Rounds 1 & 2 held at COTA this weekend to kick off 10th anniversary season
NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. – This weekend, the drivers and teams in the 2016 Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA championship will arrive in Austin, Texas, to contest the opening two rounds of the championship at the Circuit of the Americas.
One of over 20 global championships that utilizes the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup as the competition centerpiece, the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA is celebrating its 10th season of competition under the creation and management of Competent Motorsport. With a new class set to join the championship, as well as a healthy paddock of strong team and driver combinations, 2016 is expected to be the biggest season yet for the all-Porsche series.
Two different iterations of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car comprise the Diamond (991 GT3 Cup – 2014-2016) and Platinum (997.2 GT3 Cup – 2010-2013) classes. The Circuit of the Americas weekend will mark the debut of the Porsche Cayman Clubsport GT4 in single-make competition, as the Porsche Motorsport-built 385 hp mid-engine entry level racer will race as the Silver class in 2016.
The 2016 Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA championship will feature eight race weekends, holding double-header events at renowned tracks like Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway, as well as newer facilities at the Thermal Club and Utah Motorsports Campus.
“We are very excited about getting our 10th anniversary season started at the Circuit of the Americas this weekend,” said Competent Motorsport President Greg Franz. “This should be another year of growth for this championship and we are thrilled to have attracted the interest that we have ahead of the Circuit of the Americas opener. Bringing the new Cayman GT4 ClubSport in as our Silver Class has also added a great new dimension to this championship. There are a lot of talented drivers that have committed for the season with some very strong teams to support them, so it should be a very competitive year!”
The 2016 Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA championship will be staged with support from series partners Porsche Motorsport North America, Pirelli Tires, BRM Chronographs, Discount Tire, Mothers, BBS, MoTec, Pagid, RSS, and Stand 21.
Timing and scoring information will be available here:
http://www.competentmotorsport.com/live-timing/
Get additional information and real-time updates here:
https://twitter.com/pirellicupusa
https://www.facebook.com/CompetentMotorsport
http://www.competentmotorsport.com
2016 Pirelli Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA Circuit of the Americas Schedule:
Saturday, March 12, 2016
8:00 AM- 8:35 AM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice #1
10:15 AM – 10:50 AM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice #2
1:05 PM – 1:30 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Qualifying
2:20 PM -3:05 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Race #1
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy Awards Presentations
Sunday, March 13, 2016
8:00 AM – 8:35 AM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice #1
10:15 AM -10:50 AM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice #2
1:05 PM – 1:30 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Qualifying
2:20 PM – 3:05 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Race #2
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy Awards Presentations
About the Porsche Cayman GT4 ClubSport:
Cayman GT4 Clubsport is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six engine, positioned directly behind the driver’s seat. The racing version features a modified six-speed Porsche double clutch PDK transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel and a mechanical rear-axle locking differential specifically for racing.
The lightweight strut front axle is taken from its big 911 GT3 Cup brother, which is campaigned in 20 one-make Porsche championships around the world. An enhanced lightweight strut suspension with transverse arms adopted from the 911 GT3 Cup, is at the rear. The racing brake system features large 15-inch (380-millimeter) steel brake discs all round. One-piece, six-piston aluminum fixed calipers are located at the front, with a four-piston equivalent at the rear. The anti-lock brake system features twelve settings. The Electronic Stability Program has been recalibrated for slick racing tires. The power steering is operated electro-mechanically.
Additional technical information can be found here:
Pirelli Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA Points structure, per race:
Each class points distribution is as follows:
1st – 20 points
2nd – 15 points
3rd – 12 points
4th – 10 points
5th – 8 points
6th – 6 points
7th – 5 points
8th – 4 points
9th – 3 points
10th – 2 points
Pole winner in each class earns 2 points
Fastest lap in each class earns 2 points
2015 Pirelli Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA Championship Standings:
2015 Diamond Class Championship:
P1 Fred Poordad,
P2 Michael Zuieback
P3 Steve Goldman
2015 Platinum Class Championship:
P1 Mark Nelson
P2 Annand Sharma
P3 Al Salvo
2015 Platinum Masters Championship:
P1 John Scarlett
P2 Jim Slavik
P3 John Krieg
2015 Pirelli Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy USA Race winners:
COTA 1 Diamond: Will Hardeman Plat: Fred Kaimer
COTA 2 Diamond: Will Hardeman Plat: Fred Kaimer
Sonoma 1 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Mark Nelson
Sonoma 2 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Mark Nelson
Laguna 1 Diamond: Jesse Menacer Plat: Desire Wilson
Laguna 2 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Desire Wilson
Road Am Diamond: Lucas Catania Plat: Paul Barnhart
Road Am Diamond: Jessse Lazare Plat: Paul Barnhart
Utah 1 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Desire Wilson
Utah 2 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Desire Wilson
COTA 1 Diamond: Will Hardeman Plat: Mark Nelson
COTA 2 Diamond: Michael Zwieback Plat: Mark Nelson
Sonoma 1 Diamond: Steve Goldman Plat: John Trefethen
Sonoma 2 Diamond: Fred Poordad Plat: Mark Nelson
MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
[email protected]