Fresh off first season win in Race 1, Kiwi Ryan Yardley continued to shine in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America last weekend, converting pole position into a strong second-place finish in the final race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Lining up alongside championship contender Riley Dickinson on the front row, Yardley got a lightning start, holding firm through the opening turns to snatch the early lead.
Behind them, Jimmy Llibre and Yves Baltas completed the top four grid spots, while fellow New Zealander Madeline Stewart began from 15th in the JDX Racing entry after a steady showing in Race 1.
The opening lap saw early drama as Pedro Torres was tipped into a spin at Turn 1 by Scott Blind. Though Torres rejoined without triggering a caution, Blind was handed a drive-through penalty for the incident.
Up front, Dickinson quickly responded to Yardley’s challenge. The two leaders went side-by-side as Lap 2 began, with Dickinson edging ahead to reclaim the lead.
Llibre remained a looming threat in third, while Baltas began to fall off the back, opening the door for Zachary Vanier, who powered over the kerbs to take fourth with 32 minutes still on the clock.
Yardley wasn’t giving up without a fight. The Topp Racing driver set the fastest lap of the race with 28 minutes to go, narrowing the gap to Dickinson to just one second.
The Kiwi looked poised to challenge for a double victory, but Dickinson responded with metronomic consistency, slowly extending his lead as the race unfolded.
Behind them, Vanier muscled his way past Llibre in a spirited scrap for the final podium spot as Baltas tumbled down the order after being passed by Michael De Quesada and Matheus Leist in quick succession. The top five was now settled, with Dickinson and Yardley pulling clear and Vanier solidifying third.
Meanwhile, Stewart had a tough outing. After slipping to 17th on the opening lap, she clawed back a spot but ran into trouble with just over 10 minutes remaining.
A braking misjudgment saw her tag Pro-Am driver James Sofronas into a spin. Though Sofronas retained third in class, Stewart was handed a drive-through penalty, eventually crossing the line in 20th.
In the Masters class, Blind rebounded from his early penalty with an impressive charge, overtaking Todd Parriott to take class honours with ten minutes to go.
In Pro-Am, JP Martinez controlled the class after a strong move on Patrick Mulcahy early in the race and held off the pack to the flag.
“It felt amazing,” said Martinez.
“Patrick started first, I started second today, he made a mistake, I capitalized on it. It was a great race. He was behind me about a second the whole entire time and it came down to the last lap, the last straight away. I’m super happy with that.”
As the final laps ticked down and tyre grip faded, Yardley wisely chose to consolidate second place, finishing 3.3 seconds behind a flawless Dickinson.
“It was a hard-fought battle with Ryan the whole race,” said Dickinson, who maintains his Pro class championship lead.
“Yesterday was very, very tough as well and I need to give him a huge amount of credit for what he did yesterday and of course, today. He put down a great lap in qualifying, which set him up well for the rest of the weekend and I know it’s going to be a hard-fought battle as well next week at Watkins Glen, which I’m looking forward to.”
The result capped a strong weekend for the Christchurch native, a win and a podium reinforcing his presence as a force in the series.
Race Results – Overall Top 5:
- Riley Dickinson
- Ryan Yardley
- Zachary Vanier
- Jimmy Llibre
- Yves Baltas
Class Winners:
- Pro-Am: JP Martinez
- Masters: Scott Blind
For Yardley, the Montréal weekend was a turning point, proof that the Kiwi has both the pace and consistency to mix it at the sharp end of the grid as he chases that championship title.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America is back in action with a quick turnaround, heading straight from Montréal to the iconic Watkins Glen International for the second leg of its back-to-back race weekends. Just under six hours south of Canada, the New York circuit will host Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2025 season from June 19 to 22, marking the halfway point of this year’s championship.
Header Image: Porsche Carerra Cup North America
