Kiwi racer Callum Hedge narrowly missed a podium in the penultimate race of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season, finishing fourth at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Hedge started the 40-minute race third on the grid after a strong qualifying performance, lining up behind championship leader Tyler Maxson, who took pole, and Janne Stiak in second.
The Kiwi was among six drivers who broke the previous qualifying lap record of 2:06.221, set last year by fellow New Zealander Ryan Yardley in his Topp Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
Maxson’s pole position also earned him two additional championship points, extending his advantage over title rival Aaron Jeansonne to 29 points heading into the race.
Hedge also secured third on the grid for the second race of the weekend, which will bring the 2026 championship to a close. There was plenty of action from the opening lap, with Stiak taking the lead after a fierce battle through the opening corners.
Hedge initially fought among the front runners but was pushed back to fourth as Jeansonne passed the Kiwi before moving into second after contact with Maxson.
The championship leader dropped to third, leaving Hedge chasing him for the final podium position. With the opening-lap battles settled, Hedge maintained fourth place ahead of Jared Thomas and rookie championship leader Cole Kleck.
The Kiwi stayed within striking distance of Maxson, with just eight-tenths of a second separating the pair as Hedge looked for a chance to move into the podium positions.
Thomas, meanwhile, had fallen 3.5 seconds behind Hedge, giving the New Zealander some breathing room as he focused on the battle ahead. At the front, Stiak had established a 1.3-second advantage over Jeansonne with 25 minutes remaining, while Maxson continued to hold third ahead of Hedge.
However, the race was interrupted with 19 minutes remaining when Dan Drohan and Josh Conley collided at the final corner, leaving both cars with suspension damage.
The incident brought out the first safety car of the race, wiping out the gaps between the front runners and giving Hedge another opportunity to challenge for a podium finish.
Racing resumed with ten minutes remaining, with Stiak leading Jeansonne, Maxson, Hedge, Thomas, Paul Bocuse and Kleck back to green.
Hedge remained fourth as the field got back up to speed, but any hopes of making a late move on Maxson were quickly dashed when another incident brought the race under caution.
This time, three Masters-class competitors, Marco Cirone, Kyle Washington and Matt Smith, were involved in an incident on the front straight shortly after the restart.
With fluid and debris scattered across the circuit, officials deployed a second safety car while they worked to clear the track. The clean-up continued for the rest of the race, and the field took the chequered flag behind the safety car.
It was a frustrating end for Hedge, who spent much of the race within podium contention but was denied a chance to challenge Maxson in the closing stages.
Stiak secured the race victory ahead of Jeansonne, while Maxson completed the podium in third. Hedge crossed the line fourth, followed by Thomas in fifth.
Maxson’s third-place finish provisionally secured him the Pro championship title with one race remaining, subject to official confirmation following technical inspections. He holds a 28-point advantage over Jeansonne heading into the final race.
Elsewhere, James Sofronas won the Pro-Am category ahead of Patrick Mulcahy and Steve Wetterau.
In the Masters class, Scott Blind took the win, followed by Rob Walker and Joel Johnson.
Hedge will have one final opportunity to finish the season on the podium when the championship concludes at the Circuit of the Americas.
The Kiwi will again start from third on the grid for the final race of the 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup North America season, scheduled for 4:35am Monday (NZT).
Header Image: JDX Racing
