Power transmission
• Normal operation: rear
• Attack Mode, qualifying duels, race starts: all-wheel drive

Acceleration
• 0–62 mph: approx. 2.0 seconds

Energy recovery
• Up to 600 kW recuperation power (brake energy recovery)
• Approx. 50 percent of the drive energy per race comes from brake energy recovery

Brakes
• Regenerative braking system: up to 250 kW electric braking power on the front axle, up to 350 kW on the rear axle
• Additional deceleration through friction brakes on the front axle (“Brake by Wire” system)
• Front brake disc outer diameter: 258 mm
• Friction brakes on the rear axle only active in an emergency (if recuperation fails)

Tires
• Profiled Hankook iON Race for dry and wet conditions
• 2 sets per race weekend and per vehicle (3 for double headers)

Lithium-ion battery
• Supplied standard component
• Usable storage capacity: 38.5 kWh
• Weight: 285 kg

CCS charging system (Combined Charging System)
• Designed for extremely fast charging with up to 600 kW charging power

Weight and dimensions
• Weight: 862 kg including driver
• Length: 5016 mm, width: 1700 mm, height: 1023 mm
• Wheelbase: 2970 mm
• Ground clearance: up to 65 mm
• Front track: 1440 mm
• Rear track: 1380 mm

Key in-house developments
Pulse inverter, electric motor, gearbox, differential, drive shafts and other drive components on the rear axle as well as cooling, support and suspension components on the rear axle, operating software

Key standard components
Chassis and body, wheels and tires, drive, cooling and suspension components on the front axle, accumulator

Porsche in Formula E
Porsche contests its sixth Formula E season in 2024/2025. In addition to the works-run TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, the American customer outfit Andretti Formula E competes with the Porsche 99X Electric. The concept of the innovative electric racing car was developed at the company’s Weissach facility, which operates on a net carbon-neutral basis. With its commitment to the world championship, Porsche underlines its commitment to take a leading role among traditional automobile manufacturers in the areas of electrification, sustainability and technology. In Formula E, the brand gains valuable insights for its electric series-production sports cars.

FIM World Supercross Championship announces its complete offering of broadcasters for the 2024 season
The FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) has announced its full broadcast roster for the 2024 season.

A total of 12 broadcasters will deliver a variety of coverage options including free-to-air two-hour live shows and highlights packages.

A combination of FUEL TV and FIM MOTO TV will facilitate worldwide coverage with DAZN also broadcasting globally and completely free-to-air. At the same time, SSC will bring WSX to audiences in the Middle East and North Africa.

StarTimes and SuperSport are set to broadcast to Sub-Saharan Africa, while FOX Sports Australia, Kayo Sports, and Sky New Zealand will cover Australasia.

The North American offering will be available through a blend of FS1, FS2 and REV TV while L’Équipe will deliver WSX to fans in France. Finally, SPOTV will provide coverage to South East Asia.

2024 FIM World Supercross Championship Broadcasters

Region	Broadcaster	Coverage Package
Global (excl. USA & Australia)	DAZN	Live & Highlights (Free-To-Air)
Global (excl. USA & Australia)	FUEL TV	Live & Highlights
Global (excl. USA & Australia)	FIM MOTO TV	Live (Free-To-Air)
Middle East & North Africa	SSC	Live & Highlights
Sub-Saharan Africa	StarTimes	Highlights
Sub-Saharan Africa	SuperSport	Highlights
Australia	FOX Sports Australia & Kayo Sports	Live & Highlights
New Zealand	Sky New Zealand	Live & Highlights
USA	FS1 & FS2	Live (as live for Vancouver)
Canada	REV TV	Live & Highlights
France	L’Équipe	Live & Highlights
South East Asia	SPOTV	Live & Highlights

The 2024 season will get underway on 26 October at BC Place in Vancouver for the WSX Canadian GP. The campaign will then set a course for HBF Park in Perth, Australia, where WSX will hold its first double-header. The season will reach its thrilling conclusion at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 4 December.

Tom Burwell, CEO, FIM World Supercross Championship, said: “It’s hugely exciting to be able to reveal our full complement of broadcasters for the 2024 season. We want to bring WSX to the widest global audience possible and this group of world-leading media partners are enabling us to do just that. We can’t wait for the season to get underway and to share our sport with the world.”

FIM World Supercross Championship
The FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) is an international competition led by SX Global, a global sports marketing and entertainment company. The world governing body for motorcycle sport, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), awarded SX Global the exclusive organisational and commercial rights to stage and promote the Championship from 2022 onwards. For further information, please visit www.wsxchampionship.com.

Friends now foes to settle title bout under the lights at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2024) – In a contentious championship battle that began in the first race of the season at New Smyrna Speedway only miles from the birthplace of NASCAR, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour title will once again be decided in the final race of the season at one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks as Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk enter the finale at Martinsville Speedway separated by 10 points.

When two drivers are as evenly matched on the track as Bonsignore and Silk, and when there is as much on the line as a championship that could help cement a driver’s legacy among the greatest in the sport – friends can become foes as the on-track rivalry spills off it.

“Justin and I have known each other since we were kids,” said Silk of the friendship. “We get along really good … until we don’t get along. And then we don’t speak to each other.

“There were some words after Monadnock this year and some words after Riverhead last year. But for the most part we just try to keep our distance. It’s certainly tense. There’s no doubt about it.”

It has become a familiar scene as a three-time champion (2018, 2020, 2021) in Bonsignore and the two-time and reigning champion (2011, 2023) in Silk are knotted in a close battle at the end of the season. A year ago, Silk led his rival by 13 points heading into the finale and held on for his second championship.

This season, although both drivers have four wins each, the tables are turned as Bonsignore holds the points edge heading into the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 event on Saturday.

After the IMSA-sanctioned Mazda MX-5 Cup takes to an oval for the first time ever to comprise the opening 100 laps of the double-header event at 6 p.m. ET, the Whelen Modified Tour will battle it out under the lights for the title in a 200-lap championship showdown at 8 p.m. ET.

Bonsignore can make the math simple for himself – if he finishes fourth or better on Saturday night, regardless of any other factors, he will become a four-time champion. But Bonsignore knows that Silk won’t let it happen that easily, and he’s not going to back down either.

“I don’t like the point where it’s gotten,” said Bonsignore. “I’ll do what I have to do and stand up for ourselves and our team. But I would prefer it to go back to kind of how Doug [Coby] and I had rivalries over the years. There was a lot of mutual respect, and we got into each other and raced hard, but it was never to this point.

“They’re here to win races just as much as we are. When there’s as much passion and effort and everything that goes into these races, between two teams, it’s going to get heated at times.”

Silk opened the season in February with the win at New Smyrna Speedway as Bonsignore finished second – and then the duo flip-flopped the results at Richmond in the Tour’s next race in March. The largest lead held by either competitor all season was a 15-point margin in favor of Silk following the race at Seekonk Speedway to start the month of June.

Through the opening nine races of the season, Silk posted three wins and held the points lead, but Bonsignore began chipping back away at his advantage, notching a trio of top-three results in August. Those finishes gave him the lead in the standings for a pair of races, the first time he led the points all year. But a 15th-place effort by Bonsignore as Silk stood atop the podium at Riverhead Raceway handed the lead back to Silk by 11 points with three races to go.

Bonsignore bounced back once again, however, winning at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Oct. 13, and then again in dominant fashion last weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway to take a 10-point lead heading into this weekend’s finale.

To add to the drama, there’s another driver still mathematically in the mix hoping to play spoiler as Patrick Emerling sits in third place in the standings, 24 points behind Bonsignore. Emerling came on strong in the second half of the season, winning three races. But he would need a lot of help and uncharacteristically bad results from both Bonsignore and Silk to win the title, but with the duo pushing each other, anything can happen in the finale.

When it comes to racing at Martinsville in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Silk has the most experience of the three. He’s raced at the half-mile circuit eight times, but has only posted one top-five back in 2009. He finished sixth in this race last year.

Bonsignore has had the most success at Martinsville of the three, with a trio of top-three results including a runner-up finish a year ago, in his four starts at the track. Emerling has three starts at the track, with a single top-five finish, which came in the most recent race when he placed third.

“I would expect anybody on the last lap at Martinsville to use the bumper, because it’s a Grandfather Clock,” said Bonsignore.

Fans are invited to arrive early on Saturday, Oct. 26, for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Mazda MX-5 Cup autograph session taking place from 4:45 – 5:30 p.m. ET. That will be followed by the pair of races that make up the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300, with the Mazda MX-5 Cup event beginning at 6 p.m. ET and the Whelen Modified Tour championship race at 8 p.m.

Saturday’s championship race may be streamed live on FloRacing, while event schedule and ticket information is available at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

About NASCAR     

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.  

For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.  

NEXT UP: COTA SIX HOUR
AUSTIN, TEXAS | NOVEMBER 22-23

BATAVIA, Ohio. (October 22, 2024) – 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.”

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

19 Year Old Formula 1 Prospect Shows His Commercial Appeal in the USA for the Growing Sport of F1

Houston, TX (21 October 2024) – To celebrate Aramco being headquartered in Houston for 50 years, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team brought their young American driver and their Formula 1 car to Houston to help celebrate their commercial relationship with Aramco.

As Formula 1 prepared for the traditional visit to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, Crawford was tapped for three days of activity on the ground in Houston that included a working entourage of nearly 40 personnel to support Formula 1 car showruns and demonstrations with Jak as the pilot of the car and a headline of the event.

The events also included an Aston Martin Dealer visit, Crawford speaking on technology panels, Formula 1 Q&A events as well as meet and greets with politicians and business leaders, all of which provided a diverse range of commercial opportunities for Aston Martin Aramco to showcase Crawford, a promising talent and Texan.

“Having Aramco based in my home town created the perfect opportunity for Aston Martin Aramco and me to come to Houston to put on an F1 show and make new friends for the brands and the sport,” said Crawford. “I was raised in the Houston metro in The Woodlands. Houston is a big city, but we all cheer for the same teams like the Astros, Rockets, Texans and our own University teams. It is nice as a racing driver to come home and have people cheering for the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team and supporting my own racing career on the Formula One ladder.”

Aston Martin Aramco has asked Jak to travel to several races this year to provide commercial and marketing support as well as imbedding him with the drivers and the engineers to learn more about what to expect during the intense Formula 1 weekends.

Understanding the commercial/marketing appeal of Crawford as an American, Aston Martin Aramco has made sure to have him on site for key events including Miami, Austin, and later on this season in Las Vegas. The Aston Martin Aramco commercial team has jumped all in on Jak’s attraction in terms of youth, image, opportunity, and nationality. Heading into the second year with the team, this focus will only continue to grow in 2025.

“The commercial side of the business has been so new to me,” said Crawford, who moved to Europe full-time as a 13 year old to focus exclusively on making it to Formula 1 as a driver. “I have learned a lot this year about partners, sponsors, VIPs and fans providing marketing support from talking on stage to zoom calls to sitting on panels with other professionals. There is the racing side, and there is the commercial side. You cannot have the one I love to do without the other! This year has been my main vocational training ground for the future when I am the main driver. I have been very fortunate to have been imbedded with two F1 teams now at as so young of an age. My education in the F1 world has been steep and deep.”

Jak has been in the Formula One car on track a couple of times this year in Europe and England, with more laps planned later in the year. There are even more track days planned next year with exciting announcements yet to come in time from Aston Martin Aramco.

“These events are nice, but at the end of it, my goal is to be a F1 driver on the grid in 2026,” said Crawford. “The time I am getting on the track in the Formula One car is important to keep learning and showing what I am capable of doing behind the wheel of the car. The feedback has been very good and I have impressed where I needed to impress. The F1 engineers on the team know my strengths. Now it is just a process of continuing to grind, succeed at what I am doing, and keep looking for my chance to show what I can do in the F1 car as a team’s main driver.”

Crawford continued his duties with Aston Martin Aramco Racing through the COTA weekend even as he continues to prepare for a big final push to the 2024 FIA Formula 2 season with two race weekends yet to run on the championship.

IRWINDALE, Calif. (October 19, 2024) – Toyota has clinched its ninth Formula DRIFT Auto Cup title after the completion of the Round of 32 at the season finale at California’s Irwindale Speedway on Saturday.

“We are pleased to take back the top spot on the podium as we claim our ninth Auto Cup title,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager, motorsports, Toyota Motor North America. “This would not be possible without the dedicated work of our teams and talented drivers that push their Toyota vehicles to the extreme limits. We are thrilled to have achieved this honor for the 2024 Formula DRIFT season and look forward to much more drifting success in the years to come.”

Three iconic Toyota brands – the Toyota GR Supra, Toyota GR Corolla Hatchback and the Toyota GR86 – compete in Formula DRIFT. Multi-time champion Fredric Aasbo led the Toyota charge this season with a win in Atlanta and a podium finish in St. Louis, while his teammate Ryan Tuerck scored a victory at Seattle, his first triumph since 2022. Fellow Toyota drivers Ken Gushi and Jhonnattan Castro also had several round wins with Gushi starting the year with a strong fourth-place finish at Long Beach, while Castro reached the Great 8 in Seattle.

Toyota first entered the Formula DRIFT ranks with the Scion badging and claimed its first three Auto Cup titles consecutively with the brand between 2014 and 2016. Toyota scored three more championships from 2017 through 2019, along with its most recent Auto Cup crowns in 2021 and 2022.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Alex Sedgwick, Zachary Vanier, Elias De La Torre and Madeline Stewart Return in Season’s Final Race Weekend in Support of the United States Grand Prix

AUSTIN, Texas (October 18, 2024) – Less than seven days has passed since Zachary Vanier’s second and the team’s third win of the season, but JDX Racing has already arrived at Circuit of the Americas for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season finale and a chance to secure strong finishes for both the team and its four drivers in the season-long standings.

Vanier’s double podium began with Thursday’s race at Road Atlanta, where he started from third on the grid in his No. 9 Technica Mining/Byers Imports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and made a lap one move to slide around both his polesitting teammate in Alex Sedgwick and the championship leader Loek Hartog in the 10a/10b complex.

Not even a full course caution could slow Vanier once he found the lead. A safety car with 30 minutes to go in the 40-minute timed race erased a gap of more than two seconds, but a strong restart allowed him to hold the point. Vanier raced home for a 1.078-secon win for his second victory of the season, following it up with a third-place finish on Friday.

Sedgwick earned his fourth pole position of the season in the No. 98 PT Autosport/Byers Imports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup after a red-flag marred qualifying session and began Thursday’s race up front. His battle with the second-place car was one that opened the door for his teammate to take the lead but dropped him to fourth at the finish. He started third on Friday, losing the position to a hard-charging Vanier early on, and earned a second-consecutive fourth-place finish.

Elias De La Torre drove his No. 4 HCB Yachts/iKon Boats/Porsche Columbus Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to a pair of finishes inside the top 10 at Road Atlanta. De La Torre took advantage of the qualifying session red flags to start Thursday’s race on the outside of row three, putting him in the thick of the action before finishing 10th. He improved one spot at the checkered flag on Friday for a ninth-place finish.

Madeline Stewart was in the mix at the front of the field during Thursday’s race before an incident led to contact and ended her day after just seven laps. The JDX Racing crew went to work to have her No. 82 Spool Imports/Byers Imports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ready for Friday’s race, and she fought back for a 10th-place finish of her own.

That weekend set up this week’s showdown in support of the Formula One United States Grand Prix at the Texas track. Sedgwick enters the season-finale doubleheader second in the Pro Class driver standings, seven points ahead of third place and 27 points ahead of Vanier in fourth. De La Torre is 10th, just three points from ninth place, with Stewart 15th in her rookie season of the championship.

All four enter Circuit of the Americas fresh off a recent test at the circuit, which includes a repave in advance of this season’s Formula One race that was completed in September. That provided data on the new surface, which Sedgwick, Vanier and Stewart can contrast with an early-season Porsche Endurance Challenge race that each participated in – co-driving with JDX Racing Porsche Sprint Challenge drivers.

Vanier will compete this weekend with another year of life experience under his belt, having turned 22-years-old on Wednesday of race week.

The Circuit of the Americas weekend begins with a single practice session on Friday in advance of Formula One’s Sprint Race Qualifying. Porsche Carrera Cup qualifying is at 9:50 a.m. CDT on Saturday morning, with the first of two 35-minute races at 3:40 p.m. CDT. Sunday’s race begins at noon CDT, the last official on-track session before the United States Grand Prix.

JDX Racing Quote Board

Zachary Vanier, Driver, No. 9 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, following his Road Atlanta win: “That win absolutely amazing. It by far ranks as one of the best, if not the best, race of my career. It was perfectly executed by the entire JDX Racing team. We were there testing and I felt like we left with a pretty good program and something we could compete with and I think we showed that. We had a really strong qualifying that put us in contention for this and then of course capitalized on everything we possibly could. I am absolutely thrilled, I can’t thank JDX Racing and all of my partners for being with me through this.”

Alex Sedgwick, Driver, No. 98 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: “We have one more shot for a good weekend remaining in Carrera Cup, to finish on a high note. It’s been an awesome journey, and I’ve learned so much, thanks to the support and guidance from both JDX and PT Autosport. I really want to repay them for my opportunity in this series with two strong results, and underline what I am capable of as we look to graduate for the 2025 season. Our test here was one of the best tests we’ve had. We started well straightaway. It probably helped that I was there earlier in the year with (JDX Racing teammate) Eric Lapp for the USAC Endurance Challenge opener. It was more a matter of figuring out parts of the track that have been resurfaced, to see if they required a different driving input – so the test was more about just driving and working on the “on the fly” changes that I can do inside the car rather than overall set up. This surface seems almost slicker than it was, the tire can’t bite into it as much. It’s still quite dark and absorbs a good amount of heat.”

Madeline Stewart, Driver, No. 82 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: “Round Seven of the Carrera Cup North America was a mixed bag for us. We showcased strong pace, qualifying and finishing 10th in race two. We faced a DNF in race one, which is part of racing. The key takeaway is that we made significant progress last week. This championship is incredibly competitive, and it takes more than that to achieve results. We are working hard every day to continue to develop and find those little gains that will propel us forward. I’m looking forward to racing this weekend at Circuit of the Americas for the final round of the championship. Having been here a couple of times I have come to really like this track. My focus is on maximizing our performance and finishing strong. The competition is tough, but I’m ready to make the most of this opportunity and see what we can achieve.”

About JDX Racing:

Founded in 2008 and based outside of Denver, CO, JDX Racing represents the very best in professional motorsports. Competing in the IMSA sports car series, JDX Racing campaigns cars in events throughout North America. JDX Racing features world-class drivers, outstanding crew members and dynamic marketers from Champ Car, IndyCar, NASCAR, ALMS and the Champ Car Atlantic Championship series. For more information, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/jdxracing, on Twitter @JDXRACING and on Instagram @jdxracing.