The Porsche Endurance Challenge North America is set to wrap up its debut season at the renowned Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, on November 22-23. For the season finale, all participating vehicles will be fitted with the high-performance Advan A005 slick Yokohama tires. This event brings to a close a four-race season, which began with three 60-minute races leading up to the climactic six-hour endurance race at COTA. Teams consisting of two to three drivers will compete in either the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport or the 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992) race car. Along with individual race glory, the overall series championship will also be contested.
Patricia Wall, Yokohama’s Senior Manager for Motorsports, expressed pride in the company’s involvement in the event, stating that it had been a significant honor to supply tires for the first single-make endurance championship in North America. Wall emphasized the company’s satisfaction in supporting such a groundbreaking season, looking forward to the thrilling six-hour finale.
Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America, reflected on the event’s journey, acknowledging that the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America had started as an experimental concept, which had to be proven successful. He shared that as the season concludes, the event boasts one of the most impressive lineups of drivers in single-make racing, with competitors from across the motorsports spectrum. Holzmeyer also commended Yokohama for their unwavering support throughout the series, noting that their partnership had been vital in overcoming the unique challenges posed by endurance racing.
Among the prominent drivers taking part in the finale are Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey, renowned racer Patrick Long, and Team Yokohama’s Tanner Foust, who will race in the Cayman Class. The Cayman Class will also feature Ian Porter, Caroline Candas, and team owner Rafael Martinez. Meanwhile, the GT3 Class will see competition from Therese Lahlouh, Madeline Stewart, and Nik Romano. Other notable drivers include Riley Dickinson, Blake McDonald, Trent Hindman, Michael Clark, Loek Hartog, and Kay van Berlo.
In addition to the Porsche Endurance Challenge, Yokohama has announced its continued involvement in a wide range of motorsport events across North America for 2024. These include the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, the Pikes Peak GT4 Trophy, King of the Hammers, the Championship Off-Road Series, Ultra4 USA, and the TrophyLite Series.