Kvamme ends first half of season with victory, two podiums
WATKINS GLEN, NY (24 June 2023) – Racing to End Alzheimer’s driver Mark Kvamme maintained his drive for a second-consecutive Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America championship with a strong weekend at Watkins Glen International – winning a race among a pair of podium finishes.
The driver of the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Racing Against Alzheimer’s / Drive Capital / Avery’s Trail Porsche ended the first half of the season with his sixth triumph of the campaign, having raced to his eighth podium in eight races.
“I’m so happy to get this for Phil (Frengs, Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder),” said Kvamme. “I always want to represent the program well. We’re so appreciative to everyone who has joined this effort, with all the names on the car.”
Kvamme had to come from the back of the pack to finish third in the opening race. That ended a five-race winning streak but kept his streak intact with his seventh podium. Set for a good start, his qualifying time was disallowed due to a ride-height violation that sent him to the back of the 35-car field, seventh in the Am class, for the opening 40-minute race.
“I was going to be P-1, but I missed due to a ride-height issue – by only one millimeter,” he said. “That put me to the very back of the field.”
He got a good jump at the start, only to be bumped off and spun. From that point, he worked his way forward. He took fifth in class with 20 minutes remaining, and fourth with 16:45 left – but six seconds behind the third-place car. Kvamme charged to take third with 9:10 to go. He held that position, taking 26th overall.
“I got a good start, and I passed four or five guys,” Kvamme explained. “Then I got turned around in Turn 9, and I was at the back of the pack – they told me I was 29 seconds behind. Then I had to run my rear end off. That was pretty exciting. I always want to represent the Racing Against Alzheimer’s guys, so I did it.”
Kvamme quickly went to the front in the Sunday event – and stayed there despite steady pressure until a full-course caution for a rain and an incident brought a premature end to the racing with 11:50 remaining.
“I started second, and I got a good drive around the end, and then I got lucky,” Kvamme said. “Then the rain came in, and it was crazy. It was raining, and I did not see it. I almost lost it in Turn 6. But we won, and I’m so happy for everyone who helped us.”
The second half of the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America gets underway at another historic venue, with races nine and 10 at Road America on July 28-29.
About Racing to End Alzheimer’s
In 2013, Phil Frengs’ wife Mimi was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Their experience with the disease led Frengs to a seminal moment: his company, Legistics, had long sponsored a team in IMSA sports car racing and he realized an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease. In 2017, he formed Racing to End Alzheimer’s, giving fans the opportunity to honor loved ones by putting their names on the race car via donation – with Legistics matching each donation. 100% of those donations go to the two organizations the team supports:
The Nantz National Alzheimer’s Center at Houston Methodist Hospital is exploring cutting edge strategies in therapy, care and research to find a cure for these dementias. NNAC was founded by longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz and his family in honor of his father, Jim, Jr., who passed away after a 13-year battle with Alzheimer’s.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program is a nationally-recognized grant-funded program designed to help patients and their families with the complex medical, behavioral and social needs associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
