IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge

Category	One-make racing by Porsche
Country	United States
Inaugural season	2005
Folded	2020
Constructors	Porsche
Tyre suppliers	Yokohama
Last Drivers' champion	Jeff Kingsley/ Curt Swearingin
Last Teams' champion	Kelly Moss / ACI Motorsports

Race cars lining up at Road Atlanta in 2006.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama was an exciting car racing series in the United States. In this series, all drivers raced the same type of car: the Porsche 911 GT3. This is called "one-make racing."

The series started in 2005 and ran for 16 seasons. Its final race was in 2020. It was one of the biggest Porsche Cup Challenge series around the world. The races were always thrilling. They featured both experienced semi-professional drivers and young drivers hoping to become professionals. They all competed in the famous Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car.

Racing Classes and Competition

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA had different groups, or "classes," for drivers. This made the competition fair and exciting.

Platinum Cup Cars

The Platinum Cup featured newer cars. These were the 2017-2019 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. They were based on the eighth version of the street car (called the 991.2).

Gold Cup Cars

The Gold Cup used slightly older cars. These were the 2014–2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. They were based on the seventh version of the street car (called the 991.1).

Masters Championship

There was also a special Masters Championship. This was for drivers aged 45 or older. These drivers competed within the Platinum class.

At the end of each race, the top drivers in every class received awards. Each class also crowned its own champion at the end of the season. Drivers earned points based on where they finished in their specific class.

Series Organization and Successor

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) organized this racing series. IMSA is a well-known group that manages many sports car races. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA was often a "support series." This means its races happened alongside bigger events, like the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

After 2020, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA ended. It was replaced by a new series called the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. This new series continues the tradition of exciting Porsche racing.

Champions of the Series

Many talented drivers became champions in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA. Here is a list of the winners from each season and class:

Season	Champion
2005	Jay Policastro
2006	997 Class Champion	996 Class Champion
	Nathan Swartzbaugh	Dino Loles
2007	Champion
	Bob Faieta
2008	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Bob Faieta	Tony Rivera
2009	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Bob Faieta	Melanie Snow
2010	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Ross Smith	Henrique Cisneros
2011	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Henrique Cisneros	Madison Snow
2012	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Sean Johnston	Angel Benitez, Jr
2013	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Madison Snow	Michael Levitas
2014	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Colin Thompson	Patrick-Otto Madsen
2015	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Elliott Skeer	Jeff Mosing
2016	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Jesse Lazare	Michael de Quesada
2017	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Jake Eidson	Fred Kaimer
2018	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Trenton Estep	Victor Gomez
2019	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Roman De Angelis	Sebastian Carazo
2020	Platinum Class Champion	Gold Class Champion
	Jeff Kingsley	Curt Swearingin