RAFA Racing Sweeps Opening Porsche Sprint Challenge Weekend at Sebring With Pair of Wins For Ian Porter

Porter’s Wins, a Pair of Runner-Up Finishes For Caroline Candas, and Strong Performances With Continuing Development by Rafael Martinez and Paige Morales Highlight the Team's Performance

SEBRING, Florida (March 3, 2024) – The RAFA Racing Team by JDX drivers capped a strong debut weekend in the Cayman Pro-Am class of Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, scoring a pair of wins for Ian Porter in his first official race event, a pair of runner-up finishes for RAFA Racing shootout winner Caroline Candas, and stout, clean runs for Rafael Martinez and Paige Morales during the season-opening doubleheader. 

More than just a traditional sports car racing "arrive and drive" program, RAFA Racing - which stands for "Race As Family Always" - spent the buildup to the season opener preparing its racers for the experience. Though none of the four have an extensive wheel-to-wheel racing background, the mental and physical activities, along with real world testing and extensive simulator work, have already paid off.

Sunday’s results mirrored Saturday’s up front, where Porter drove his No. 86 Grid Finder Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport from the pole to the checkered flag and led all 16 laps of the 35-minute timed race. Candas started the race on the front row alongside Porter, where she held the No. 84 8Twelve Wheels Porsche Cayman in second for the second consecutive day. 

Porter, the retired professional eSports great turned race car driver making his racing debut at Sebring, handled his first weekend with poise that betrayed his lack of experience. Porter got the jump on the field at the opening green flag to take the lead, but that gap evaporated with a late-race full course caution. 

That bunched the field and forced Porter to learn on the fly and hold his lead when the race resumed with just one lap remaining. Porter built another lead early in the lap and held on for a 0.529-second win. With two career races under his belt, he has now led every lap he has contested. 

Though Candas was just shy of Porter’s face, she kept the rest of the 23-car field of equally matched cars at bay. Like her teammate up front, Candas successfully kept the field in her mirrors on the restart to earn her second consecutive silver medal. 

Rafael Martinez and Paige Morales made the most of their opportunities on the track as well. 

Martinez matched his fifth-place Pro-Am class finish on Saturday with the same result on Sunday, but with some extra work in the No. 85 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman. Martinez started 19th overall on the grid, and fought through several on-track battles to finish 12th overall and fifth in class. 

Morales battled through her professional racing debut to earn a seventh-place finish in the Pro-Am class on Sunday in the No. 87 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman. Despite giving up experience to most in the field, Morales finished 14th overall on Saturday and 16th overall on Sunday. 

The successful opening weekend gives the RAFA Racing Team by JDX the early point lead in the Drivers’ Championship (Porter), the Porsche Junior point championship (Candas), and the Cayman Pro-Am team title. 

All four drivers return to action at the end of April for Rounds Three and Four of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America season, April 26-28, at Barber Motorsports Park for the second of seven doubleheader weekends. The Barber Motorsports Park round will be one of the more popular stops of the season, run in conjunction with the IndyCar Series race at the same location.  

RAFA Racing Team by JDX Quote Board 

Ian Porter, Driver, No. 86 Grid Finder Porsche Cayman: "I didn't even know that they threw the green. The safety car lights went out, I think this means we're starting. It was pretty much every single situation, and I had to ask my coach, Alec Udell, what do I do? This weekend was just to drive as fast as I can. I'm sure the race control guys were a little bit scared that they had the newbie deciding when to start the race and that I didn't mess it up on the out lap or anything. I enjoyed it, it's a lot of fun. I have to thank the RAFA Racing Team by JDX and Caroline for pushing me."  

Caroline Candas, Driver, No. 84 8Twelve Wheels Porsche Cayman: "Two second places in the first weekend of the season is very good points for the overall championship! I'm proud of the two first places in the Junior and Women's championships. It was a good first weekend, I felt confident with the car and there was lots of experience gained. I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to it all. Now I can't wait to get to Barber and go for the win!" 

Paige Morales, Driver, No. 87 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman: "Stepping onto the track at Sebring for my first Porsche Sprint Challenge race was a defining experience, highlighting the progress of my driver development. Sebring taught me valuable lessons about the natural challenges of racing, and I pushed myself to overcome them. As I look ahead to the next round at Barber, I know there's much work to be done but I'm grateful for every moment spent in the race car."  

Rafael Martinez, Driver, No. 85 RAFA Racing Club Porsche Cayman: "This weekend at Sebring went as well as anyone could have expected. Ian was fantastic in his first start and Caroline was right behind him the entire time. Paige was thrown into the deep end and held her own competitively, and can take everything she learned this weekend to move forward. Each of them, along with myself, are going to continue to grow as drivers and that's what we're all about here at RAFA Racing by JDX. This racing family, and not just the drivers but everyone involved in the program, came together this weekend and we are ready to take another step forward in a few weeks at Barber." 

About RAFA Racing Club:

RAFA Racing, utilizing the motto "Race As Family Always," is a motorsports club and race team founded by and made for high-performance auto drivers, supporters, and fans of all types. Started by Rafael Martinez, the Club aims to create a space for high-performance car enthusiasts to enjoy like-minded individuals, network and share ideas on and off the track, and bond as one team with a common interest. The RAFA Racing Team made its debut in 2023 with a runner-up finish in the McLaren Trophy Europe Series, and expands that footprint to include Porsche Sprint Challenge North America and SRO GT4 Europe in 2024. The Club's off-track presence can be felt on social media and beyond, including YouTube, Instagram and Facebook and at RafaRacing.Club.

Reece White

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(831) 383-9426