After opening the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama series at Barber Motorsports Park with a pair of runner-up finishes, 16-year-old Riley Dickinson is even more hungry to compete this weekend in the No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The pair of podiums on the Barber doubleheader weekend left Dickinson second in the season-long point battle entering rounds three and four of 16 on the 2019 schedule. Dickinson is in his first season racing cars after a successful introduction to racing in karts, so the entire team is aware of the challenges that brings.
“We have known Riley has pure raw talent since the moment we tested him last summer,” Moorespeed President David Moore said. “But people need to remember he is still a rookie and the Porsche GT3 Cup car is a very high-strung thoroughbred race car that is extremely difficult to truly master. We’re all focused on developing and honing his skills. He is making great progress and we are very pleased with Riley’s performance at Barber but especially at our latest test at Mid-Ohio where we focused on a few technical areas key to unlocking the potential of the Porsche Cup car.”
That test, just a couple of weeks before the Mid-Ohio rounds, was important for the Moorespeed driver’s development.
“After Barber, our focus shifted immediately to Mid-Ohio and getting properly prepared for the upcoming event,” Dickinson said. “I feel good about where we are, and the team is ready to roll. With the experience gained at Barber we were able to put our heads down and go right to work at Mid-Ohio. There were some specific areas that I was able to improve on as a driver which I’m very much looking forward to attacking on track. We still have room for improvement, but we are feeling confident that we are progressing and will continue to work throughout the Mid-Ohio race weekend.”
Part of that development was the test days, which helped to put the focus on the next race up, rather than dwelling on the Barber success.
“Every time we go out on track he learns something new or something clicks, so it is a lot of fun helping and being a part of his progress,” Moore said. “Riley and the entire team relish the challenge to get to the next step and are determined to make that happen.”
Most of the tracks on the Porsche Cup schedule will be new to the young driver, and Mid-Ohio is no different.
“Our Moorespeed test was my first time at Mid-Ohio and I absolutely love the track,” Dickinson said. “Just like at Barber, I feel at home. Mid-Ohio has a much different flow to it than Barber, but the track fits right into my driving style because of the tight and technical nature of it. It is a really fun track to drive and should provide some excellent racing for the weekend.”
The IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge races twice at Mid-Ohio. Following a pair of practices on Friday, Dickinson and his fellow competitors will qualify at 10:35 a.m. EDT. The first race of the weekend is at 4:20 p.m. EDT on Saturday afternoon. The second race of the doubleheader will get the green flag at 11 a.m. EDT on Sunday morning.
Each of the races will be shown live on IMSA.tv. The races will re-air in a one-hour show on NBC Sports Network on Monday, May 13 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Noteworthy:
– The Mid-Ohio weekend is a busy one for the Moorespeed team. In addition to the No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, the No. 19 CAG/Moorespeed Audi R8 LMS is running in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class. Will Hardeman, an alum of Moorespeed’s GT3 Cup program, and Alex Riberas will be behind the wheel.
