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Porsche Carrera Cup NA

Porsche “Pulling Together” for Last-Minute COTA Round

Twenty-seven car entry list for second round of new-for-2021 series…

Photo: Porsche

Porsche Motorsport North America, its partners and teams have all ‘adapted quickly’ to the late addition of Circuit of The Americas to the Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by the Cayman Islands schedule according to series manager Brian Blocker.

Announced three weeks ago, the new-for-2021 series is visiting the world-renowned Austin venue this weekend as a replacement event for the recently canceled round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

It comes amid the single-make series’ first season of competition, which kicked off at Sebring International Raceway last month and has plans for eight events over the course of the year.

With COVID-19 travel restrictions still impacting international motorsports, Blocker said their organization has had to learn to “adapt quickly” over the last 12 months, as has been the case in many industries.

“Motorsports is no different,” he said. “We have advantages and challenges due to the fact that Porsche Carrera Cup North America is in its first year.

“I believe one area we have an advantage is scheduling.

“We don’t have ten years of ‘this is how it is done’ so our teams and partners have been great at working with us to achieve a common goal.

“Every race team, driver, our partners like Michelin and suppliers have all been pulling together for the greater good.”

This weekend’s event, which sees a 27-car entry, is being run as part of the SRO America event at the Texan circuit, in what will create a unique situation for the IMSA-sanctioned championship.

“We particularly have to thank IMSA, the SRO and COTA for working so hard to make this event happen,” Blocker added.

“It is not often you can interchange – on short notice – an iconic track like CTMP with a marvelous facility like Circuit of The Americas this seamlessly.

“We are looking at an incredible weekend of racing in Austin.”

Dickinson Relishing Newly Added “Home Race”

The addition of COTA offers a chance for one of Porsches’s North America junior drivers, Riley Dickinson, to have a home race.

The New Braunfels, Tx. native drives for Team Hardpoint EBM and is coming off a podium finish in Race 2 at Sebring.

“There’s nothing like having a home race,” Dickinson said. “Being able to sleep in your own bed is so nice, and the track is one of my favorites anyway.

“I’m really looking forward to it, because it is my first professional race at COTA.

“I did a test in the old Porsche Cup cars in February of 2020, but I’ve driven a lot of Porsches out here with Hill Country PCA and doing some coaching. But being here for a Porsche Carrera Cup North America race is long overdue.”

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

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