Porsche 911 GT3 R Wins Championship in Debut Season of 992 Generation
Porsche was named Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Manufacturer Champion after a whirlwind of a season battle came down to the final race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Indianapolis 8-Hour presented by AWS is the lone endurance race of the season that presents competitors with multiple challenges but rewards with double the points. With 50 points on the line, Porsche Motorsport relied on customer teams Wright Motorsports, RS1 and MDK Motorsports to push the newest generation Porsche 911 GT3 R to its limits. Up against Mercedes, Ferrari, Acura and BMW the Porsche customer teams had their work cut out for them.
In the end, the Porsche 911 GT3 R swept the FGTWC PRO Class podium to secure not only the Manufacturer Championship but a class win, team championship and driver points title. The new generation of Porsche 911 GT3 R – which debuted in SRO North America competition with the first round of the season – gave Wright Motorsports the edge to win the Indianapolis 8-Hour. A second-place finish in the endurance classic secured the PRO Class Team Championship for RS1 and gave Eric Filgueiras and Stevan McAleer the PRO Class Drivers Points Championship.
Third-place finishing MDK Motorsports with drivers Seth Lucas and Trenton Estep would collect enough points to finish their season third in the standings, a mere two points outside of second-place Racers Edge Motorsports.
“Racing against the world’s most competitive GT3 manufacturers is always a challenge,” said Volker Holzmeyer, President and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America. “To win a championship in this environment is extremely gratifying and to come down to the wire and take the title in this way makes it very sweet.
“It is a testimony to our customer teams and the Porsche Motorsport North America support team that the 911 GT3 R came out on top in 2023 in its first year. We are very thankful to each team and driver that added to this title. We look forward to taking on the challenge again in 2024."
Neither team nor driver would be in a position to win if it were not for the collaboration and support each found in the German OEM. On-site Lauren Elkins, Technical Support Specialist, BOP and 911 GT3 R, Porsche Motorsport North America, worked alongside her teams to ensure the Porsche 911 GT3 R was battle ready each race weekend.
“Winning the first championship with the 992 generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 R in its inaugural year is very special. It’s a testament to the dedication of our teams and the hard work of our colleagues in Weissach. We look forward to carrying this momentum into the 2024 season and are already hard at work supporting our teams. It’s truly an honor to be a part of history with this amazing car.”
Porsche Motorsport North America will enjoy its success for the next few months. To relive success, subscribe to the YouTube channel GT World and rewatch the Indianapolis 8-Hour livestream for free. However, the 2024 season presses the reset button on everything. Teams and drivers return to work at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma County, California, for the opening weekend.