Laura Ely strengthens Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West lead with Road America victory

Laura Ely strengthened her bid for the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama GT3 992 Masters championship with a highly successful penultimate round at Road America, securing a victory and a second-place finish in class to further extend her advantage in the standings.

Photo credits: RTD Media

Laura Ely strengthened her bid for the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama GT3 992 Masters championship with a highly successful penultimate round at Road America, securing a victory and a second-place finish in class to further extend her advantage in the standings.

Driving the #209 Black Sheep Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Ely arrived at the iconic Elkhart Lake circuit with the championship entering its decisive phase. The fifth round of the six-event season was held on the 4.048-mile, 14-turn Road America layout as part of a joint event with Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, creating a particularly large field of Porsche machinery at one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar.

The weekend ultimately delivered exactly the kind of results Ely needed at this stage of the campaign. Ely converted in fact her pace into victory in Saturday's opening race, taking the top step of the GT3 Cup Masters class podium and securing another important haul of championship points. The result further strengthened Black Sheep Racing's position at the head of the Masters standings and provided Ely with valuable momentum heading into Sunday's second contest.

The championship leader returned to the podium in Race 2, this time finishing second in the GT3 Cup Masters class. While she was unable to replicate Saturday's victory, the runner-up result ensured another strong points haul, a crucial score due to the points-format, as the title fight enters its final stage.

Photo credits: RTD Media

With a win and a second-place finish across the Road America weekend, Ely further extended her championship advantage and left Wisconsin in control of the GT3 992 Masters standings.

For Ely, the results were the culmination of the consistent work produced by herself and Black Sheep Racing throughout the season. The team has repeatedly provided her with a competitive Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, allowing Ely to build a comfortable position in the championship with just one round remaining.

“We are proud of what we accomplished here at Road America,” Ely said. “To come away with a win and a second-place finish is exactly what we needed at this point in the championship.”

The American racer also emphasized the importance of the team's continued performance throughout the season: “We’ve worked hard all season to put ourselves in this position, and the team continues to give me a great car every time we hit the track,” she added.

Despite her increasingly strong championship position, Ely is taking nothing for granted heading into the finale. “We know there’s still one weekend left, and anything can happen, so our focus now is on finishing the job at Laguna Seca.”

The championship will now be decided at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca from September 4–6, with the California circuit hosting the sixth and final round of the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West season.