BATAVIA, Ohio, (March 16, 2021) – The newly-established Porsche Carrera Cup North America begins its inaugural season this weekend at Sebring International Raceway in support of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts. Wright Motorsports has joined the premier one-make series with three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car entries, to be driven by John Goetz, Hutton McKenna, and Max Root.
“I’m very proud of the program we’ve been able to assemble,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The new Porsche Carrera Cup is the perfect addition to the North American sports car racing ladder. This will make for excellent proving grounds for John, Hutton, and Max, now a Porsche Junior Program driver. I’m excited to see how this series will go, and grateful we get to be a part of it.”
Sanctioned by the International Motorsports Association (IMSA) and managed by Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), the one-make series is scheduled to host 16 rounds at eight venues in North America, most often in support of the WeatherTech Sports Car championship. Two 45-minute races will take place each weekend, with drivers competing in three classes: Pro, Pro-Am, and Pro-Am 991.
As the sole gentleman driver on the team, John Goetz is returning to Wright Motorsports with ample experience racing a Porsche with Wright Motorsports. He previously competed in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama after a decade of club racing in the Porsche Club of America and the Trophy East Series. Goetz will race the No. 57 Porsche this season in the Pro-Am class.
“I’m excited to join Wright team in the Carrera Cup inaugural season,” said Goetz. “It’s been over five years since I last raced with Wright. Frankly, I’ve missed being part of the tight ship they run. As a gentleman driver, I’m honored to be sharing the space with two exceptional young drivers that I can learn from and also be supported by an excellent crew. Sebring is a challenging track with a challenging field—all the better to be pushed hard.”
Hutton McKenna, son of IMSA race winner Danny McKenna, is setting out on his own professional racing journey. After a successful run in the Porsche Trophy West USA where he earned six wins and two second place finishes, McKenna is now stepping up to the next level of competition to race the No. 88 Porsche, which will sport a special livery for the occasion. The car’s look will pay homage to the Alex Job Racing Porsche his dad raced in the 2000s, sponsored by McKenna Porsche dealership.
“I’m very excited to be racing with Wright Motorsports this season,” said McKenna. “The level of professionalism from this team is unparalleled, and I look forward to achieving great results with an amazing team behind me.”
After winning the GT World Challenge America Am championship last season with Wright Motorsports and Fred Poordad, Root is back to continue his racing career, now as a Porsche Junior Program North America driver. He closed out the 2020 season with seven wins and an additional four podiums to add to his resume, including a class victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hour. He’ll run the No. 7 Porsche this season, as a partnership effort between Moorespeed and Wright Motorsports.
“I’m extremely humbled to be joining the Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports collaboration in the inaugural season of the Carrera Cup North America in the Porsche Junior Program,” said Root. “This is an amazing opportunity, and I cannot wait to get down to Sebring, get my feet on the ground, and to really focus on the championship this year. It is an amazing driver field from all over the world, and to participate in such an amazing series as Carrera Cup with Carrera Cup Germany celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year. It is a really special thing to come to North America, and I can’t think everyone with this program together enough.”
The collaborative effort between old friends David Moore and John Wright came together after last minute sponsorship changes to Moorespeed’s program resulted in the loss of their driver. Wright learned of the news and extended an offer to Moore, presenting an option for the two to join together and create an opportunity for Max Root to drive.
“Others had offered to buy the car, but I was pretty adamant that I wanted a young driver in the car, as we’ve steered our program lately more towards preparing young drivers for the top ranks,” said Moore. “Johnny [Wright] was the only guy that suggested a plan that put a young American, Max Root, in the seat. It was all his idea. Our relationship as friends and competitors goes back to the mid-90s, and I’m really humbled that our friendship took the lead helping Max get in the car.”
The deal came together just days before last week’s series test at Sebring International Raceway, allowing Root to participate in the final two sessions. The 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona race winner and longtime Porsche racer RJ Valentine contributed to the effort, helping pull together the resources needed to support the youngster.
“Even though David Moore and I have been competitors over half of our lives, we have always shared a passion for racing and giving young drivers opportunities to grow and develop in order to rise through the ranks,” said Wright. “I’m grateful to David and his help to get the third car on the grid. Our friendship goes back over 25 years, and I’m proud to be working with him on this effort.”
The race weekend festivities for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will start with a 30-minute practice series on Wednesday, March 17, followed by qualifying the following afternoon. The new series will officially begin its season with race one on Thursday at 5:30PM ET. Race two will follow on Friday morning at 10:10AM. Both races will stream live for free on imsa.tv. For additional information, visit imsa.com.
John Goetz
No. 57 Porsche GT3 Cup
I’m excited to join Wright team in the Carrera Cup inaugural season. It’s been over five years since I last raced with Wright. Frankly, I’ve missed being part of the tight ship they run. As a ‘gentleman driver’, I’m honored to be sharing the space with two exceptional young drivers that I can learn from and also be supported by an excellent crew. Sebring is a challenging track with a challenging field—all the better to be pushed hard.
Hutton McKenna
No. 88 Porsche GT3 Cup
I’m very excited to be racing with Wright Motorsports this season. The level of professionalism from this team is unparalleled, and I look forward to achieving great results with an amazing team behind me.
Max Root
Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports No. 7 Porsche GT3 Cup
I’m extremely humbled to be joining the Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports collaboration in the inaugural season of the Carrera Cup North America in the Porsche Junior Program. This is an amazing opportunity, and I cannot wait to get down to Sebring, get my feet on the ground, and to really focus on the championship this year. It is an amazing driver field from all over the world, and to participate in such an amazing series as Carrera Cup with Carrera Cup Germany celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year. It is a really special thing to come to North America, and I can’t think everyone with this program together enough. Let’s do this.
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Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. The 2020 season will see the team return to IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com
