New Zealander Ryan Yardley qualified on pole, set the fastest lap and led from lights until the chequered flag for victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America at Watkins Glen this morning.
The win is Yardley’s first in the series, in his second season, and came just hours after he took his maiden pole position.
After going third fastest in opening practice and fourth in Practice 2, The New Zealander recorded a 1:48.441 in the final minutes of qualifying to snatch the pole off championship leader Loek Hartog by just 0.091 seconds.
Once proceedings began, Hartog faced pressure from championship contender Alex Sedgwick, which allowed Yardley to close a slight gap over the field.
Once Sedgwick faded, Hartog was quick to apply the pressure and ran within one second of the Kiwi for several laps.
Yardley responded to put some distance between himself and his rival, but his gains were eliminated with 15 minutes remaining when the race’s first Safety Car was required when Scott Blind and Kenton King spun into the gravel.
The incident set up a seven-minute sprint for the line.
Yardley controlled the restart well, holding the lead through Turn 1 with Hartog on his tail.
Green flag running lastest for just half a lap, with a second full course yellow required when Angel Benitez Jr. hit the wall.
The race went on to finish behind the Safety Car, with Yardley winning from Hartog and Dan Clarke.
Madeline Stewart, the second Kiwi in the field, finished 16th in the 34-strong field.
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America, racing in support of IMSA’s Six Hours of The Glen, returns for Race 2 at 3.00 am NZST on Sunday.
Live coverage can be found on IMSA’s YouTube channel.
