Pretty much guarantees a Porsche GT3 will win all the races. 
As popular as the Carrera Cup has been in numerous countries around the world, the iconic one-make race has been notably lacking in North America. Until now.
Sanctioned by IMSA and supported by Porsche Motorsports North America, the Carrera Cup North America will be a one-make race featuring the "yet-to-be-unveiled Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car" that, as the name suggests, will run on some of the continent's most iconic road courses.
The first race is set to run at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, March 17-20. The rest of the tentative schedule is as follows:
| Date | Event/Venue |
|---|---|
| March 17-20 | Sebring International Raceway |
| May 20-23 | Canadian Tire Motorsport Park |
| June 24-27 | Watkins Glen International |
| July | Toronto Indy |
| August 6-8 | Road America |
| August 20-22 | Virginia International Raceway |
| September | TBA |
| October 6-9 | Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta |
Each race will be 45 minutes long, with points earned counting towards both a driver and a team championship for three categories: Pro, Pro-Am and Rookie. Eligibility for each class is dependent on a few different factors.
The Pro category is only applicable if the driver and team is using the newest 911 GT3 Cup car available from Porsche. The Pro-Am category is reserved for drivers who do not "make a primary profession of automobile racing," and can use either the newest GT3 Cup car or one from the previous generation. The Rookie category is only open to drivers who are 23 or younger, and can rely on the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior program for support.
For more information about the Carerra Cup North America, read the full press release below:
Lexington, Ohio, September 25, 2020 – 30-years in the making, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America is scheduled to debut in 2021. The premier one-make race series in the United States and Canada will utilize a combination of the latest yet-to-be-unveiled Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car and MICHELIN® Pilot® Sport Cup N3 racing slick to challenge the best road and street race courses on the continent. As with all national Carrera Cups worldwide, Porsche, through Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), will manage the single-driver per-entry series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) will act as official sanctioning body as well as manage scrutineering and steward on-track activity. Opening its season in March 2021 at Sebring International Raceway, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will take its place as the pinnacle of one-make cup championships on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in North America. Brian Blocker of PMNA has been named the Series Manager by Dr. Daniel Armbruster, CEO & president, PMNA.
The inaugural season of the championship will host 16-rounds at eight venues in the eastern United States and Canada. Each 45-minute race will count toward a season-long driver and team championship in each of three classes: Pro, Pro-Am and Rookie. All drivers can contend for Pro class victories but must utilize the newest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car to do so. The Pro-Am class is eligible for “Gentlemen” drivers – a driver who does not make a primary profession of automobile racing. A driver in the Pro-Am category may use the newest machine or the previous generation. The Rookie class is only open to drivers who are 23-years-old or younger. All drivers age 23 and under enjoy the additional benefit of inclusion in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior program.
As a Junior, drivers receive valuable training tools for those wishing to make a career of professional motorsport. A driver will be selected from the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Junior program to represent the region in the annual Porsche Junior Shootout in Germany at the end of the year. The Team Championship is eligible for full season entries running the current generation race car.
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America joins the 21 Porsche one-make championships competing in 31 countries on five continents. It becomes the tenth Carrera Cup worldwide. Each race will enjoy live streaming accessible through the IMSA app and Porsche Motorsport North America web page (www.PorscheCarreraCup.us). Additional broadcasting and production plans are being finalized and will be communicated in the coming weeks.
The original Carrera Cup concept was founded in 1990 with the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (Germany). One year later, France had its own one-make championship. By 1993, with the opportunity to race from within the Formula 1 paddock, Porsche Supercup was created. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup remains the highest single make series globally utilizing the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car. A fourth Carrera Cup was added in 2001 when Japan began its own series. 2003 saw further growth of the concept with the addition of Great Britain, Australia and an overall Asia championship coming online. One year later, Carrera Cup Scandinavia was added into the mix while Brazil and Italy debuted the following two years. Since 2007, those nine regional Carrera Cups have been part of the global Porsche Motorsport Pyramid funneling the very best of their champions to Porsche Mobil Supercup and into professional sports car and GT racing.
With the addition of Michelin tires, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America stays in lockstep with Carrera Cups run around the globe, each of which utilizes the official Porsche Motorsport partner to support safe, competitive and consistent racing. Michelin and Porsche have enjoyed a successful partnership in both motorsports and production vehicles for decades, with the French premium tire brand and the German sports car manufacturer working hand-in-hand since 1961. It is a partnership that has repeatedly produced sensational supercars, championship seasons and world record lap times in both race car and production cars. In North American motorsports, Michelin has partnered with Porsche in more than 120 sports car racing wins.
Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), founded in 1985, is the only authorized sales, parts and service provider in the United States and Canada for all purpose-built Porsche race cars including the 911 GT3 R, 911 GT3 Cup, Cayman 718 GT4 Clubsport, 911 GT2 RS Clubsport and 935-19. PMNA provides engine and transmission servicing, on-site race support and restoration services for historic Porsche race cars. A whollyowned subsidiary of Porsche AG, PMNA is headquartered in 15,000 square feet of the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles.
Dr. Daniel Armbruster, President/CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America.
“For those aware of the Carrera Cup tradition worldwide, they will understand that this is a new and unique series to anything we have ever had in North America. Carrera Cup is the ultimate regional step in the one-make championships globally. While we have always run our Cup Challenge program at the highest level possible, and closely on par with any Carrera Cup, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America provides us the opportunity to present an even greater product to our customer and to racing fans.
We are very excited and very pleased to continue our partnership with IMSA, who has proven so vital to the growth of Porsche one-make racing. Through the addition of Michelin as our tire partner, we bring in a longtime associate of Porsche Motorsport and now completely align Porsche Carrera Cup North America with the other nine championships worldwide. We will have several more exciting additions to announce in the coming months. For now, we could not be more pleased with the future for Porsche Motorsport here on this continent and for what the Porsche Carrera Cup North America means to the global racing scene. We look forward to this next chapter starting at Sebring, 2021.”
John Doonan, President/CEO, International Motor Sports Association.
“Many aspiring sports car racers in other parts of the world have used the Porsche Carrera Cup as a springboard to a professional career in sports car racing. IMSA is proud to open the next chapter in our decades-long partnership with Porsche Motorsport North America, to bring this opportunity here to the U.S. and Canada next year with the launch of Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Competition in other Carrera Cup races is fierce, and I have no doubt this series will bring that same level of entertainment to race fans on this continent.”
Brian Blocker, Series Manager, Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
“Our goal with Porsche Carrera Cup North America is to create a customer racing series that truly addresses the needs of the market. We want to create a new championship that is in the best interest of those who compete in it, aspire to it and watch it; not a rebranding of what we had nor a plug-and-play to what other regions around the world do. North America is a unique market with opportunities and potential that others do not enjoy. We will hold and honor the best traditions of Carrera Cup globally, but we will also think outside of the box to create a new and unique type of experience for our competitors and fans. As an example, we have developed a working relationship with Patrick Long and the team at Luftgeku?hlt to bring an innovative new design and feel to the paddock, and to create an immersive Porsche-branded atmosphere celebrating the past, present and future of Porsche Motorsport. We are collectively exploring different ideas to improve the series from a real racer’s perspective and to highlight and bring attention to the personalities and the teams that put in a massive amount of work behind the scenes to make it all come together.
We spent a lot of time talking with all of our partners: teams, drivers, marketing partners, suppliers and IMSA, over the last several years and particularly during the downtime earlier in the spring. The goal is to develop a series that meets the goals of everyone involved. We have taken that feedback and implemented it into what you will see on track for the first time at Sebring, March 2021.”
Tony Ménard, Motorsport Director, Michelin North America.
“Michelin has enjoyed a six-decade partnership with Porsche Motorsport that has defined the track-to-street programs that companies strive for. The addition of the Porsche Carrera Cup in North America is another thread in the fabric of the global customer racing partnership between the companies.”
2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Schedule (provisional)
Date Event/ Venue
March 17 – 20 Sebring International Raceway
May 20 – 23 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
June 24 – 27 Watkins Glen International
July Toronto Indy
August 6 – 8 Road America
Aug. 20 –22 VIRginia International Raceway
September TBA
Oct. 6 – 9 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
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Pretty much guarantees a Porsche GT3 will win all the races.
I have been watching some of there races on the YouTube and it is some darn competitive racing. Reminds me of spec Miata except there cars cost a bunch more.
If they allow fans by then, I might try and take my 2.0s to the Oct race in Atlanta. I'll have to skip that August one tho...too HOT!
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