It was a weekend of highs, heartbreak, and hard-fought recovery for Kiwi drivers Ryan Yardley and Madeline Stewart as they took on Round 2 of the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup North America Championship on the streets of Miami.
Qualifying Drama Shakes Up the Grid
Qualifying set the tone for an unpredictable weekend, with championship leader Riley Dickinson and Todd Parriott both having their lap times deleted due to post-session technical infringements.
The shake-up worked in Ryan Yardley’s favour. After an impressive P3 qualifying effort, he was bumped up to the front row in P2 for Race 1, lining up alongside ACI Motorsports’ Jimmy Llibre.
Madeline Stewart, racing for JDX Racing, had a more challenging session, qualifying 22nd in the 28-car field, just over three seconds off Yardley’s time, setting her up for a gritty race ahead.
Race 1: From Glory to Grit for Yardley, Stewart Climbs the Order
Yardley made a strong start in the 40-minute Race 1, avoiding the chaos at Turn 1 and locking into a tense early battle with Yves Baltas and Aaron Jeansonne. Baltas got the jump for the early lead, and by lap two, was locked in a wheel-to-wheel drag race with Yardley.
Meanwhile, Stewart held her position in 22nd at the restart after an early safety car for contact involving Marco Cirone.
As the race unfolded, Yardley showed a race-winning pace, gapping Jeansonne and keeping close to Baltas in second place. Stewart began to move forward as the race hit its rhythm, climbing into 19th.
The second safety car reset the field after debris brought out another caution. At the restart, Llibre overcooked Turn 1, handing Baltas the lead and setting up a fierce wheel-to-wheel fight between Llibre and Yardley for second. Yardley prevailed, moving into P2—only for disaster to strike minutes later.
In a moment of over-aggression, Llibre spun Yardley at Turn 8 with 13 minutes remaining. The Kiwi was sent tumbling down the order to 23rd. Llibre would later be handed a drive-through penalty, but the damage to Yardley’s race was already done.
Refusing to quit, Yardley mounted a phenomenal recovery, charging back up to finish 12th overall and 10th in the pro class. Stewart stayed consistent throughout and brought the car home 18th overall and 14th in the pro class.
Race 2: Redemption for Yardley, Progress for Stewart
Lining up third for Race 2, Yardley wasted no time getting into the action, going three-wide into Turn 1 with Llibre and Baltas.
After settling into fourth, he engaged in a thrilling, race-long battle with JDX Racing’s Zachary Vanier. The pair swapped positions multiple times, putting on one of the most entertaining duels of the weekend.
Yardley made a decisive move to retake third and began chasing down Baltas. Though unable to bridge the full 2.3-second gap, he fended off a final-lap challenge from Vanier to cross the line in third.
Post-race, Llibre was handed a 10-second penalty for track limits violations, demoting him to sixth and promoting Yardley to a well-earned second place—a rewarding result for Topp Racing Performance after the heartbreak of Race 1.
Stewart, meanwhile, continued her determined progress from the back of the grid. Despite dropping a few positions early, she recovered to finish 19th on the road. She was later promoted to 18th in the final classification.
Despite battling technical challenges during the event, Stewart delivered a strategic performance at the Miami International Autodrome, earning two top-15 finishes in the Pro class.
She found her rhythm and consistently posted personal best lap times, coming close to matching her fastest qualifying time.
Next Stop: Montreal
With a second-place podium in Race 2 and top-10 pace throughout the weekend, Yardley once again proved he’s a serious contender in the Pro class.
Though battling deep in the field, Stewart showed consistent improvement and racecraft, positioning herself well for future rounds.
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America returns June 13–15, as the paddock heads north to Montreal, Québec, for Round 3.
Header Image: Porsche Carrera Cup North America
