Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA champs to race in USGP Supercup

2014 Platinum Cup Driver Champion Colin Thompson will race in one of the Kelly Moss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, with the other driven by Kelly Moss standout David Ducote.

This partnership between PMNA and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) reinforces the exposure and career advancement potential provided by the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. The two series are among the 19 one-make Porsche championships around the globe.

"With the international one-make concept using the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car as the common denominator around the globe, we have been able to present, as a development tool, the North American championships teams with an opportunity to compete in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races in Austin,” said Jens Walther, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America. “Supercup is the pinnacle of the Porsche one-make series worldwide and will provide Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama champion Colin Thompson and multi-race winner David Ducote the chance to test their mettle against the highest level of Porsche GT3 Cup competition available anywhere. This will be an excellent opportunity and a substantial challenge for them as drivers and Kelly Moss Motorsports as a team. We wish all of our North American competitors the best this weekend."

Thompson (LEFT), 20, from Doylestown, Pa., earned his first Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama championship this season after a thrilling battle with fellow young stars Angel Benitez Jr., Michael Lewis and Sloan Urry. Thompson won the final round of the season in a heavy downpour Oct. 3 at Road Atlanta to win the title by eight points over Benitez and 13 points over Lewis.

Ducote (BELOW), 46, from Houston, earned three victories and five podium finishes in six starts in the Gold Cup (2010-13 model year race cars ) class in 2014. He is a veteran of the Madison, Wisconsin-based Kelly Moss team and of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competition.

Kelly Moss Motorsports will be eligible for prize money at COTA and also receive engineering and car preparation support from PMNA. The two entries available to the champions of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin will not be filled.

Since 1993, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has run exclusively as support to Formula 1 as the only Grand Touring race series. In this attractive environment, the flagship series of the 19 Porsche brand trophy championships worldwide has prospered. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, in which the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is racing this year, is not only regarded as an excellent recommendation for drivers in GT and prototype racing, but also offers partners and teams a perfect business platform.

The secret is in the mix: Talented youngsters and ambitious teams use the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup to draw attention to themselves. Many of them are now enjoying success, especially in endurance racing. Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler competes in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2014, alongside Earl Bamber as winner of the International Cup Scholarship and funding candidate of Porsche AG. The championship title is regarded as a top recommendation for a career in touring car or GT racing.

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama

The IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama recently finished its 10th season in North America as one of the largest single-make Porsche Cup Challenge series in the world. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in one of the world’s most successful and recognized race cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Racing is divided into two classes – Platinum Cup, featuring the new 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based in on the current seventh generation of the street car, and Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous version (2010-2013) of the racecar. The series is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The series races at classic American road courses, providing thrills for drivers and fans.

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The IMSA Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in one of the world’s most successful and recognized race cars, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The series is one of the global single-make Porsche Cup Challenge series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The 10-round series races in 2014 at four classic Canadian road and street courses, providing thrills for drivers and fans.