Kiwi driver Ryan Yardley delivered a commanding performance to secure his first win on Canadian soil, taking victory in Race 1 of Round 3 of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
The Topp Racing driver started from pole and led almost every lap under relentless pressure from championship leader Riley Dickinson, ultimately crossing the line 1.6 seconds clear to shake up the title fight.
Qualifying: Kiwi on Top
Yardley signalled his intent early by storming to pole in qualifying with a best lap of 1:35.358, edging out Dickinson’s No. 91 Kellymoss Porsche by 0.248 seconds.
The ACI Motorsports pairing of Jimmy Llibre and Yves Baltas locked out row two, with Zachary Vanier rounding out the top five for JDX Racing.
Fellow Kiwi Madeline Stewart qualified 16th on the grid for JDX Racing.
Yardley entered the weekend third in the standings with 65 points, trailing Baltas by just two points and Dickinson by 16 – a gap he would begin to close dramatically.
Race Start: Yardley Breaks Away
The 40-minute time-certain race got underway under clear skies in Montreal, and Yardley launched cleanly from pole while chaos unfolded behind him.
Dickinson and Llibre went wheel-to-wheel through the opening corners, battling for second place as the pack fanned out two and three-wide in typical Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve fashion.
Stewart found herself caught in the midfield brawl, shuffled down to 17th as she sparred with Pro-Am runners JP Martinez and Alan Metni, both seasoned names in the Carrera Cup paddock.
Up front, Yardley wasted no time pulling clear, building a 1.5-second lead in the early laps over Dickinson.
At the 30-minute mark, Yardley was managing the gap superbly, keeping Dickinson at arm’s length with a margin hovering between 1.4 and 1.5 seconds. But Dickinson wasn’t done yet.
Tyler Maxson slotted into third ahead of Baltas and Vanier while the Pro-Am and Masters class battles began taking shape further down the field.
As the race entered its final 20 minutes, the reigning champion began to close the gap, pumping out fast laps, including a 1:36.505 compared to Yardley’s 1:36.673.
Meanwhile, Stewart was making ground in the Pro class, moving up three positions to 14th place and had her eyes set on Martinez ahead of her.
The pressure built, and with just under 10 minutes remaining, Dickinson had reeled the Kiwi in, closing the gap to just 0.343 seconds.
Yardley, however, responded like a seasoned pro, re-extending the gap to over 1.7 seconds, even as he began encountering lapped traffic.
Meanwhile, in the Pro class podium battle, Vanier made a critical move on Baltas to grab third, setting up a tight three-car scrap involving Maxson. But with the top two running in a race of their own, the podium fight would remain one step behind.
Stewart was holding strong in 14th, not budging with Pro-Am driver Marco Cirone right behind her.
While Yardley and Dickinson put on a masterclass up front, the Pro-Am class delivered plenty of action. James Sofronas led early on but faced intense pressure from Martinez and Patrick Mulcahy.
In a dramatic sequence, Martinez passed Sofronas for the lead by shortcutting through the chicane while Sofronas went wide under pressure.
Race Control noted the incident, and Sofronas soon reclaimed the position cleanly, going on to win the class by 1.098 seconds.
In the Masters class, Scott Blind took the win ahead of Todd Parriott, who ended up a lap down by the flag.
In the final three minutes, Dickinson closed the gap once more and loomed large in Yardley’s mirrors. But the Kiwi remained unfazed.
Maintaining perfect composure under immense pressure, Yardley fended off every attempt and took the chequered flag to claim a well-earned victory, his first in the series at Montreal.
Dickinson had to settle for second, with Vanier completing the podium. Maxson and Matheus Leist rounded out the top five.
Stewart held strong to finish in 14th, a solid race after starting 16th.
Yardley’s win pushes him up to second in the championship standings, leapfrogging Baltas and slicing Dickinson’s lead down. With another pole position already secured for Race 2 (scheduled for 1:30am NZT Monday), the Topp Racing driver is firmly in the hunt for the title.
In the Pro-Am standings, Sofronas’ class win elevates him to second behind Martinez, while Metni drops to third.
Final Results – Race 1 (Top 5 Pro Class)
- Ryan Yardley (Topp Racing)
- Riley Dickinson (Kellymoss)
- Zachary Vanier (JDX Racing)
- Tyler Maxson (Topp Racing)
- Matheus Leist (NolaSport)
Pro-Am Winner: James Sofronas (GMG Racing)
Masters Winner: Scott Blind (Ruckus Racing)
Yardley’s composed drive under pressure marks a significant moment in his North American campaign, a statement win that sets the stage for an intense title battle in the rounds ahead.
Header Image: Porsche Carrera Cup North America
