With second and third place finishes in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Sedgwick has now podiumed in all five of the team’s races at Indy
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (September 21, 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing continued its impressive podium streak at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, earning a second and a third-place finish in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
The team is now five-for-five in podium finishes at the Brickyard, adding in Sedgwick’s two third place finishes last year behind the wheel of the No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car, and his third-place finish in the 2022 Porsche TogetherFest.
While the outcomes of the pair of 40-minute races, held as part of IMSA’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks, dented Sedgwick’s championship hopes as the championship leader claimed two victories, the 25-year-old Warwickshire, UK native did solidify his hold on second place in the title chase.
As the weekend unfolded on Thursday, job one for the team was to adjust quickly to the unseasonably hot and humid conditions, with ambient temperatures over 90 degrees and track temps over 120F for most of the five on-track sessions.
The series was first out on the circuit Thursday morning, for the first of two practice sessions. Sedgwick set the fourth quickest time in session one and topped the speed charts in session two.
“The first session was all about figuring out track conditions, how the track had changed from our test a few weeks ago,” said Sedgwick. “It’s super hot here this weekend, which we weren’t really expecting this time of year, so we made a few adjustments to the car with that in mind. JDX has done a great job with the car as the track evolves – P1 in the second session and that’s exactly where we want to be for the rest of the weekend.”
In Saturday morning qualifying, Sedgwick and the team worked constantly on the car’s balance, but a rapidly changing track made for a difficult decision-making process. At the end of the session, Sedgwick held the fourth quickest time for race one – and the second quickest time for race two.
“The track changed so quickly it was hard to get to a specific setup,” said Sedgwick. “We had some trouble setting the rear of the car running by ourselves, but it’s going to be a good race car.”
Sedgwick got a solid launch at the drop of the green, despite being on the unfavored outside going into Turn 1. He powered into third position through the corner and set his sights ahead, while keeping an eye on the car in his rear-view mirror. Battling for a podium spot for the entire race, the trip to the iconic Indy podium wasn’t secured until the final lap as Sedgwick moved into third ahead of the checkered flag to score his third straight podium finish at Indy.
“We started strong but we made a bit of a gamble with setup that ultimately didn’t work out,” said Sedgwick. “The car was a handful as the temperatures got hotter. As much as I hate finishing third, it was a lot better than it could have been.”
In Saturday morning’s race two, Sedgwick looked to make a move at the drop of the green, staying to the outside of the pole sitter into Turn 1. Driven slightly wide through the corner, Sedgwick managed to hold his position. Through the early laps, Sedgwick consistently was the fastest car on track as he tried to reel in the leader but as the tires began to wear, that task became increasingly difficult. With third place in the point standings behind him in fifth, Sedgwick took what the day gave him – finishing second at the legendary circuit though ruing the lost chance to earn that top step.
“Both of us were pacing at a kind of pretty similar rate, he just had the advantage of clean air,” said Sedgwick. “And as I got closer to him, I started burning a little bit more tire – so I could get to him, but I just couldn’t close that last little bit to make a move. It’s good for the championship and it’s good to secure my position, but we didn’t come here to finish second in the championship. We still want more, I’m here to win. We’re pretty secure where we’re at so we’re really aiming for a few victories in the four races remaining (at Road Atlanta and COTA).”
Team principal Jason Myers appreciated the chance to show not only the team’s prowess, but that of its up and coming young driver.
“We love Indianapolis – we have such a great history here,” said Myers. “It’s where PT Autosport really came together as a team, with Alex getting a podium here at the Porsche TogetherFest in 2022. We’ve managed a fantastic repeat of last year’s double podium but we’re still not where we need to be to win the championship. We’re heading into the final two rounds of competition with our heads held high knowing that Alex performed incredibly well all season long. At this point, we’re reviewing offers for Alex to progress into 2025 where he deserves to be – in GTD/GT3 machinery. This will be an interesting few months as there are a few options on the table. The GTD field is so strong, it’s almost surreal to be in talks with some of these teams and manufacturers but we really believe in Alex and I think his performance over these last two seasons has really proven what a capable and complete driver he is. We look forward to seeing where we’re able to help him land!”
PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.
Next up for PT Autosport and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will be the doubleheader in support of the IMSA season finale, the Motul Petit Le Mans, at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 10-12. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.
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.
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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