From slick conditions on Saturday to wet conditions on Sunday, Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama competitors experienced varying racetrack dynamics at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
In the series’ penultimate round of the season, two of four classes featured repeat winners, but the victories did not come easily.
The Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Pro-Am class had wins split between Brannan Hankins in Race 1 and Josh Conley in Race 2.
Hankins with Loftus Motorsports started from the pole position on Saturday, but after a poor start, had to rework his way back to the top spot, which he did by Lap 16.
In the meantime, Jake Chu – making his series debut with BR Racing – led laps en route to a second-place finish ahead of Daniel Hanley in third.
On Sunday, Conley rocketed to the top after starting fifth in class, also with BR Racing and in his first outing with Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West after contesting the sister North America series.
The battle then ensued behind Conley as Mark Wilgus finished second by less than two-tenths ahead of Hanley again in third.
Hankins sadly suffered a spin on the formation lap and had to start from the back of the pack, but fought back to finish fourth in class.
The 992 GT3 Cup Masters category was also split between championship leader Scott Blind and last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America Masters champion, Chris Bellomo, entered with CHR.
Blind passed Bellomo for the lead early in Saturday’s contest in his Ruckus Racing Porsche, while Bellomo stole the lead from Blind in Race 2 with less than two minutes remaining.
Jim Walsh completed the podium on Saturday, while Matt Dusek – also in his Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West debut – finished second on Sunday ahead of Blind in third.
In a captivating story, the father-daughter pair of Greg and Anna Cecchi tried their hand at Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West, and both drivers were victorious across both days in the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Masters and Pro-Am classes, respectively.
It was the first Porsche Sprint Challenge win of Anna’s career. It came one week after the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program and Porsche EBOOST Junior Program racer attended the Porsche Motorsport North America annual workshop at Porsche Team Penske last week.
Her father, Greg was previously victorious at Sonoma Raceway in April running in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. Anna is currently second in the North America 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Pro-Am standings, while Greg is fifth in the Masters class.
In second place behind the younger Cecchi was Jack Parriott, who maintains his championship lead as part of a full-season effort.
In the Masters class, Tim Smith and Greg Herback followed the elder Cecchi in Race 1, while the two drivers swapped places to complete the Race 2 podium on Sunday.
Only one event remains for Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama, as the finale is scheduled for Road Atlanta on September 12 – 14.
Meanwhile, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama returns to action in two weeks time at Road America from August 8 – 10.
Race replays throughout the season are available on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube Channel.
992 GT3 Cup Race 1 Podium:
Pro-Am
Masters
718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Race 1 Podium:
Pro-Am
Masters
992 GT3 Cup Race 2 Podium:
Pro-Am
Masters
718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Race 2 Podium:
Pro-Am
Masters
Full results from all sessions can be found here.
All photos can be found here.
The intensity ramped up at VIRginia International Raceway, where dominant drives and repeat winners stole the spotlight across every class in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.
It was a steamy weekend in Alton, Virginia, but the victors were just as hot as 15 cars contested the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport categories, and more than double that number ran in Porsche 992 GT3 Cup.
From start to finish, Cole Kleck and Kayden Kelly both dominated their 992 GT3 Cup classes at VIR. Kleck, running in the Pro/Am category, tallied his sixth and seventh wins of the season with Topp Racing, while Kayden Kelly and Kellymoss were victorious for the second and third time this year in the Masters class.
While both drivers were dominant en route to winning, Kelly finished third on the overall podium in both races to compete alongside the Pro-Ams.
The remaining Pro-Am podium spots were mirrored from Race 1 to Race 2, with Danny Dyszelski finishing second and Evan Hinkle finishing third.
17-year-old Dyszelski impressed in his GT3 debut. The South Carolina youngster drove his Cayman to a pair of wins at Sonoma earlier this year and is also campaigning the same car in PIrelli GT4 America this season with Alex Ellis.
In the Masters class, championship leader Scott Blind walked away from VIR with a double runner-up finish, while Mark Boden had his best performance of the year on Saturday in third place. John Gilliland completed the Masters podium on Sunday.
For the third time this season, Jens Hantson found himself atop the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport podium in both races during an event weekend.
After sweeping performances at Sebring International Raceway at Circuit of The Americas earlier this year, Hantson and Speedsport Tuning did the same at VIR to expand their championship lead in the Pro-Am class.
As has been the case throughout 2025, Hantson has had a pack of racers from the Porsche Mobil 1 Female Driver Program chasing him throughout the weekend. Hantson came under pressure from the female duo of Anna Cecchi – who started from pole on Saturday for the first time in her career – and Loni Unser.
Both drivers finished within a second of Hantson in Race 1, with Cecchi in second and Unser in third, while the women swapped spots on Sunday’s podium. Unser’s efforts in pursuit of Hantson came up just .417 seconds shy in Race 2.
In the Cayman GT4 Clubsport Masters category, Daniel Ammann had his best showing of 2025 with a double victory of his own for Vintage Racing Company. Ammann inherited the Race 1 win after the leader was issued a drive through penalty, but started and finished first on Sunday prior.
Tom Kopczynski finished second on Saturday, while Bill Fenech recovered from a Race 1 incident to finish second on Sunday. Will Peluchiwski finished third in both contests.
The next round of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama is set for Road America in less than one month from August 8 – 10.
Race replays throughout the season are available on the Porsche Motorsport North America YouTube Channel.
992 GT3 Cup Race 1 Podium
Pro-Am
Masters
992 GT3 Cup Race 2 Podium
Pro-Am
Masters
718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Race 1 Podium
Pro-Am
Masters
718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Race 2 Podium
Pro-Am
Masters
Full results from all sessions can be found here.
All photos can be found here.
| Round | event | date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Sebring Int Raceway | Feb 28 - March 2, 2025 |
| Round 2 | Sonoma Raceway | APRIL 4 - 6, 2025 |
| Round 3 | Circuit of the Americas | MAY 16 - 18, 2025 |
| Round 4 | Virginia International Raceway | JULY 11 - 13, 2025 |
| Round 5 | Road America | AUGUST 8 -10, 2025 |
| Round 6 | Watkins Glen International | AUGUST 29 -31, 2025 |
| Round 7 | Road Atlanta | September 12 - 14, 2025 |
| Round | event | date |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Spring Mountain | MARCH 21 - 23, 2025 |
| Round 2 | Sonoma Raceway | APRIL 4 - 6, 2025 |
| Round 3 | Circuit of the Americas | MAY 16 - 18, 2025 |
| Round 4 | Burt Brothers Motorpark | MAY 30 - JUNE 1, 2025 |
| Round 5 | Weathertech Raceway | JULY 25 - 27, 2025 |
| Round 6 | Road Atlanta | September 12 - 14, 2025 |
