Kuhlman Shows Hard-Charging Charisma On, Off Track

Subtitle:Wright Motorsports Veteran Off To Strong Defense Of Platinum Masters Title

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 16, 2015) – Reigning Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Platinum Masters champion Kasey Kuhlman is a hard-charger in and out of his race car.

Kuhlman, 48, drove from the ninth starting spot to finish third overall April 11 in wet conditions at NOLA Motorsports Park in the No. 15 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, earning him the Yokohama Hard Charger Award. It was a fitting award, as it only begins to signify Kuhlman’s mentality in racing and life.

In his fifth season in the series with Wright Motorsports, Kuhlman continues to improve as a driver. He is dominating the Platinum Masters standings after three rounds with two victories and a runner-up finish, leading with a near-perfect 58 points. He also is third in the overall Platinum Cup points with 44 points and two third-place finishes, battling among drivers less than half his age.

“I just try to apply what I’ve learned in the past, which comes primarily from seat time, and then focus on the coaching and data analysis that we get within Wright Motorsports,” Kuhlman said. “It’s kind of a surprise to me because I thought a while ago, ‘This is about as good as I can be, how can I get much better?’ But it’s very subtle at this stage.

“I get quicker and quicker overall, but I still have bad days, bad sessions and tracks that I’m not as comfortable at as others, unlike some of these kids who just have amazing talent. There’s still a lot of variability in my performance from one day to the next. The challenge for me as an older driver, or for anybody who’s started later in life, is to overcome that lack of experience and just try to improve with focus and practice.”

Kuhlman, from Cincinnati, is well respected by his four Wright Motorsports teammates and among fellow competitors in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) paddock.

That admiration is based on his talent, as he ran away with the Platinum Masters Drivers Championship and finished fifth overall in the Platinum Cup standings in 2014 among younger competitors. He also is well-liked for his sense of humor and amiable personality.

“For me, it starts with the profound respect I have for the sport, and that automatically extends to anybody that’s participating in it,” Kuhlman said. “Racing is unlike anything else I’ve ever experienced. You have to coexist and work together in order to be successful on the track.

“But what I really enjoy is that camaraderie and that community that’s built through that same moment. You’re not just on the track with another car; you’re on the track with another person, and that shared experience bonds you together, which is impactful for me.

“Because of that, it’s important to me to be a steward of the sport and to enable that coexistence on the track and the building of community. I’ve never set out to be a leader or be in charge or be anything other than a good sportsman and competitor. As a by-product of that, though, I think because there is such an age difference between me and some of the younger drivers, there might be a natural sense that they might have of me being in a position of seniority.”

Kuhlman nose-dived into Skip Barber Racing School in 2005, with zero experience behind the wheel. He drove in the Skip Barber open-wheel program for three years before joining Wright Motorsports team owner John Wright in Porsche club racing from 2008-2010. New Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Race Director Todd Snyder was the race director at Skip Barber while Kuhlman was there.

“It’s fun because Todd met me when I was clueless and didn’t even know how to get around the track,” Kuhlman said. “It’s a nice reunion for us this year.”

As a manufacturer representative in the industrial process control industry, Kuhlman enjoys the diversion racing brings to his life.

“It’s the only thing I can do that allows me to completely clear my mind,” he said. “The focus while you’re in the car is so intense that nothing else can really occupy your consciousness. As a business owner you always have stuff rolling around your mind, about customers, about employees, about your suppliers – it’s never quiet. So that is what is an escape for me.”

Rounds 5 and 6 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama are scheduled for June 25-27 at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, during the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

For more information about Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama, visit www.gt3cupchallengeusa.com, follow hashtag #GT3USA @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.