Hartog, Metni and Bellomo celebrate championships in thrilling COTA finale

Review, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Rounds 15 & 16, Austin, Texas

The entire season for Pro-Am and Masters class came down to round 16; the final event of the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America race season. Ultimately, it was a spin by pursuing Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) that gave Alan Metni (Austin, Texas) enough of a gap to better his fiercest rival by a narrow 12 points in the championship. This is Metni's second Pro-Am class title win in the No. 99 iFly Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The Masters class proved to be even closer, a championship that was decided by seconds, and second-place finishes. Chris Bellomo (Portola Valley, California) and Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) were only five points apart after Bellomo made a late-season push to catch up by final race. Entering the final corner of round 16, Bellomo became entangled with another competitor, allowing Halcome to move up the one position he needed for a tie. With both drivers holding eight race wins, the tie breaker came down to the most second-place finishes. By virtue of crossing the line behind Scott Blind (Fenton, Missouri) on Sunday, Bellomo won the Masters class with five second-place finishes to Halcome's four.

Round 15. Saturday. October 19, 2024.

Zachary Vanier (Canada) added a third career Porsche Carrera Cup North America overall victory to his resume on Saturday. Vanier, 22, has positioned himself strongly for second place in the overall championship behind Loek Hartog (Netherlands) who entered the weekend having secured enough points to be crowned the 2024 Pro class champions.

Loek Hartog punctuated his championship weekend with a record-setting lap in qualifying. Hartog charged the Kellymoss Porsche around the 3.4-mile, 20-turn track in two minutes, 6.237 seconds to set on the overall pole position for race one. Ultimately, Vanier made it to turn one first, and with the help of three full-course cautions and expert restarts, kept his No. 9 JDX Racing Porsche at the front for the remainder of the 35-minute race. Ryan Yardley (New Zealand) finished in third place piloting the No. 78 Topp Racing Performance machine.

The Pro-Am battle was again a fight of the championship contenders. Efrin Castro (Dominican Republic) battled against his Kellymoss teammate and championship leader Alan Metni for much of the race. While Castro won his third consecutive race, and fourth of the season, Metni would fall to fourth place with one round remaining. James Sofronas (Villa Park, California) would follow Castro across the finish line. The driver of the No. 14 GMG Racing machine won both rounds here last year. Marco Cirone (Canada) entered the weekend third in Pro-Am points and finished third in round 15 keeping his title hopes alive in the No. 84 ACI Motorsports Porsche.

The Masters class was won by Chris Bellomo in the No. 68 Kellymoss entry with the No. 32 GMG car of Kyle Washington (Indio, California) and Scott Blind (Fenton, Missouri) in the Ruckus Racing No. 45 closing out the class podium. Points leader Matt Halcome (Dallas, Georgia) went for a ride after contact with Joel Johnson (Tolland, Connecticut). ACI Motorsports worked throughout the night to return the No. 55 ACI 'Mystery Machine' to grid for Sunday's race.'

Ryan Yardley earned his third race win of the season in the No. 78 Topp Racing Performance Porsche (previous wins came at Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta). The deciding moment for the New Zealander came with a dramatic move into the lead with just over 20 minutes remaining in the 35-minute race. Hartog and Vanier both pushed the No. 78 but were not able to overtake Yardley who used the win to secure his second-place finish in the Pro class championship. Alex Sedgwick put on a dramatic drive to finish just behind Yardley – and third in the championship – driving the PT Autosport JDX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Vanier finished the race in third place.

Alan Metni entered the final round of the season with a two-point lead in the Pro-Am class over archrival and Kellymoss teammate Efrin Castro. That is not new territory for the two as they have decided the championship between them by two points or less in three of the four Porsche Carrera Cup North America seasons. Castro won the title in 2021 by two markers, Metni took the accolades in 2022 by one point. Castro also won the championship in 2023 over Marco Cirone (Canada). Moisey Uretsky (Miami, Florida) spilt the two championship contenders with a second-place race finish.

The Masters class champion Matt Halcome did not waltz into the title deciding round. After the Georgian was turned on his side in race one, the ACI Motorsports and Porsche Motorsport North America crew worked to make necessary repairs in time to get the No. 55 car onto the grid for the final round Sunday morning. The race came down to the last corner when Kyle Washington and Bellomo made contact. That allowed Scott Blind to pass into the lead, putting Bellomo in second place and Halcome in third place. That one position tied Bellomo and Halcome in the points.

Champion's take.

As the fourth overall champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Loek Hartog will see his named engraved on the Al Holbert Cup. The Cup, which is on permanent display at Porsche Motorsport North America, has been awarded to the Pro class champion each season since the series' debut in 2021. Hartog's name will now appear alongside Sebastian Priaulx (2021), Parker Thompson (2022) and Riley Dickinson (2023). The honor is significant as is the pedigree of success that follows the title. Each of the previous champions has gone on to win at the next level of the sport including in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

In addition to a replica of the Al Holbert Cup for his trophy case, Hartog will also be awarded the tools to take his skill to the next level of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America. During Sunday evening's Celebration of Champions at Porsche Austin, the Dutch driver earned a $100,000 USD Porsche Motorsport spare parts credit to be used during the 2025 season for a Porsche program within the United States. A trip to the Porsche Night of Champions in Stuttgart, Germany, a Porsche Factory tour and Porsche Museum tour are also included in his winnings. As a daily reminder of his achievement, Hartog also was awarded a TAG Heuer Carrera Championship Winning watch.

The champions in the Pro-Am and Masters classes also enjoyed the perks of success. Both Alan Metni – the Pro-Am class champion in the No. 99 Kellymoss Porsche – and Chris Bellomo, Masters class champion in the No. 68 Porsche prepared by Kellymoss receive a Porsche road car allocation to be purchased at a Porsche Center within the United States. They will also join Hartog in Stuttgart at the Porsche Night of Champions as well as a TAG Heuer Championship Winning watch.

ANDIAL Cup. Loek Hartog, Alan Metni and Richard Edge (Masters)

Loek Hartog (Pro), Alan Metni (Pro-Am) and Richard Edge (Masters) have been crowned the inaugural ANDIAL Cup Champions for their respective classes in 2024. The ANDIAL Cup provides competitors an additional award for competing at the most iconic road courses in North America. All full season competitors receive automatic entry for the ANDIAL Cup, while those interested in running only at the more storied tracks will be presented the opportunity to compete for a championship. The tracks requisite to compete for the ANDIAL Cup are Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Road America, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Since forming in 1975, ANDIAL evolved into one of America's most successful and respected authorities on Porsche performance tuning for the track and the street. ANDIAL-prepared cars and engines won on almost every major race track in North America before being sold to Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) where elements of the company remain.

In recognition of his place with ANDIAL as well as the first president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America, Alwin Springer presented Hartog the custom made ANDIAL Cup trophy at the Celebration of Champions evening.

Yokohama Race Wins Award. Loek Hartog

Loek Hartog received the Yokohama Race Wins Award for the driver who has secured the most wins, seven, during the 2024 season from any class. The prize includes a custom painting by artist and racing enthusiast Rae Roberts.

Female Driver Program. Sabré Cook and Madeline Stewart

Pole Award. Chris Bellomo

The Pole Award is presented to Chris Bellomo for securing the most pole positions, nine, during the 2024 season regardless of class.

Fastest Lap Award. Loek Hartog

Having set the quickest lap nine times this season, Loek Hartog clinched the Fastest Lap Award. A TAG Heuer Fastest Lap Award Watch was presented to him during the end of the season celebration.

COTA results.

• Pro class winners.

o Race 1. Zachary Vanier, No. 9 JDX Racing

o Race 2. Ryan Yardley, No. 78 Topp Racing Performance

• Pro-Am class winners.

o Race 1. Efrin Castro, No. 65 Kellymoss

o Race 2. Alan Metni, No. 99 Kellymoss

• Masters class winners.

o Race 1. Chris Bellomo, No. 68 Kellymoss

o Race 2. Scott Blind, No. 45 Ruckus Racing

• On point.

o Pro class. Loek Hartog, No. 24 Kellymoss. Champion

o Pro-Am class. Alan Metni, No. 99 Kellymoss. Champion

o Masters class. Chris Bellomo, No. 68 Kellymoss, Champion

o Entrant. Kellymoss. Champion

• To the point. The complete final Porsche Carrera Cup North America point standings of 2024 can be found at: https://porschecarreracup.us/standings/ .

• Broadcast. All 2024 races are archived on Porsche Motorsport North America TV: (https://www.youtube.com/c/PorscheMotorsportNorthAmerica).

• Online. Porsche Carrera Cup North America: www.PorscheCarreraCup.us

Next Up. March 12 – 13. Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida, Rounds 1 and 2.

• On the web. www.PorscheCarreraCup.us.

Photo credit: Porsche
posted on conceptcarz.com

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