The RAFA Racing Team enters a busy week ahead with five drivers doing battle at two high-profile venues as our IMSA VP Sportscar Challenge and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup squads prepare for rounds three and four of their respective championships.
Our VP Challenge combination of Daytona double winner Kiko Porto and Ian Porter, plus LMP3 racer Matthew Dicken, will be in action at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with the championship racing on the support program for the third round of the NASCAR Cup Series.
On the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Caroline Candas and Maite Caceres will contest rounds three and four of the MX-5 series with RAFA Racing Team by MMR at the opening round of the NTT IndyCar Series.
For Porto, Porter and Dicken, the COTA event will be a new experience with the NASCAR weekend using the shorter 2.3-mile National circuit. After the esses, the circuit takes a left-hand turn at turn six and rejoins the longer Formula 1 circuit near the end of the back straight.
Porto heads to Texas after taking his pair of wins at the Roar before the 24 weekend in Daytona, while Porter will be chasing more trophies after clinching a third-place podium finish in round two and earning the victory in the Bronze driver title chase.
In the LMP3 class, Matthew Dicken will be out to repeat his podium performance from round two at Daytona.
In St. Petersburg, Candas and Caceres will be looking to bounce back after the dramatic crash at the start of round two at Daytona. After two competitors at the front of the pack crashed heavily at the green flag, a NASCAR-style “big one” followed, with Caceres eliminated immediately and Candas heading to the pit lane for repairs.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (All times Eastern)
Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup – Streets of St. Petersburg
IMSA VP Sportscar Challenge – Circuit of The Americas
Friday, February 28
10:00: MX-5 Practice 1
1:00: VP Challenge Practice 1
12:20: MX-5 Practice 2
3:00: VP Challenge Practice 2
7:30: VP Challenge Qualifying
Saturday, March 1
8:05: MX-5 Qualifying
9:40: VP Challenge Race 1
4:25: MX-5 Race 1
6:00: VP Challenge Race 2
Sunday, March 2
3:00: MX-5 Race 2
