Dickinson: Carrera Cup Return Keeps Me “Relevant” in IMSA

Photo: Porsche

Riley Dickinson says his return to Porsche Carrera Cup North America is aimed to keep him “relevant” in the IMSA paddock, as the rising star sets his sights on another title run.

The 2023 Pro class champion has made his series comeback with Kellymoss, piloting the No. 91 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car in the highly competitive single-make series, beginning this week at Sebring International Raceway.

It comes after a year away from Carrera Cup competition as a driver, which saw Dickinson primarily take part in Michelin Pilot Challenge, winning two races in a Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

However, when opportunities dried up in other IMSA-sanctioned series, the 22-year-old Texan saw an opportunity to rejoin the series.

“It’s great to be back in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America paddock,” Dickinson told Sportscar365.

“Of course the Kellymoss guys, I’ve been working with them on the Porsche Sprint Challenge side of things, so I’ve been always coaching with them and just keeping tabs on how things were going.

“I did the deal with Curt Swearingin and ACI Motorsports for the SRO GT4 America program.

“For me, it left a little bit of a gap in the IMSA schedule. I worked to try and find something in WeatherTech and Michelin Pilot [Challenge] and ultimately it didn’t work out, unfortunately.

“For me, I was in the mindset of wanting to stay relevant and to stay in the IMSA paddock as driving, as opposed to just being a coach.

“An opportunity came up with Kellymoss to come back to Porsche Carrera Cup and I couldn’t be happier to be back with these guys.”

Dickinson, who scored 11 wins out of 16 races en route to the 2023 championship, said he still has plenty to learn despite already having a commanding title run two years ago.

“Ultimately for me, it’s all about being able to stay sharp, continuing to develop my craft and to hone in my skills,” he said.

“Even though it’s still a Porsche Cup car, at the end of the day, this car is an absolute blast to drive. It’s absolutely rowdy. There’s a lot that you need to do as a driver to get the most out of yourself.

“At the end of the day, this car, because it’s more of a spec one-make series, there’s not adjustable dampers or a bunch of things you can do with the car to open up that setup window.

“It’s really down to the driver and down to the very small tools you have in your toolbox.

“Ultimately from my side, it’s more about keeping myself sharp, staying relevant in the IMSA paddock and keeping my name out there as best I can.”

With new and returning drivers to the series this year, Dickinson is predicting the level of competition to be at an all-time high.

“Every year in Carrera Cup, it’s very high competition, no matter that,” he said.

“This year is pretty cool because we see how many Pro kids there are out there right now. I think the official number is 19 that we have in the Pro category, which is the most we’ve ever had in Carrera Cup.

“It’s going to be very, very competitive. We see the Porsche Pyramid system working here in North America.

“We have kids such as Paul Bocuse, Zach Vanier coming from Porsche Sprint Challenge into Carrera Cup. Zach, of course, is a proven race winner now in Carrera Cup.

“Of course, Ryan Yardley being back as well, it’s definitely going to be a really, really good fight at the front of the field.

“It’s definitely the cream of the crop here in North America and I’m just proud to be a part of it.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John