Top team Kelly Moss will select a female driver for the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America via a 2-day shootout test, as 4 women will be invited at Putnam Park Raceway and evaluated by a jury led by racing star Lyn St James.
American-based team Kelly Moss announced a shootout dedicated to female racers aimed at finding the next talent for its 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America campaign.
Twelve women have been invited, based on their racing resumé, and four of them will have the chance to prove themselves in a shootout selection for a seat in the championship-winning team.
The two-day assessment test will be held at Putnam Park Raceway, Indiana, USA, where the candidates will be evaluated on and off the track, with lap times being only one of the points under scrutiny: crucial factors will also be communication with engineers, understanding of car dynamics, media skills.
The impressive jury panel includes 1992 Indy500 Rookie of the Year – and co-founder of Women In Motorsport North America – Lyn St James, Porsche Carrera Cup NA race winner Riley Dickinson, team owners Victoria Thomas and Andy Kilcoyne, as well as team's management and engineering personnel.
“The Netflix F1 series, Drive to Survive has further proven women are very interested in motorsports when they know the story beyond just race results" – said co-owner Victoria Thomas, who now aims at drawing more women in the sport and its community.
Kelly Moss team has an outstanding experience in GT racing, with over 100 victories and 35 national championship titles, which will surely be crucial in the development of a driver that will rely on top equipment and coaching.
“We chose to invite women who have shown they can compete at the level necessary" – continued Thomas. "We feel the Kelly Moss pedigree, with 35 National Championships under our belt, truly gives the support necessary to break the barrier of the first female owned team / female pro driver championship in motorsports history."
Sanctioned by IMSA, the series employs the new 992 generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. The Kelly Moss funded seat includes 16 races, 6 tests, entry fees, tires, fuel, professional photography, and championship winning staff of professional driver coaches, engineers, and technicians.
The 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup NA championship will be in its third season and has never featured a female racer on its grid so far.
Similar selections for female racers have so far provided unmatched opportunities in an increasing variety of racing series: from W Series to the FIA Women In Motorsport's promoted "Girls on Track – Rising Stars", to the newly announced The Heart of Racing GT4 program as well as the Kelly Moss Porsche Carrera Cup program.
The test is expected to get underway at the end of October 2022.