Dickinson Scores Fourth Win of Season

Riley Dickinson took advantage of a great jump when the green flag dropped on this morning’s penultimate round of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama season and went on to lead every lap en route to victory at Sebring International Raceway.

Driving the No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine, Dickinson pulled comfortably into the lead from his second-place starting position going into Turn 1 ahead of polesitter and Platinum Cup points leader Jeff Kingsley.

From there, the 18-year-old Texan set sail, cruising to a 14.469-second victory over Kingsley.

With the victory, Dickinson staved off elimination in the Platinum Cup championship standings heading into this afternoon’s season finale.

However, Kingsley’s second-place run in the No. 16 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche left him with a 28-point lead, and the Canadian will wrap up the title for current-generation 911 GT3 Cup machines by starting this afternoon’s race.

Alan Metni clinched his third consecutive Platinum Masters championship for drivers 45 years of age and over with his 10th class victory of the season aboard the No. 99 Kelly-Moss/AM Motorsports Porsche.

Metni also finished third overall in the Platinum Cup class after fighting past Sean McAlister in the No. 11 JDX Racing Porsche midway through the race.

Metni’s victory coupled with an eighth-place Platinum Masters class result for Charlie Luck in the No. 45 Wright Motorsports entry gave Metni an insurmountable, 39-point advantage.

Michael Mennella came home second in Platinum Masters in the No. 4 MCR Racing Porsche, with Frank Raso completing the Masters podium with a third-place showing aboard the No. 57 Topp Racing entry.

Another Platinum Masters racer, Vernon McClure in the No. 10 TPC Racing Porsche, took home the Yokohama Hard Charger Award as the Platinum Cup driver who improved the most overall positions from start to finish in Race 1.

McClure finished fourth in the Platinum Masters class and ninth overall after rolling off the grid from the 15th position.

Whereas the battles for Platinum and Platinum Masters were decided early in the 45-minute race, that wasn’t the case in Gold Cup for 911 GT3 Cup machines built between 2014 and 2016.

That battle for victory between Richard Edge in the No. 18 ACI Motorsports entry and Efrin Castro in the No. 65 machine waged for much of the second half of the race.

Just after receiving the white flag, Edge claimed the lead from Castro when the No. 65 machine slid wide in Turn 1. Castro battled back to momentarily pull ahead coming out of the Turn 7 hairpin, but Edge finally claimed the position – albeit not without some door banging – in Turn 10 and went on to secure the victory. It was Edge’s first win in the series.

Castro wound up second, with Curt Swearingin – Edge’s teammate – taking third after employing a conservative approach with his Gold Cup championship lead in Race 1.

Swearingin pulled his No. 44 ACI Motorsports Porsche into the pits at the end of the first lap and came out of Race 1 with a 16-point lead. He too will wrap up the Gold Cup title simply by taking the green flag this afternoon.

This afternoon’s season finale takes the green flag at 2:35 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on IMSA.com.

RESULTS: Race 1