Newcomer Hartog Targeting Title in Debut Season

Loek Hartog has “no other goal than becoming champion” for his debut season in Porsche Carrera Cup North America, which he views as a “good platform” as he seeks a pathway to GT3 racing.

The 21-year-old Dutchman moves to the North American championship joining Kellymoss after a multi-year stint in the Porsche’s single-make series system in Europe.

Highlights of his time there include a title in Carrera Cup Benelux in 2020 and a fruitful 2023 campaign that saw him take a race win in Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as well as finish runner-up in the Carrera Cup Germany standings.

Hartog told Sportscar365 that he views his move to Carrera Cup North America as an “alternative approach” to breaking through into GT3 racing, with the ultimate goal of making it onto the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship grid.

“I think the IMSA pyramid shows that it had some some stars going through the ranks going into GTD eventually,” Hartog said. “I think my career has always been a bit of an alternative history, so I feel right at home here.

“Also getting in contact with the team is something that went very natural and I immediately at home in the family culture that is here in the team.

“It’s very well established, a lot of good results, all of them based on the fact that they are also into it for the long term with their co-workers and with their engineers, mechanics and management, so I feel right at home here at Kellymoss.

“I made a little promise to myself when I was still a kid that I wanted to be a factory driver one day and I think this is an alternative way of doing it.

“I tried through the Porsche Motorsport ranks and Supercup. Now my time feels a little bit up there.

“So I’m looking forward to other ways of showing my capabilities and I think this series is a good platform to show myself.”

Hartog made no secret of his ambitions for his maiden North American campaign, saying that “the target is very clear” and that he aims to succeed Riley Dickinson as series champion.

“Of course coming from a series in the Supercup, which is basically the world championship for the Porsche one-make series, there’s of course some eyes on me,” he said.

“Because I won’t be competing in that series again this year and I had some recent success there. But I think there’s no other goal than becoming champion, so that’s the main focus.”

Hartog revealed that a switch to U.S. racing was suggested by a number of Dutch racing drivers that are currently active in the WeatherTech Championship or have raced there in the past.

“I heard from a lot of people that recommended me to go to IMSA or to the United States,” he said.

“[Jeroen] Bleekemolen, [Renger] van der Zande, [Nicky] Catsburg [told me] that this is the place to be.

“So I tend to like the scenery and the atmosphere here at the track. Road Atlanta and also Road America, these are the tracks I’m looking forward to most.”