Parker Thompson Wins 2022 Carrera Cup North America Pro Championship

Sep 30, 2022

Parker Thompson Wins 2022 Carrera Cup North America Pro Championship

Atlanta, GA

In the final rounds of the 2022 season of Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands, Parker Thompson overcame an 11-point deficit to earn the Pro-class championship title. Driving the white, red, and yellow No. 9 machine of JDX Racing, Thompson earned a win and a third-place finish in two races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The result delivers him more points than all challengers and the series’ top accolade.

Thompson’s performance in the season finale was indicative of his season’s campaign. With five wins through sixteen rounds, Thompson was one of five Pro-class drivers to climb to the top of the podium. Where Thompson stood apart was consistency. Finishing in the top-three twelve times and the top-five fourteen times, Thompson was a constant presence at the front of the field. Thompson had more success avoiding trouble than other drivers in a sometimes tumultuous field of Porsche race cars.

The same held true this week at Road Atlanta. While other top performers fell victim to racing incidents, Thompson quietly drove to a victory and a third-place finish. The twenty-four-year-old Canadian easily buried an eleven-point deficit in championship points cinching the title with a sixteen-point cushion over his nearest competitor.

Parker Thompson
“I’m so proud of this JDX Racing team! All season long we battled, and usually from behind. We worked, we studied, and we never quit. That takes great leadership. Jeremy and JoAnne Dale along with Harrison Brix aren’t just the letters in JDX, they are the reason I have a career in Motorsports and a Championship today. Our partnership group with Kevin King at Byers Porsche, Bill, Beth, and Michael Wappler at Surgere, everyone at Shell Tap-Up, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, plus all of our people with boots on the ground for race days have shown a resounding commitment to our campaign. There is no doubt in my mind that we have earned this title on merit. I will never be able to thank Luke, Larry, Darryl, Dan and the rest of the crew at JDX enough for their time away from families invested on the #9’s success.

I’m still a young guy, but from the number of times I’ve finished second in championships, I sometimes feel like I’ve been around a long time. I’m so grateful to take this title. Porsche Motorsport North America and IMSA put on an outstanding series. The 992 Cup has been a pleasure to learn and drive, and the level of competition between drivers has been like no other series I’ve experienced. No doubt some of my fellow drivers might also be worthy champions, but I’ll take the title and offer full recognition to one team that clearly outdid the rest – even if we only had one car!”

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY CAYMAN ISLANDS
FINAL ROUNDS – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race 1 – Provisional (PDF)
Race 2 – Provisional (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

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Momentous Opportunity for Thompson as Carrera Cup North America Concludes at Road Atlanta

Sep 26, 2022

Momentous Opportunity for Thompson as Carrera Cup North America Concludes at Road Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA

The 2022 season of Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands, will conclude this week with a pair of races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. After seven weekends and fourteen races, the championship standings in Carrera Cup North America’s Pro-class are closer now than they were after only the first weekend of racing. Mathematically, the championship title is open to one of four drivers. Driving the No. 9 JDX Racing machine, Parker Thompson enters the event holding second place in the standings, just eleven points off the lead.

With four wins in fourteen races to date, only the current points leader, Kelly Moss Racing driver Kay Van Berlo, has more wins than Thompson. Ten podium finishes have made twenty-four-year-old Thompson the series’ most consistent performer. That consistency allowed Thompson to momentarily capture the top spot in the standings earlier this month in Indianapolis before a mid-race collision in the latter half of that weekend resulted in Thompson’s only DNF of the season and dropped him back into second.

Now, Thompson will look to retake that lead spot through two races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. With 25 points available to the race winner and 20, 17, 14, and 12 points available to subsequent finishers, a two-point bonus for pole position, and an extra point for the fastest race lap, there are a variety of scenarios that would allow Thompson to make up the 11 point difference to the leader. The most emphatic of those would follow from Thompson piloting the white, red, and yellow JDX Racing Porsche 992 to pole position and a pair of race wins. That will be precisely his focus when the action begins mid-week. Practice sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, with Qualifying and Race 1 on Thursday. The season concludes with Race 2 on Friday morning.

Parker Thompson
“From the opening race at Sebring up to the finale here at Road Atlanta, I’m proud of our effort this season. We knew when we started that we were not the big dog in this fight, but here we are, and the ultimate goal is within reach. Every member of the JDX Racing crew, our partners at Surgere, Shell Tap-Up, Byers Porsche, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, has shown the tenacity and commitment of a champion. Now we’re in a dream position – sweep the weekend here, and we will win the championship.”

Event Information

2022 Carrera Cup North America
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Rounds 15 & 16

Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Practice 1 >> 09:45 AM EST
Practice 2 >> 01:30 PM EST

Thursday, September 29, 2022
Qualifying >> 09:00 AM EST
Race 1 >> 05:00 PM EST

Friday, September 30, 2022
Race 2 >> 10:55 AM EST

Flag-to-flag coverage of the race is available on https://porschecarreracup.us. Follow Parker throughout the weekend at https://parkerthompsonracing.com/live

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Thompson Closes In On Carrera Cup Championship During Volatile Action At IMS

Sep 4, 2022

Thompson Closes In On Carrera Cup Championship During Volatile Action At IMS

Indianapolis, IN

Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands, was the highlight of Sports Car Together Fest in an all-Porsche weekend on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Thirty-five Porsche 992 Cup cars joined the weekend as drivers in three classes contended in rounds 13 and 14 of the season championship. Parker Thompson and the No. 9 Pro-class entry of JDX Racing, Shell Tap-Up, Surgere, Byers Porsche, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift showed one of their strongest performances of the season. The twenty-four-year-old Indianapolis resident demonstrated great pace, earning the pole position during Qualifying and a win in Saturday’s Race 1.

With the season nearing its end and the overall championship within reach for multiple drivers, competition in the series was at maximum intensity all weekend. While Thompson never showed the best pace during practice sessions on Friday, when Qualifying launched on Saturday morning, he was the best of the group. By a margin of only seven-thousandths of a second, Thompson and the white, red, and yellow No. 9 car earned the first place starting position for Race 1 that afternoon.

Thompson capitalized on his pole position in that race and carried the lead from start to finish. Behind him, tight racing entangled other drivers. After an incident of contact and a penalty among the top five, Thompson took maximum advantage of the twenty-seven points he earned for his performance. With the weekend half complete, the native Canadian momentarily climbed into the top spot in the season’s championship standings.

Action in Race 2 on Sunday afternoon did not show Thompson the same favor. On the second lap, the No. 9 was hit from behind when a trailing car experienced brake failure at the end of the 170 mph front straight. A glancing blow destroyed the left rear wheel and tire of Thompson’s Porsche, ending his race early.

With zero points earned in the second of two races, Thompson surrendered much of the advantage he gained early in the weekend. However, a growing amount of parity among drivers draws the championship race closer than ever. Thompson is just eleven points off the lead and will look to finish on top with a dominant performance in the season’s finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on September 28 and 29.

Parker Thompson

“A tremendous weekend here at Sports Car Together Fest with Porsche! We had a great group of people on site here, and the whole crew had an incredible time. Indianapolis Motor Speedway has always treated me well, and it certainly did that again here in Race 1. I need to give tonnes of credit to our partners off the track, Shell Tap Up, Surgere, Byers Porsche, Renier Construction, SSi Artificial Lift, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and especially my engineer Luke and the team at JDX Racing. The No. 9 was on rails. I had complete confidence in my ability to win here this weekend. Unfortunately, in Race 2 we got collected by another driver, and our day ended early. Sometimes that’s racing. There was nothing I could do. The big thing is that we are in a better position than we were when the weekend started. We knew this season would come down to the final two races at Road Atlanta. We’ll be ready.”

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY CAYMAN ISLANDS
ROUNDS 13 & 14 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race 1 – Provisional (PDF)
Race 2 – Provisional (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

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One-Two Finish For Thompson as the Carrera Cup North America Championship Tightens at Road America

Aug 8, 2022

One-Two Finish For Thompson as the Carrera Cup North America Championship Tightens at Road America

Elkhart Lake, WI

Parker Thompson earned his third victory of the season and followed that up with a second-place finish in Rounds 11 & 12 of Carrera Cup North America presented by Cayman Islands at Road America. The result sees the season championship race tighten dramatically with just four rounds remaining. Driving the No.9 machine of JDX Racing, Shell Tap-Up, Surgere, Byers Porsche, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, Thompson sits second in the Pro-class standings, just sixteen points away from the championship lead.

After winning in the series’ visit to Road America in 2021, Thompson was a favorite again in 2022 and showed great pace in his opening laps around the 4.0-mile Wisconsin road course. Drama struck in Qualifying on Friday afternoon when a technical infraction by championship leader Kay Van Berlo and Kelly Moss Racing teammate Riley Dickinson disqualified the duo from the session. Thompson and the white, red, and yellow No.9 claimed an official lap record and pole position for races on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Thompson fully capitalized on his position at the front of the thirty-two car field when Race 1 began. The twenty-four-year-old Canadian drove a flawless race, leading from start to finish, claiming the fastest lap bonus, and earning twenty-eight out of a maximum twenty-eight points available.

Changing weather complicated Thompson’s effort for Race 2 on Sunday morning. With light rain expected for the duration of the 45-minute race, Thompson took a commanding lead when the race launched on a wet track. However, when the rain tapered off and the road surface began to dry, Thompson showed some challenges. He defended his lead valiantly for multiple laps but ultimately surrendered to the pace of MDK Motorsports driver Trenton Estep. He would hold second through to the checkered flag.

A win, a second-place finish, and bonuses for pole position and the fastest race lap contribute fifty points to Thompson’s 2022 campaign. That total matches his best weekend in the Carrera Cup North America series and is imposing in the context of other top drivers’ struggles. Thompson gained thirty-six points on the championship leader and now trails by just sixteen points.

From here, the series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 3rd and 4th, where Thompson will hope to draw closer still. The one-time Formula 1 circuit is only minutes from Thompson’s current home and a venue where he has earned wins in multiple series throughout his career.

Parker Thompson
“Lots of positives here at Road America – Our first pole position in the series and a big win in Race 1 yesterday! We would have loved to pair that with another win today, but the track conditions didn’t quite work out as planned. Nevertheless, we took a big step forward in the championship race. That’s what it’s all about! With just four races remaining, everyone on this team can feel our goal is within reach. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is next. We expect to have another weekend like this one!”

Images credit Bob Chapman / Autosport Image

Event Results

CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY CAYMAN ISLANDS
ROUNDS 11 & 12 – Road America

Qualifying – Official (PDF)
Race 1 – Provisional (PDF)
Race 2 – Provisional (PDF)
Championship Standings – Provisional (PDF)

Complete results are available at results.imsa.com

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Dramatic Performance for Thompson as Racing Returns to The Streets of Toronto

Jul 18, 2022

Dramatic Performance for Thompson as Racing Returns to The Streets of Toronto

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

All eyes were on Canadian Parker Thompson as Carrera Cup North America made its first visit north of the border, as two races joined festivities at the 2022 Honda Indy Toronto. The twenty-four-year-old Alberta native entered the event as the top Canadian in the Carrera Cup series, holding second in the Pro-class season standings. With the spotlight shining brightly on him and the No.9 Porsche of JDX Racing, Shell Tap-Up, Surgere, Byer’s Porsche, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, Thompson had two dramatic drives in front of a home crowd. The first of two races featured a thrilling charge by Thompson from the back of the field, while the second showed a hard-fought podium finish. The final results allow Thompson to maintain second in the overall Championship race with ten of sixteen rounds now complete.

From the weekend’s first laps, it was clear that Thompson would have his work cut out for him as he challenged the front of the field on the 2.7-km, 11-turn Streets of Toronto circuit. In Friday’s practice sessions he showed just the 5th and 4th best times. Overnight adjustments allowed Thompson and the white, red, and yellow No.9 to close in on the leaders in Saturday’s Qualifying session. He would post the third-quickest time in a tightly packed top four, earning starting positions on the inside of the second row for both races.

In the opening lap of Race 1 that afternoon, Thompson made an aggressive charge for the lead. With a strong launch past the green flag, he captured second place before turn one and positioned himself for an attack on pole-sitter Trenton Estep. Down the long back straight and into the crucial turn three, the two drivers created a gap against the rest of the field. Thompson made his attack there. Taking the inside line, he cleanly moved past the leader and back onto the racing line before the corner.

Unfortunately, he misjudged his speed at the turn-in point. Instead of attempting the tight, hairpin corner, he bailed into the runoff area. When Thompson rejoined the opening lap, he was 24 seconds behind the entire field. From there, Thompson launched an exciting run back up the rankings. Through 32 laps, he gained nine spots, carefully measuring passes within the tight walls of the Streets of Toronto circuit. When the checkered flag fell, he sat in sixth.

Race 2 in Carrera Cup on Sunday afternoon took place within a condensed timeline after significant incidents in other Honda Indy Toronto events created a delayed start. Again, Thompson showed no hesitation and aggressively pursued positions on the opening lap. In turn one, the JDX Racing driver again made a pass for second place. However, instead of challenging the lead, he then found himself in a defensive position. Kelly Moss Racing driver, Riley Dickinson, showed excellent pace and a relentless attack on Thompson. Thompson countered each of Dickinson’s overtaking attempts in a battle that held watchers’ attention throughout the race. When the checkered flag fell after eighteen laps, the two were still tightly engaged, but neither had changed position. Thompson claimed the second step of the podium.

While the weekend brought Thompson’s first finish outside the top five this year, Sunday’s second-place finish and increasing parity between competitors allow Thompson to maintain his second place in the championship standings. With six races remaining, Thompson closes in on the leader slightly, now sitting 52 points from the top of the rankings. From here, the season moves to Road America on August 6 – 8, 2022. The Wisconsin road course is a personal favorite of Thompson and an event where he won in 2021.

Parker Thompson
“After three years, it was incredible to be back racing on The Streets of Toronto. There is no doubt that my passion for this event shone through in my driving this weekend. We put ourselves in the middle of the action for both races. Early in Race 1, we nearly captured the lead but instead found ourselves off the track in Turn 3 and 24 seconds behind the back of the field. To be able to move back up to the sixth place and salvage some points is a testament to our performance here. In Race 2, we battled start to finish with some very fast competition and came home second. As always, the fans here showed up to make this an event I’ll never forget. We’re still second in the championship, and the standings are only getting tighter. We’ll be ready for more when the series arrives at Road America next month.”