Grand Prix of Long Beach 2023: Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America Recap

Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup includes Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes and rounds 3 and 4 recently took place in Long Beach.

Porsche is all about racing. Sure, the company now sells more SUVs than anything else. But the company was built upon racing and that continues to this day. In 2023 the Porsche one-make race series was renamed the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America. These races will be featured at Formula 1 events twice this year and once at NASCAR. In addition, the races are part of the IMSA/IndyCar double header that was recently held at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. All told there will be eight event weekends this year. The most recent was rounds 3 and 4 held last weekend.

It was no surprise that the winning car in each race was a 911 GT3 Cup. But what might be surprising is that Will Martin won the second 40-minute race event in the Pro class. It was only the fourth start for the 20-year old driver. It was also his first ever street race. He took the checkered flag in his number 9 car for JDX Racing.

It was the first win of the season for JDX Racing. They are the defending Pro class champion. After the race Martin said: “Coming here, I have never done a street circuit before. It was hard to get used to, but we managed very quickly, and the team did a great job with the car.” Martin had a heck of a weekend, but there was a lot more action to cover.

Pro Class

Martin won the second race in the Pro class, but Riley Dickinson won the first race. Dickenson was in his number 53 Kellymoss racecar. Dickinson is the overall Pro class championship leader with 101 points so far this season. Tom Sargent is second in class with 82 points. The Pro class offered thrills as a yellow flag bunched the field in the second race with Martin, Dickinson, and Sargent all battling closely for the top spot with Martin holding on for the win.

Pro-Am Class

The Pro-Am class races at the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup at Long Beach had a bit of controversy. The first race was won by Marco Cirone. However, after the race the stewards determined that Cirone committed a starting line violation and the victory was taken from him and awarded to Alan Metni in the number 99 Kellymoss racecar. However, that did not deter Cirone. He came back to take the win in the second race in his number 82 ACI Motorsports racer.

Am Class

Mark Kvamme is off to a hot start this season in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup Am class. At Long Beach Kvamme won both races in his number 42 MDK Motorsports racer. He has now taken the win in three of the first four races of the year. We will see if his success continues in rounds 5 and 6 of the series. Those races will be held at the Miami International Autodrome. They will be support races for the Formula One Grand Prix of Miami from May 5 – 7.

Photos: Derin Richardson

Join the Rennlist forums!

Joe Kucinski

Joe has been obsessed with cars since he got his very first Matchbox toy in the ‘70s. In 2003, he found a new obsession in track days that led to obtaining his SCCA competition license in 2015. In 2019, he became a certified driving instructor for the National Auto Sport Association. His love for all things four wheels has never wavered, whether it's driving some of the best cars in the world on the racetrack, tackling 2,000-mile road trips in 2-seat sports cars or being winched off the side of a mountaintop in a Jeep. Writing for the suite of Internet Brands Auto Communities sites, including Rennlist.com, Ford Truck Enthusiasts, 6 Speed and more allows him to share that knowledge and passion with others.