Winning Homecoming

Subtitle:Thompson Takes Season Finale; Wright Captures Platinum Team Title

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2015) – The situation and location were different, but Colin Thompson ended the 2015 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama season in the same spot that he did in 2014 – atop the podium.

Thompson, from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, won the season-ending Round 16 on Sunday, Sept. 27 in bright sunshine during Porsche Rennsport Reunion V at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

The 2014 season finale took place in a driving rain at Road Atlanta, with Thompson’s victory securing him the Platinum Cup Drivers Championship with Kelly-Moss Motorsports. Thompson raced this season in another Porsche GT3 Cup series with Kelly-Moss, but he returned to the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned single-make series this weekend for the final two rounds of the season.

“I’m really, really happy to bring it home for Kelly-Moss Motorsports for the last race of the year,” Thompson said.

The race ended under yellow. Angel Benitez Jr., from Miami, finished second in the No. 05 JDX Racing Porsche. Jesse Lazare, from Montreal, took the final podium spot in third in the No. 21 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche.

Lucas Catania, from Cazenovia, New York, placed fourth in the No. 26 NGT Motorsport Porsche. Kasey Kuhlman, from Cincinnati, rounded out the top five overall finishers and was the top Platinum Masters finisher in the No. 15 Wright Motorsports Porsche.

Kuhlman’s finish ensured that Wright Motorsports won the Platinum Cup Team Championship, the only title left to be decided in the final 45-minute of the season. Ohio-based Wright Motorsports edged 2014 Platinum Cup Team Champion Kelly-Moss Motorsports, 282-276, in the standings.

It was the third Platinum Cup Team Championship in the last four seasons for Wright, which also won in 2012 and 2013.

Jeff Mosing, from Austin, Texas, put an exclamation point on his Gold Cup and Gold Masters championship season by finishing off a sweep of both classes this weekend in the No. 01 TOPP Racing Porsche.

Thompson wasted no time moving to the front from the second starting position in the No. 5 Kelly-Moss Porsche. He and pole sitter and newly crowned Platinum Cup Drivers Champion Elliott Skeer drove side-by-side through Turns 2 and 3 of the 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit after taking the green flag, with Thompson grabbing the preferred line exiting Turn 3 and taking the lead into Turn 4.

He never trailed thereafter. Thompson gradually extended his lead over Benitez, who squeezed past Skeer on the first lap for second. Thompson built a gap of 5.517 seconds with 14 minutes remaining.

Meanwhile, Benitez and Skeer stayed within one second or less of each for most of the race in a tense joust for second place. But with nine minutes left, Benitez and Skeer both said their cars encountered fluid that dropped from another competitor in Turn 6.

The rear end of Benitez’s Porsche slid, but he was able to collect the car and keep on track. Round 15 winner Skeer wasn’t so lucky. His No. 14 Wright Motorsports Porsche slid off track and into the gravel trap, brushing the wall and triggering the only full-course yellow of the race. Platinum Masters competitor John Goetz, from Weston, Connecticut, also slid off in the same spot in his No. 18 Wright Motorsports Porsche.

Skeer, from Carlsbad, California, was able to drive his Porsche back to the pits. He returned to the race under yellow with one minute, 30 seconds remaining and was credited with 22nd place, continuing his streak of running at the finish of every round this season.

The debris from Skeer and Goetz’s separate off-track excursions in Turn 6 forced the race to end under yellow.

Thompson, who finished fourth in Round 15, was confident he could have stayed in front if racing resumed.

“We made a lot of changes overnight between the driving and the setup of the car,” Thompson said. “We worked really late last night. I can’t stress enough how great Kelly-Moss Motorsports is. They work as long as it needs, until we know we can win. We went into this morning totally confident that we had that.

“It mixed it up a lot when it went yellow at the end, but we felt strong that we had a car to pull away again if it went green again. Finishing under yellow is always a safer bet, so we’ll take a win.”

Platinum Masters

Two-time reigning Platinum Masters champion Kuhlman finished second to David Ducote after a stirring duel in Round 15 Saturday, only the second time he has been off the top step of the podium in the last seven races.

So Kuhlman made amends with authority in Round 16, driving away for his 11th victory of the season. Kuhlman led Ducote by nearly 20 seconds before the race-ending yellow.

“A little adjustment to the car, a little adjustment to my driving, great coaching by Bob Viglione and Jan Heylen in our trailer,” Kuhlman said of the difference between today and Saturday. “Kudos to Wright Motorsports. Great car today. I just went after it today.

“It feels good to shut it down for the season on the top step and reassert my dominance of the season. Yesterday was fun, racing with David. But today was a little more fun.”

Ducote, from Houston, finished second to complete a successful return weekend to the Platinum Masters class for the first time this season in the No. 6 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche. He has competed in Gold Cup since August 2014.

“All in all, it was a fun race, good day, and I’m happy to have a second,” Ducote said. “Platinum is looking pretty interesting (for 2016).”

Jay Patel, from Crown Point, Indiana, secured second in the Platinum Masters Drivers Championship by finishing third in the No. 00 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche. Patel finished his strongest season in the championship with his ninth podium finish.

Patel also earned the 2015 Yokohama Hard Charger Award in Platinum Cup for advancing more positions than any other driver in the class this season.

Gold Cup/Gold Masters

Mosing completed his tour de force through both classes this season with his ninth Gold Cup and 12th Gold Masters victories of the season, winning today fro the class pole.

The statistics surrounding Mosing’s season are astonishing in their punishing, metronomic consistency: He finished first or second in all 16 rounds in both classes.

And there’s good news for Mosing’s competition in both classes. His reign of terror probably is over, as he plans to climb to Platinum Cup and Platinum Masters competition in 2016.

“I am really going to miss running these Gold Cup cars,” Mosing said. “Trixie’s been a lot fun, but she will be reincarnated as a Platinum car next year.”

Mosing earned the Yokohama Hard Charger Award for this round.

Mark Llano, from Wellington, Florida, finished second in the No. 22 NGT Motorsport Porsche to secure second place in both classes in his best season in the series. Llano earned his eighth Gold and Gold Masters podium finish of 2015.

Fred Kaimer, from Austin, Texas, finished third in the No. 23 NGT Motorsport Porsche. Kaimer competed in only the last four races of the season but finished third three times.

Wayne Ducote, 70, from New Orleans, earned the 2015 Yokohama Hard Charger Award in Gold Cup for advancing more positions than any other driver in the class this season.

ROUND 16 POST-RACE QUOTES:

COLIN THOMPSON (No. 5 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, winner): “We made a lot of changes overnight between the driving and the setup of the car. We worked really late last night. I can’t stress enough how great Kelly-Moss Motorsports is. They work as long as it needs, until we know we can win. We went into this morning totally confident that we had that. I knew that (Elliott) Skeer is strong, and we had to get him on the start. So it was tight going into (Turn) 1 and went two-wide going into 2, but I had the line for 2 and 3. So it was good from there. We opened up a bit of a gap, and they started dicing behind us. So I just paced it out to a pretty strong lead and just held on for the win. It mixed it up a lot when it went yellow at the end, but we felt strong that we had a car to pull away again if it went green again. Finishing under yellow is always a safer bet, so we’ll take a win. Really, really happy to bring it home for Kelly-Moss Motorsports for the last race of the year.” (When you have a car that strong, is your mentality to grab the lead immediately instead of sitting back and picking a spot to pass?): “These guys are all so good out here. The top four, five or six guys are all really strong and can win a race. I knew I had to give 100 percent my first lap. If I didn’t, I might get shuffled back real quick, and you’re kind of fighting a losing battle at that point, just like we did yesterday. So I knew I had to assert myself right off the beginning and open up a gap, and from there it was just pacing to the win.”

ANGEL BENITEZ JR. (No. 05 JDX Racing, second): “I had a close call right at the same moment (Elliott) Skeer went off. I think somebody was leaking fluid because in that same turn I just lost the rear. I caught it quickly enough to control it. I think that something was on the track. Amazing weekend. We had a tough qualifying, which put me into a bad situation for the race. But we’re happy to finish with two podiums. We had a car to win. But in the fight with Skeer, we had a little touch, and my suspension got bent. But it is what it is. It’s racing. I’m just happy, so grateful to be here. I have to say thanks to Hertz and JDX for giving me a great car, great conditions for working, a great environment and great support. It’s very, very awesome team and great support from Hertz. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

JESSE LAZARE (No. 21 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, third): “It feels good. The car was consistent all year. I want to thank Kelly-Moss. Obviously, Colin (Thompson) had the same car as me, and it worked great. Thanks to Kelly-Moss, thanks to all of my sponsors, and we’re going to keep pushing.” (Are you satisfied with five victories and finishing second in the standings?): “Absolutely, and I’m just going to continue to keep getting better every year.”

KASEY KUHLMAN (No. 15 Wright Motorsports, first Platinum Masters): “A little adjustment to the car, a little adjustment to my driving, great coaching by Bob Viglione and Jan Heylen in our trailer. Kudos to Wright Motorsports. Great car today. I just went after it today. I had a good start; I was aggressive right off the beat. I feel really good about this drive. I didn’t make a mistake. It was just a solid day, a solid weekend for me.” (What does it mean to enter the offseason with a dominant victory?): “It feels good to shut it down for the season on the top step and reassert my dominance of the season. Yesterday was fun, racing with David (Ducote). But today was a little more fun.”

DAVID DUCOTE (No. 6 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, second Platinum Masters): “I didn’t get a great start. I lost a couple of positions. I ended up in a battle with Mike Schein, who was wheel to wheel with me literally the whole race. He drove very well, very clean. He didn’t make any big mistakes. I couldn’t get around him. So kudos to him. I couldn’t get around him and catch up to the rest of the guys I thought I was going to try to run down. But all in all, it was a fun race, good day, and I’m happy to have a second.” (Looking at Platinum or Gold in 2016?): “Platinum is looking pretty interesting.”

JAY PATEL (No. 00 Kelly-Moss Motorsports, third Platinum Masters): “I had a good start, and at Turn 2 I got pushed off in the dirt. Bill (Peluchiwski) passed me and a couple of cars, and I figured I’d keep my head down, click off the laps and chase those guys down. I saw Peluchiwski and (Oscar) Arroyo in a battle. I figured my goal was to stay consistent and creep up to them. I got past (Jeff) Mosing, and I had a problem with my shifter, and I got behind. And again, I was going to keep on focusing on them. Something happened, and I got by them. It was unexpected, and it was a good race. Thanks to my wife and Kelly-Moss.” (Happy with your strong season?): “It was a learning season. It was really good to learn a lot more with Kelly-Moss this year. The setup and the coaching helped a lot. It was overall a great season, and I look forward to coming back next year and doing Platinum again.”

JEFF MOSING (No. 01 TOPP Racing, winner Gold Cup, Gold Masters, Yokohama Hard Charger Award winner): “This year has been a total blast. One thing I do want to say that that we miss the Levitas family. Not only are they great competition, but they are great people. My thoughts and prayers are out to Erin (Levitas) and her fight against cancer. So my thoughts have been with them this whole year since they have not been with us. Last race was a lot of fun. We really wanted to work on the setup, and we achieved what we wanted and ran a bit quicker today with a (1:) 31.1, I believe. Hats off to Todd (Opperman) and the team for not letting their guard down. We were fast, but we weren’t just going to give it up there. We wanted to see what the car was capable of here, so we can bring what we learned here next year. Just a lot of fun. I am really going to miss running these Gold Cup cars. Trixie’s been a lot fun, but she will be reincarnated as a Platinum car next year.”

MARK LLANO (No. 22 NGT Motorsport, second Gold Cup, Gold Masters): “We just feel so blessed in so many ways to have such a great year and learn so much from NGT and all the pros that are surrounding us and the series, in general. It’s just been such a great year. So I am very thankful for all those that have supported us and have stayed true to the mission. Thank you to the series. IMSA is one of a kind, and it’s a very special series. The drivers, a lot of great semi-pro and professional drivers, so it’s great teamwork and great camaraderie. I think when you look at the year and what we have been able to accomplish with those around us, we are just very fortunate. Thank you to the series and Yokohama and the pit crew and all those who have really helped out SERKET Racing. Until next year … ”

FRED KAIMER (No. 23 NGT Motorsport, third Gold Cup, Gold Masters): “It’s been fun. Great weekend. This is a cool track. It was a great race, great weather, awesome event. That kind of motivated me a little more.” (Any changes to your driving style the last two events, which have been very strong for you?): “No, not really. Just getting lucky, doing well, getting some good starts. I’m pretty much holding guys off after that.”