"I’m proud of my growth with the little amount of time available and the result we took home." - Jodie Sloss collected a well-deserved runner-up spot in her first Porsche Open Cup outing, gaining valuable experience in a more powerful car than she had previously raced.
Jodie Sloss enjoyed a successful debut in Porsche Open Cup as she scored a runner-up finish at Oulton Park. Driving a Porsche 991 cup car for Race Drive, Jodie showed considerable improvements throughout her debut meeting in the series. Sloss was consistently the fastest Porsche 991 cup driver, while taking the challenge to Archie Hamilton in new 992 spec machine.
In 2022, Sloss competed in the GT Cup Championship driving a McLaren 570S GT4 for DTO Motorsport alongside Canadian Erika Hoffmann. Sloss earned this opportunity having excelled in the Formula Woman programme, winning the competition to earn her place on the grid despite having no prior racing experience. Jodie’s potential was clear and stepping up to such a high level of competition as a racing rookie was evidence of this.
Competing at the most iconic circuits in Britain in a multi-class GT Championship, Sloss gained valuable skills with individual qualifying sessions and traffic management vital during the races. The format of the GT Cup Championship with four races at the majority of events, including two mini-endurance races featuring a driver change, ensured maximum track time and the ability to improve from one day to the next. A particular highlight of Jodie’s season came on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with two top-10 finishes in group GTH for GT4 specification cars.
Despite not having a full season programme for the 2023 season, Jodie has kept herself sharp in preparation for any opportunities. In March, Sloss tested a Lamborghini Super Trofeo with Imperiale Racing and this piqued her interest in one-make GT racing. More recently, she tested a Porsche 991 cup car and with Race Drive and this led to her debut in the Porsche Open Cup. Jodie has supplemented these testing programmes with a number of outings in club championships including the Modified Ford Series where she has raced at Snetterton and the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.
After overnight rain, the track was still damp in places ahead of qualifying on Saturday morning. Jodie took to the track early in the session to build up her confidence and improve her times. She made consistent improvements throughout qualifying and ended the session second fastest, while also being the leading 991 cup car. Sloss’ time of 1:47.246 was only second to experienced driver Archie Hamilton in his newer 992 spec cup car.
Lining up on the front row of the grid for a fully dry opening race, Jodie was looking to improve her lap times and hold onto a podium position. Sloss held her runner-up spot after the opening lap and sat just two seconds away from Hamilton’s 992 Porsche cup car. By the end of lap two, Jodie was already lapping half a second faster than qualifying to underline the potential she had. The following lap saw Sloss set the fastest middle sector of the race as did a superb job to keep Hamilton within reach. Dealing with slower traffic, Jodie continued to extend the gap to fellow Race Driver competitor Hasi Peto-Dias in a similar 991 cup car.
Crossing the line in second position, Sloss collected a well-deserved podium in her first Porsche Open Cup outing, gaining valuable experience in a more powerful car than she had previously raced.
Due to a number of incidents throughout the day, the scheduled second race of the Porsche Open Cup did not take place, however Jodie can still take a number of positives from the weekend. She successfully stepped up to a higher level of competition and with her fastest race lap being just over a second slower than Archie Hamilton’s newer 992 cup car, this gives further encouragement.
“I’m very happy with my progression over this weekend for my debut race in the Porsche. I headed into race day with a strong aim to rapidly develop throughout the race, despite my lack of experience" - Jodie said.
"I’m proud of my growth with the little amount of time available and the result we took home. The Porsche 991 GT3 is certainly a rewarding car to drive.”
Sloss will be aiming for further outings in the Porsche 991 as the season progresses, building up valuable experience for an expanded racing programme in the future.