New Zealand’s Ryan Yardley and teammate Damir Hot delivered a commanding performance at Round 3 of the 2025 Porsche Endurance Challenge North America, charging to a hard-fought podium finish in a chaotic and action-packed 90-minute showdown at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Racing in the 992 GT3 Cup Pro-Am class for Charlie Hayes Racing, Yardley and Hot looked sharp from the outset. The pair qualified second, lining up on the front row and immediately set the tone for a weekend of high drama and even higher pace.
When the lights went out for the GT3 field, Turn 1—known ominously as “Big Red”, lived up to its reputation. A collision between pole-sitter Scott Blind and Josh Conley sparked chaos at the sharp left-hander, sending several cars wide as they scrambled to avoid the carnage.
As Blind and Conley limped to a stop in Turn 2, Damir Hot took full advantage, slipping through the madness to snatch the lead before the GT4 field even took the green flag.
From there, Hot put on a masterclass in pace and precision. With clean air in front, he quickly set the fastest lap of the race and stretched his lead to over nine seconds by the 20-minute mark.
Behind him, the field reshuffled in a flurry of overtakes and incidents. Joel Johnson, chasing hard in second, lost control and spun at Turn 15 while dicing with GT3 Am leader Reinhold Krahn, tumbling down the order and promoting Krahn to second overall.
Back in the Pro-Am field, the action was relentless. John Gilliland clawed his way into contention after trading blows with Brannan Hankins, eventually slotting into second overall as the race settled into its rhythm.
With just over an hour to go, an early pit strategy from Krahn brought team owner Charlie Hayes into the car, setting up a stroke of genius. When a full-course yellow neutralised the field shortly after, Hayes emerged with a golden opportunity.
As others scrambled to pit under green once the race resumed, Hayes’s early stop vaulted him into a dominant overall lead, nearly a full lap ahead of the field.
With 40 minutes remaining, Hot handed the reins to Yardley, who rejoined fifth overall and fourth in class. The Kiwi wasted no time getting to work and picking off positions.
At the 20-minute mark, Yardley pulled off a decisive move on Andy Lee to claim third overall and second in class, showcasing his racecraft in a thrilling two-lap battle. With just eight minutes on the clock, Yardley was bearing down on Aaron Jeansonne for the class lead, slashing the gap to 3.4 seconds and still gaining.
Further drama struck in the dying moments as Lee and Trenton Estep scrapped for fourth. Contact between the two sent Estep spinning, and race control swiftly handed Lee a drive-through penalty, reshuffling the Pro-Am podium.
As the checkered flag waved, Charlie Hayes and Reinhold Krahn celebrated a dominant overall victory and the GT3 Am class win, an overdue first of the 2025 season for the duo.
Gilliland and Jeansonne claimed top honours in the GT3 Pro-Am category and second overall, while Hot and Yardley, who led most of the race, took a well-earned second place in class and third overall.
It marked a standout performance from the Kiwi, who once again demonstrated his class on the North American stage. Yardley’s relentless push in the final stint nearly turned the race on its head, and his efforts, combined with Hot’s early dominance, confirmed Charlie Hayes Racing as a serious force in the Pro-Am ranks.
With just one round remaining, the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America now heads to its season finale at Road Atlanta from September 12–14, where Yardley will be gunning for victory—and potentially even the championship. After this performance, few would bet against him.
992 GT3 Cup Podium
Pro-Am:
- #280 John Gilliland/Aaron Jeansonne (2nd overall)
- #241 Damir Hot/Ryan Yardley (3rd overall)
- #255 Mike Mim/Zachary Vanier
Am:
- #233 Reinhold Krahn/Charlie Hayes (overall)
- #216 Peter Toombs/Lonnie Pechnik
718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Podium
Pro-Am:
- #62 William Peluchiwski/Robin Liddell
- #78 Brandon Chappell/Charles Espenlaub
- #72 Greg Cecchi/Anna Cecchi
Am:
- #59 Emanuel Tartaglione/Reginald Tartaglione
- #86 Griff Asplundh
- #83 Jozsef Petkes
Header Image: Kyle Schwab
