Alex Sedgwick ready for a Porsche Carrera Cup North America doubleheader at the Miami GP while Henry Drury heads to Sebring for his second Toyota GR Cup weekend
MILLVILLE, NJ (29 April 2024) – PT Autosport will have a “split squad” this weekend, with teams in action at two Florida racetracks. PT Autosport with JDX Racing driver Alex Sedgwick looks to capitalize last year’s first Porsche Carrera Cup North America podium in the Crypto.com Formula One Miami Grand Prix doubleheader, while one of the team’s two junior drivers, Henry Drury, is set for two Toyota GR Cup races at Sebring with his Precision Racing LA w/ PT Autosport team.
Sedgwick has plenty of good memories from last year’s Miami GP, having scored his first Porsche Carrera Cup North America podium. Now he looks to move up the podium, ready to capture his first series victory.
The 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native came into his second season behind the wheel of the No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car with the intention of contending for the championship title and earned two top five place finishes at the Sebring season opener last month. Sedgwick knows that a full season racing on all but two of the tracks the series will visit in 2024 gives him and his JDX team a solid baseline, especially a circuit like Miami, where none of the teams have tested this season.
“Last year was great,” remembers Sedgwick. “That weekend really seemed to be when I started to click with the car. The lack of testing or practice actually helped, as everyone was on a more even playing field. We were unlucky not to come away with a double podium due to a penalty in race one, but it’s definitely somewhere I’m hoping to make a step forward. It’s a high commitment, high-speed track with little run off so being able to learn/adapt quickly with limited practice time will be key.”
Meanwhile, in central Florida, Drury and Precision Racing LA w/ PT Autosport head to Sebring determined to move up the grid in the pair of Toyota GR Cup races, on the heels of Drury’s solid series debut at Sonoma earlier in the month.
The 24-year-old English born, Tampa, Fla. resident – winner of the inaugural PT Autosport Aspiring Driver Shootout – acquitted himself well in his first professional weekend, though the finishes did not reflect how quickly he got up to speed behind the wheel of the No. 88 PT Autosport Toyota GR86 Cup Car.
His performance was particularly impressive given the fact that issues with Sonoma’s full track re-pave cost the participants a test day and two full practice sessions. Drury had just one 30-minute practice, late Friday night in damp and cold conditions, to get up to speed.
“I was just so excited to get started at Sonoma and prove myself, to get to work and show that I deserve my place here,” said Drury. “I think we left Sonoma feeling that we’d missed out on a few opportunities, that we didn’t quite show where we think we can be on the grid. So I think my mindset is still the same as we head to Sebring, that we’re still determined to prove that we’ve got what it takes to be up at the front.
Drury has not raced there himself, but he has worked with Sedgwick at both of Sedgwick’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America races at Sebring – and appreciates the coaching he received from Sedgwick during the Sonoma weekend and leading up to this weekend.
“I did a racing school at Sebring but only on the ‘boring half’ of the circuit corners,” smiles Drury. “So it’s been good to have Alex as a resource. We’re going over footage from his races at Sebring and from my races at Sonoma and trying to put everything together to make sure that we go into the weekend and start things off strongly.”
“I was super impressed with Henry’s performance at Sonoma, especially since it was his first professional race,” said Sedgwick, who also serves as PT Autosport’s Head of Driver Development. “It was a less than optimal scenario, going in with such limited time in the car – and needing to fully learn the car in race conditions, learn the track, and get the car in qualifying mode, all in just 30 minutes. He dealt with that very maturely, putting his head down, making the most of the available time, and progressing throughout the weekend. I’m very proud of him. His pace continues to develop, and more seat time will only improve that. We’ve gone through his videos and feedback, and we went through the post-event report – which every PT junior driver completes after each test or race weekend. Hopefully all that adds up to a good weekend.”
The Toyota GR Cup series will contest two 45-minute races at Sebring. Race one will take the green flag Saturday at 2:50 p.m. ET, with race two Sunday at 2:45 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live at www.grcup.com.
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America series will contest two races at the Miami Grand Prix. Race one takes the green flag Saturday at 5:50 p.m. ET, with race two Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.
PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club of Manhattan, and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus and Renier Construction.
About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.
PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA, and 2023 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Brenna Schubert (USA) in a soon-to-be-announced series for the 2024 season.
PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.
A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.
PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.
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