The Moorespeed team is carrying momentum into the final rounds of the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama this week at Road Atlanta and have their sights set on a strong finish to the season for drivers Riley Dickinson and Rob Ferriol in Platinum and Gold Cups, respectively.
This week’s pair of 45-minute races are broadcast live on IMSA.tv. Thursday’s race begins at 5:20 p.m. EDT, and Friday’s race two at 10 a.m. EDT. The races will also be broadcast on Friday, October 18 at 2 p.m. EDT on NBC Sports Network.
Both drivers enter the finale coming off of a successful test session at the 2.54-mile circuit just north of Atlanta. In addition to his Porsche GT3 Cup duties, Ferriol will also team with Moorespeed and co-driver Spencer Pumpelly to drive the No. 18 Moorespeed/GridRival Audi R8 LMS GT4 in the GS class of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Road Atlanta.
“We feel we have a firm base to build our race week upon to ensure we have peak performances at the right time,” Moorespeed President David Moore said. “Road Atlanta is a driver’s track and, without a doubt, Rob and Riley love the place as much as I do. The test was Riley’s first outing here and he took to it like a duck in water. Rob was on fire and put down more laps than I’ve ever seen him which certainly helped to get ready for double duty and the fitness it will requires to keep his mental concentration at 100 percent. Now it’s time to put it all together.”
Dickinson enters the weekend fourth in the season-long point standings, with an opportunity to move to third with a strong finish. His focus, however, remains on improvement and getting the most out of each session in No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche 911 GT3. Despite being the youngest driver in the field week-in and week-out, Dickinson has landed on the podium in two of the last three races and five times in total during the season.
“Last week’s test went really well,” Dickinson said. “We gained valuable information for the race weekend coming up, and headed into this weekend we feel like we have a solid foundation to start building during Wednesday’s first practice. I’m looking forward to wrapping up a fantastic year with the entire Moorespeed team!”
Ferriol has finished in second-place or higher, including two wins, in six consecutive Gold Cup races behind the wheel of the No. 5 Moorespeed/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entering the finale at Road Atlanta, and has been on the podium in seven of eight races since joining Moorespeed at Watkins Glen International. A pair of strong finishes this weekend would be the icing on a successful sophomore season for Ferriol in the Porsche GT3 Cup competition.
“There is certainly momentum that has been building over the back half of the season, but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” Ferriol said. “As we push closer to the front, the stakes get higher and the margins get smaller. That push not only serves as a great morale boost to the entire team, but it also motivates all of us to keep executing and keep hustling to squeeze that last bit of performance out of ourselves and the cars. At the end of the day, the only expectation is that we perform and execute – if we do that, we know we can win.”
With the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship’s 10-hour Petit Le Mans race filling Saturday, this weekend’s race schedule gets underway with a 45-minute practice session on Wednesday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. EDT, with a second session at 8 a.m. EDT on Thursday morning. Qualifying is Thursday at 12:05 p.m. EDT, with the first race of the week at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Race Two is at 10:10 a.m. EDT on Friday morning.
