Coming into the final round with the championship on the line, Yardley delivered a perfect weekend by winning both races to claim the title, while fellow Kiwi Madeline Stewart finished 18th.
Qualifying:
The final qualifying session of 2025 was packed with drama and tension as Todd Parriott’s crash with ten minutes remaining brought out the red flag.
Amid the chaos, Yardley was in commanding form — setting a new Carrera Cup qualifying lap record with a blistering 2:06.211 to secure pole position for both races.
Fellow Kiwi Madeline Stewart clocked a best lap of 2:08.975, narrowly edging JP Martinez by just 0.005 seconds to line up 14th for Race 1.
Race 1:
Yardley made a superb getaway, launching cleanly off the line and defending the inside into Turn 1 to seize the early lead, while chaos unfolded behind as drivers jostled for position.
In the midfield, Stewart found herself in a tight pack of cars running side-by-side but showed strong racecraft to climb to 12th by the end of the opening lap.
Her battle continued with Cole Kleck, who pulled alongside on the front straight after Lap 2 and edged ahead into 12th, dropping Stewart back to 13th.
Out front, Yardley began to stretch a small gap as Aaron Jeansonne and Tyler Maxson fought for second, their duel briefly sending Yardley’s TOPP Racing teammate off the track and giving the leader some breathing room.
Stewart soon found herself around four seconds adrift of the next group, focusing on fending off Michael McCann close behind. Yardley, meanwhile, maintained firm control at the front with a margin of just under one second, though he was unable to extend it further.
Pro-Am competitor Patrick Mulcahy then caught and passed McCann before making contact with the front of Stewart’s car as he moved ahead into 13th. Within the same lap, McCann and JP Martinez also slipped by, relegating the Kiwi to 16th.
Late in the race, Scott Blind crashed heavily into the wall after running off track, scattering debris and triggering the safety car. Despite the proximity of Stewart and another driver, both avoided involvement.
The race ended under yellow, securing Yardley victory and maximum points heading into the season finale. Following the post-race reshuffle — including a penalty for Maxson — Stewart was classified 14th after a chaotic finish.
Race 2:
Yardley once again started from pole position, while Stewart lined up slightly further back in 15th for the final race of the season.
With another flawless getaway, Yardley quickly pulled ahead to take the early lead. On Lap 2, Zachary Vanier challenged him for the front, running side-by-side through Turn 1 before running wide and briefly leaving the track.
Stewart had a strong start to the race as well, quickly setting her sights on 14th place. She soon overtook Alan Metni, who had been leading the Pro-Am category, moving her up the order.
Yardley then began to extend his lead, opening a 1.5-second gap over Vanier as he pressed toward the championship title. Meanwhile, Stewart found herself three seconds behind the cars ahead, but De Quesada, after running off track, fell within her striking distance. Although he remained in front on track, a 10-second penalty for incident responsibility ensured Stewart would finish ahead in the final standings.
With ten minutes remaining, Michael McCann suffered a broken right-rear suspension after hitting a kerb, stopping safely at the side of the track. The incident did not bring out the safety car, allowing Yardley to maintain his pace and composure.
Stewart crossed the line in 13th on track, but post-race penalties for Yves Baltas and Patrick Mulcahy promoted her to 11th in the official results — her best finish of the weekend. With the points accumulated over the two races, Stewart concluded the championship in 18th place.
Yardley, meanwhile, held his lead despite a late reduction to under a second, crossing the finish line to secure the championship with a perfect weekend sweep.
“We came into the weekend almost tied on points, so for me it was a massive reset. I just had to execute; the team did an awesome job. To get double pole on Saturday morning helped set up the weekend, so absolutely stoked,” Yardley said.
Header Image: Porsche Motorsport North America
