Entering the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 15-17, Riley Dickinson had a theoretical chance of winning the championship. He leaves rounds 11 and 12 of Porsche’s premier one-make racing series as champion.
The title is the culmination of not only an impressive year on the track with the No. 53 of the Racing For Children Porsche 911 GT3 Cup prepared by Kellymoss, but of a five-year journey on the Pyramid of Porsche Motorsport North America. The Texan almost won all the points available in Indianapolis with two victories, two fastest laps and a pole position. This is in addition to seven previous race victories and six top-scoring rounds. The 21-year-old also clinched the Porsche Junior Program North America title with four rounds remaining on the 16-race calendar. Dickinson will receive the Al Holbert Cup for his overall and Pro class championship during the Night of Champions series in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 22.
The 2.49-mile road course that cuts through the heart of the world’s most famous racetrack has proven to be a favorite of Dickinson, who earned his first career Carrera Cup win there in 2022. Indy is also a favorite of Efrin Castro and Scott Noble, both back in victory lane for the second straight day. Castro has now scored six class wins for the season in the No. 20 Kellymoss Porsche. 65, while Porsche no. 10 MDK Motorsports drove Noble to his second consecutive victory at the Brickyard and his fifth Am class win of the year.
After a race without precautions on Saturday, the second race on Sunday was characterized by the yellow flag on the first lap. Following on-track incidents, three drivers were sent to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway field service center for evaluation. Saber Cook and Cirone made contact at Turn 7 on the first lap when Cirone’s No. 82 had an issue. Travis Wiley’s No. 77 had contact in a separate incident. Cirone and Wiley were evaluated and released from the Care Center. Out of an abundance of caution, Cook was transported to a local hospital for precautionary imaging. She was evaluated and released from the hospital Sunday afternoon.
“First of all, I want to make sure Saber is OK,” Dickinson said. “You had a difficult accident at turn 7 and I wish you the best.
“The start of the race was a bit scrappy. Finally, once we finished the entire yellow course, we were able to break away, stay out of trouble and do laps. I’m pretty speechless right now. Twelve months ago, here in Indianapolis, this was my first career win and now, a year later, winning the championship is a surreal moment. I’ve been working towards this for so long. This is definitely a very nice feeling.
“I can’t thank everyone at Kellymoss enough for all their hard work. It’s been an incredible two years. My mechanic Donnie Leonard has been my boyfriend for two years now and it’s really special to give him this championship. To be able to do this for Racing For Children’s and for all the children in the hospital and here is very special. Porsche Austin has been an incredible supporter of mine at home; a huge thank you to them. We will be able to go to Laguna Seca and Austin without worries about the championship, focusing only on winning the races. I can’t wait for Rennsport to arrive!”
Despite the Pro Championship being settled with four rounds to spare, the remaining class championships are still very close. In the Pro-Am category, Castro won the final four rounds, six races in total, but a slow start at Sebring prevented the 2021 class champion from capturing his second title. He has a 71-point lead over Marco Cirone, who has one win but six second places. In the Am class, MDK Motorsports teammate Mark Kvamme and Noble are now on 24 points. Four straight wins capped off Noble’s starting team.
Next: Rounds 13 and 14. Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, October 1, 2023.
The story originally appeared on Racer