Last Updated: 04/04/2016, 24:00:00
BRASELTON, Ga. (April 3, 2016) - Nineteen new Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport cars. Three races. One new series. It all added up to a successful first weekend for the PCA Club Racing Porsche GT4 Clubsport Trophy East series.
The first three races, two sprints and one endurance race, of the inaugural 18-race championship season were completed this weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Frank Selldorff of the Northeast PCA Region and his co-driver, Andrew Davis, took the victory in the final race, an 80-minute endurance event, in the No. 65 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport on Sunday.
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Frank Selldorff's overall winning No. 65 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
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The Kelly-Moss Road and Race duo took a 38.433-second victory over Jason Hart in the No. 47 NOLAsport Porsche after recovering from a rough start and dominating the second stint.
"I didn't start out great," Selldorff said. "I got swamped at the start, but thankfully the yellow came out and let me bunch it back up. At that point I focused on just staying on the tails of the guys in front of me, and I thought I did a good job there."
Hart, who won both sprint races Saturday, started the race from pole position. He led the majority of the first half of the race but was unable to pull away from the field as in his dominant victories.
He lost time in the pits, falling to sixth position, and was forced to work his way back toward the front. But Hart couldn't catch Davis, who had taken over the car from Selldorff at the mandatory five-minute pit stop.
"Frank did an awesome job in his first stint," Davis said. "We did a great job with our pit stop. And then my GT4 Clubsport was great when I got out there. I'm really proud of the effort from Frank and Kelly-Moss. I'm also really happy for PCA. They've done an awesome job for the first event with this new group and the Clubsport class, and I think this is the start of something really big."
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Overall podium finishers (from left) Jason Hart, Frank Selldorff, Andrew Davis, Rene Robichaud
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Rene Robichaud, from the Ohio Valley PCA Region, rounded out the overall podium with his third third-place finish of the weekend in the No. 89 Kelly-Moss Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
Robichaud, whose daughter, Nicole, also competed this weekend, was also the winner in the Masters class, completing his weekend sweep with three top-step finishes.
"It was an absolutely fantastic weekend," Robichaud said. "You have to thank a lot of people to get this far. My Kelly-Moss team was great. They gave me a car that you could run real hard; the setup was just perfect. I really want to thank the Porsche Club, Porsche Motorsport and Porsche Cars. My daughter, Nicole, has really grown this weekend in the sport. She was just flying in this last race.
"It's (Cayman GT4 Clubsport) an absolutely fantastic package. When you're with with 18, 19 great guys and gals all driving the same car, there's nothing better."
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Masters Class winner Rene Robichaud in the No. 89.
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Roger Halvorsen, from the Connecticut Valley PCA Region, earned a second-place finish in Masters. The runner up result was Halvorsen's third Masters podium finish of the weekend in the No. 23 Musante Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The father-son duo of David and Russell Walker, both representing the Maverick PCA Region, rounded out the Masters podium with a third-place finish in the No. 28 TOPP Racing Porsche Cayman GT4.
The inaugural e vent was the culmination of work between the Porsche Club of America, Porsche Motorsport North America and Porsche Cars North America. The debut of the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport in a one-make series marked a new beginning for PCA Racing as the first series of this kind and a bridge for drivers before going pro.
"We have enjoyed a tremendous first weekend," said Vicki Earnshaw, PCA Club Racing chair. "From the terrific new race car to all of our fantastic drivers, our series is off to a great start.
"This car has opened doors for PCA Club Racing and drivers wishing to take the next step. This strong opening event is the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration between Porsche Motorsport, Porsche Cars North America and the Porsche Club of America. We're very excited for the rest of the season and the future."
The series will be back in action for the next three rounds of the championship April 15-17 at NOLA Motorsports Park near New Orleans.
Endurance Race Post-Race Quotes:
FRANK SELLDORFF (No. 65 Kelly-Moss Road and Race, winner): "I didn't start out great. I got swamped at the start, but thankfully the yellow came out and let me bunch it back up. At that point I focused on just staying on the tails of the guys in front of me, and I thought I did a good job there. I was able to get the car off to Andrew (Davis) without too much of a gap. I can't thank Andrew and Kelly-Moss enough. It was a great race and feels good to take the win."
ANDREW DAVIS (No. 65 Kelly-Moss Road and Race, winner): "I have to thank Frank Selldorff and Kelly-Moss, first of all, for giving me the opportunity to race today. I've been with Kelly-Moss for years and years, and it's always fun when I can get behind the wheel and help them get a result. Frank did an awesome job in his first stint. The yellow helped us get the gap closed up, and he did a great job of keeping it close for me. We did a great job with our pit stop. And then my GT4 Clubsport was great when I got out there. I was able to put my foot down and run some strong laps when I was in the clear. Lap traffic would cause the times to ebb and flow, but we were able to build that gap. At that point I could conserve my Pirelli tires and fuel to make sure we brought it home. I'm really proud of the effort from Frank and Kelly-Moss. I'm also really happy for PCA. They've done an awesome job for the first event with this new group and the Clubsport class, and I think this is the start of something really big ."
JASON HART (No. 47 NOLAsport, second): "The race was great. I have to give all of my thanks to NOLAsport and US LED for putting me in the car. It's a young team. This is our first traveling race, and they gave me a great car. We set the fastest lap of the weekend, full of fuel in the enduro in the hot sun. My car was absolutely fantastic. I have to give it all to the team, and I just thank Porsche for making a fantastic car and PCA for putting on a great show with a great sanctioning body. Great people to deal with, wonderful co-drivers and competitors, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season."
RENE ROBICHAUD (No. 89 Kelly-Moss Road and Race, third, first Masters): "It was an absolutely fantastic weekend. You have to thank a lot of people to get this far. My Kelly-Moss team was great. They gave me a car that you could run real hard; the setup was just perfect. I really want to thank the Porsche Club, Porsche Motorsport and Porsche Cars. My daughter, Nicole, has really grown this weekend in the sport. She was just flying in this last race. We're just having so much fun. I've been driving Cup cars for the most part. I'll tell you that this car is so easy to drive hard, and when you make a mistake in this thing, it is less likely that it will end in tears. I'm sticking with the Clubsport. It's an absolutely fantastic package. When you're with with 18, 19 great guys and gals all driving the same car, there's nothing better."
ROGER HALVORSEN (No. 23 Musante Motorsports, second Masters): "This weekend exceeded my expectations. To get three podiums out of the three races was incredible. When they turned the first race into a points race, it put me in a very good position. I'm very happy to be here. But most of all I want to thank my family and friends that came here to cheer me on. It was fantastic to have them all here."
2016 PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East Schedule
About PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East
The PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East series, which debuts in 2016, highlights the spirit of PCA Cl ub Racing and the skills of its drivers at major road racing venues east of the Rocky Mountains. The series provides a bridge for Porsche racers to climb to the professional ranks through this semi-professional racing series.
Drivers will compete in a separate group in the new track-only Cayman GT4 Clubsport race car. The 385-horsepower, mid-engine racer, which features a sealed engine and transmission and a spec tire, is developed by Porsche Motorsport North America and based on the successful street-legal Cayman GT4 sports car. Drivers are awarded with a podium at the end of every points race, and an individual champion will be crowned at the end of the season. A Masters Championship also is conducted. Points are awarded by finish in class.
About Porsche Club of America/PCA Club Racing
The Porsche Club of America (PCA) celebrates good friends, good conversation and a common passion for the world's finest automobile - Porsche. Since its founding in 1955, this close-knit community of Porsche owners has grown to 144 regions throughout the United States and Canada and is the largest single-marque club in the world. PCA activities include racing, rallies, autocrosses, tours, and shows, as well as driver education, Porsche restoration and technical sessions. The PCA continues to thrive around the unbridled joy provided by Porsche.
PCA Club Racing enters its 25th year by featuring more than 2,000 licensed racers and 32 sanctioned races per year, more than any other single-make racing organization in the world. PCA Club Racing was established around guiding principles that remain true today. In summary, they provide a class for all Porsche sports cars; fun, safe and clean racing; and uniform organization and operation.
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