Yardley Looking to “Keep Improving” in First Year of GT3

Photo: Ryan Yardley Instagram

Ryan Yardley says he’s looking to “keep improving” in his first year of GT3 competition as the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion continues his path up the Porsche Motorsport ladder.

Yardley, who became a Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver this year, has been undertaking a dual season program in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and Pirelli GT4 America with longtime Porsche customer teams Wright Motorsports and ACI Motorsports, respectively.

The U.S.-based Kiwi and co-driver Dave Musial Jr. currently sit second in the GTWC America Pro-Am standings, just 12 points behind Kyle Washington and fellow PMNA Selected Driver Tom Sargent heading into this weekend’s three-hour round at Road America.

“It’s been awesome so far,” Yardley told Sportscar365. “It’s been great to drive alongside Dave Musial Jr. and everyone at Wright Motorsports has been awesome to work with.

“It’s been a good first half of the year, we’ve just got to keep improving and keep getting stronger to make sure we’re in the championship hunt come the Indy 8 Hour.”

Yardley is visiting Road America for the third time this month, having made his second-ever IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start in a one-off drive with RS1, while also testing at the four-mile circuit with the Adam Adelson-owned Wright squad in preparation for this weekend.

“It was nice to get some time in the car during the IMSA weekend and we had a test [at Road America] for World Challenge coming up prior to the race weekend,” he said.

“We haven’t had a test all year apart from the race weekends, so it’s going to be nice to do a test away from the race weekend and continue trajectory that myself and Dave Jr. are on.”

While Yardley and Musial Jr.’s highlight of the season came with an overall win at Circuit of The Americas in April, the 28-year-old is already setting his sights on next year, with the target of adding a full-time WeatherTech Championship program.

“The goal for me is to try and get into IMSA WeatherTech full-time for next year, and I’d love and go back and do GT World Challenge again with Dave,” he said.

“This year has been such a big learning year for the both of us in that car. I think it would be awesome to be back next year and go again.

“The priority is to keep learning in the GT3 R. It’s a big step up from the Carrera Cup car and the GT4 stuff I have been doing.

“The more mileage I can get in one these of these cars, the better. I’ll take anything in a GT3 R; I’d be super stoked about.”

New Porsche 911 GT4 R Should Be “Nice Transition” From Carrera Cup 

Yardley, who has been driving the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport in GT4 America with Damir Hot, said he’s excited to see the German manufacturer’s new weapon of choice for the GT4 ranks, the Porsche 911 GT4 R.

The car, which will debut next year, is aimed to provide drivers with a clear path of racing Porsche 911-based race cars from single-make series to GT3 competition.

“I think it’s super exciting to have a new product from Porsche Motorsport,” said Yardley. “I’m looking forward to hopefully driving one of those cars when they get here to North America.

“I think the step from Carrera Cup into GT4, whether it’d be on the Michelin Pilot side or the SRO side, is going to be a nice transition for everyone.

“The 911 product is what I’ve been used to, coming from Carrera Cup, so I’m really excited to try it out and see what everyone thinks.”

While some drivers graduating from the 911 GT3 Cup car have found it a challenge adapting to the mid-engined Cayman, Yardley said he’s enjoyed the challenge in his dual program this year.

“I really enjoy driving that car,” he said. “Maybe you have to drive it a little bit harder than some of the other GT4 products out there but it’s still a super fun product and I’ve really enjoyed driving it full time in GT4 America this year.”

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