@danielmorad •#gt3 •@IMSA • @PorscheCanada • #alegramotorsports •@PorscheOakville •DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2016) – Daniel Morad completed a superb 2016 season of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competition by winning the inaugural IMSA North American Cup.
The IMSA North American Cup is presented to the Platinum Cup driver who earns the most combined points in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama while competing in at least two events (four races) in the series that is not their full-time championship.
Morad, from Toronto, won the Platinum Cup championship in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama and also competed in USA series races in September at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and Road Atlanta in the No. 17 Porsche Centre Oakville/Alegra Motorsports Porsche.
“This year has been a great year,” Morad said. “I have amazing sponsors. Porsche Centre Oakville and Alegra Motorsports have been great and supported me all year. Without them, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
Daniel Morad (front) won the Platinum Cup championship in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama and also earned four podium finishes this season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. Morad won the IMSA North American Cup with 277 combined points. Four-time reigning Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Platinum Masters champion Marco Cirone was second with 196 combined points in the No. 88 Mark Motors Racing Porsche.
After winning the Canadian championship, Morad and Porsche Centre Oakville/Alegra Motorsports finished second in both GT3 Cup Challenge USA rounds at COTA and earned a victory and a third-place finish in the GT3 Cup Challenge USA season finale at Road Atlanta to secure the inaugural IMSA North American Cup.
“At the end of the year we decided why not go for the North American Cup?” Morad said. “It was in reach. We did what we needed to do. We got a ton of race wins, a lot of points and a lot of memorable times. Michael de Quesada won the Gold Cup (in GT3 USA), so it was an amazing effort all the way around from Alegra Motorsports.”
The race for the IMSA North American Cup was a highlight of a season that featured the first-ever joint events between the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA and Canada series, in June at Montreal and July at Watkins Glen International.
For more information about Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtags #GT3USA and #GT3CAN @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.
About the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama finished its 12th season in 2016 as one of Porsche’s 20 single-make Cup Challenge series in the world. The series produces intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Racing is divided into two classes – Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014-2016 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the current seventh, and current, generation of the street car, and Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous iteration (model years 2010-2013) of the race car. A Masters Championship also is conducted in Platinum and Gold classes. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.
About Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama
The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama finished its sixth season in 2016 ready to produce more intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world’s most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, and the new Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned championship is one of 20 global Porsche single-make Cup Racing series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Racing is divided into three classes – Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014-16 model Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh, and current, generation of the street car; Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous iteration (model years 2010-2013) of the race car; and the Silver Cup class consisting of competitors in the new Cayman GT4 Clubsport. A Masters Championship also is conducted in the Platinum class. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.
About IMSA
The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Mazda Prototype Lites Presented by Cooper Tires, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For more information, visit www.IMSA.com, www.twitter.com/IMSA or www.facebook.com/IMSA.
Contact: Nate Siebens/ Senior Manager, IMSA Communications
(386) 310-6568
nsiebens@imsa.com
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