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Hartog, Metni And Bellomo Secure Championships In Thrilling Porsche Carrera Cup Finale At COTA
The Porsche Carrera Cup North America concluded its 2024 season at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Loek Hartog from the Netherlands had already secured the Pro class championship with his No. 24 Racing For Children’s Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. However, the Pro-Am and Masters class titles were still up for grabs during this final race weekend.
Round 15 on October 19 saw Zachary Vanier from Canada claim his third career victory in the series. Vanier, aged 22, secured second place in the overall championship behind Hartog. Hartog had earlier set a record lap time during qualifying, securing pole position for the first race. Despite this, Vanier led from turn one and maintained his lead throughout the race.
The Pro-Am class was fiercely contested between Alan Metni and Efrin Castro. Metni entered the final round with a narrow two-point lead over Castro. This rivalry has been a recurring theme in recent seasons, with championships often decided by slim margins. In Round 16, Castro managed to win again, but Metni's consistent performance secured him the title by just two points.
In the Masters class, Chris Bellomo and Matt Halcome were separated by only five points before the final race. Bellomo's late-season surge brought him close to Halcome. During Round 16's last corner, contact between Bellomo and another competitor allowed Halcome to gain a crucial position. This tied them in points, but Bellomo won due to more second-place finishes throughout the season.
Ryan Yardley from New Zealand claimed his third victory of the season during Round 16 in his No. 78 Topp Racing Performance Porsche. Yardley's strategic move into the lead with over 20 minutes left proved decisive as he held off challenges from Hartog and Vanier to secure second place in the Pro class championship.
Loek Hartog's achievements extended beyond winning races; he also received several accolades for his performance throughout the season. He was awarded a $100,000 USD Porsche Motorsport spare parts credit for use in 2025 and a TAG Heuer Carrera Championship Winning watch among other prizes.
Awards and Recognitions
The ANDIAL Cup recognized Loek Hartog (Pro), Alan Metni (Pro-Am), and Richard Edge (Masters) as champions for their respective classes in 2024. This award celebrates competitors who excel at iconic North American tracks like Sebring International Raceway and Watkins Glen International.
Hartog also received the Yokohama Race Wins Award for securing seven victories across all classes this season. Additionally, he clinched both the Fastest Lap Award and was presented with a custom painting by artist Rae Roberts as part of his accolades.
Final Race Results
The final races at COTA saw different winners across classes: Zachary Vanier took Race 1 in Pro class while Ryan Yardley won Race 2; Efrin Castro claimed victory in Race 1 of Pro-Am class with Alan Metni winning Race 2; Chris Bellomo triumphed in Race 1 of Masters class followed by Scott Blind taking top spot in Race 2.
As champions were crowned across all categories - Loek Hartog (Pro), Alan Metni (Pro-Am), Chris Bellomo (Masters) - it marked an end to an intense racing season filled with thrilling moments on track.
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