IMSA veterans to challenge Supercup elite at COTA

The last three Platinum Cup season champions lead an impressive array of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama drivers competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races during the United States Grand Prix on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

2012 Platinum Cup champion Sean Johnston, 2013 champion Madison Snow and newly crowned 2014 champion Colin Thompson each will compete in two races against elite GT drivers at the pinnacle of Porsche’s 19 one-make championships around the globe. The races take place during the only FIA Formula One World Championship event in the United States.

Supercup regular competitor Johnston and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) TUDOR United SportsCar Championship GT Daytona standout Snow will reunite as teammates at COTA with the German-based Team Project 1. Johnston won the Platinum Cup championship in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama in 2012 for Wright Motorsports, with Snow finishing as the runner-up for Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports.

Thompson won the 2014 Platinum Cup championship in early October at Road Atlanta for Kelly Moss Motorsports, which will field 911 GT3 Cup cars at COTA for Thompson and teammate David Ducote. Wisconsin-based Kelly Moss earned two entries in the Supercup field from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) in recognition of Thompson winning the Drivers’ Championship this season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama.

Santiago Creel and Bill Peluchiwski are the other 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge regular competitors racing at COTA in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

Platinum Cup driver Creel will drive for FÖRCH Racing by Lukas Motorsport. One of his teammates will be American Connor de Phillippi, who has competed in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland since earning a Porsche Motorsport Junior Program Scholarship after the 2012 season.

Gold Cup race winner Peluchiwski will drive at COTA for the powerful VERVA Lechner Racing Team, which leads the Team Championship.

American team Muehlner Motorsports, regular competitors in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, is entering two cars at COTA for American sports car veterans Tomy Drissi and Mark Kvamme.

Jeff Harrison will add local flavor to the Supercup grid at COTA. Pro Mazda Championship veteran Harrison, from the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, Texas, will drive for Konrad Motorsport Austria.

The Miami-based MOMO-MEGATRON team will field three cars this weekend, with Pepe Massot of Spain, Paul Rees of Great Britain and Thomas Biagi of San Marino as drivers.

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup practice starts at 4 p.m. (CT) Friday, Oct. 31 on the 20-turn, 3.4-mile circuit. Qualifying begins at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, followed by Race 1 at 4 p.m. Race 2 starts at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. Both races are 14 laps each.

Since 1993, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has run exclusively as support to Formula One 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.