Cirone, Harvey, McKaigue on First Grid in 2011, Entering Fifth Season in 2015

Daytona Beach, Florida - The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin started May 13-15, 2011 at Calabogie Motorsports Park with just six drivers on the starting grid for the inaugural two rounds.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned series has grown and enters its fifth season in 2015 as one of 20 global Porsche single-make Cup Racing series, providing an ideal platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Three of the drivers who competed in the inaugural event that May weekend five years ago continue to race in the series today: Two-time reigning Platinum Masters champion Marco Cirone of Toronto, 2011 Gold Cup champion Shaun McKaigue of Gilford, Ontario, and Gold Cup standout Martin Harvey of Berthierville, Quebec.

The trio will line up for the opening two rounds of the 2015 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin season on May 15-17 during the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Cirone drives for Mark Motors Racing, Harvey for Wingho Racing and McKaigue for Fiorano Racing.

Cirone, McKaigue and Harvey recently shared their thoughts on the series by answering five questions posed to each in a roundtable discussion.

Q: What first attracted you to the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin for the inaugural race of the series in May 2011 at Calabogie?

Marco Cirone: I was always fascinated by the Porsche race cars, and I remember going to Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) years back, and I watched a bunch of the Porsche GT3 Cup guys drive there, the older 996 Cup cars. And when I saw those 996 Cup cars going around Mosport, I thought: 'Oh, my God: This is the coolest thing in the world. I've got to get myself one of those someday.'

Martin Harvey: I think this series is attractive for me because I had Porsches, and I wished at this time to participate. It's an awesome series.

Shaun McKaigue: For me, the initial attraction was a venue that provided a spec series for GT3 Cup cars. A series that was supported by Porsche with the caliber of organization of IMSA were important considerations. To have that series in our own backyard made it an easy decision to come to.

Q: Only six cars took the green flag that weekend for the first two rounds at Calabogie. What gave you confidence the series would grow?

Harvey: Yes, it's true we only had just six cars. But we all worked at it to get more cars, and today we have a good change compared to that first race. I hope we have more cars, but I'm happy to have this number today.

McKaigue: It took a leap of faith on the part of everyone involved to see the series grow. We as drivers were having fun and spread that word. Porsche Canada, especially Joe Lawrence, was committed, and the IMSA group refused to be daunted. If one of those groups had given up, we would not have the series we have today. I have noticed that the racing community as a whole are not good quitters: That might be the secret.

Cirone: To be quite honest, I was a little bit surprised we only got six cars in the beginning. But I was glad I was a part of it. I did have my reservations whether the series would grow or not, but then I thought to myself, 'There are so many people in Canada that love racing and so many great race drivers, and I think it's just a matter of letting people know the series exists and that Porsche is really serious about it.' I think it was only a matter of time before people got attracted, and it grew. My thoughts were correct on that. I knew it would get bigger and better.

Q: What has been the most enjoyable, rewarding part of competing in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin for the last four seasons?

McKaigue: I have had a chance to meet a lot of really great people and call them my friends. There is so much talent in the paddock, not just the drivers. I have learned an appreciation for all the facets of a successful race weekend. It's an enormous logistical undertaking. To see our series progress to the level of professionalism where we are now, a well-respected series at major events, is pretty cool.

Cirone: Aside from the fact I'm completely addicted to racing, I must say the people that I've met over the last five years in the series have been the best experience I could possibly have. I've met so many great people in the last five years. I've been so fortunate to meet such wonderful people. First and foremost, that's what I've been blessed with, is to have friendships I never would have had if I didn't go racing. Great, incredible people. It's like a family out there. I know people all over North America. It's a really tight-knit community.

Harvey: It is a very competitive series, but we have a great group of drivers, a great family. The competition is safe. Yes, sometimes we have some accidents, but that is racing.

Q: How has the increasing level of competition helped you improve as a driver?

Cirone: It's made me more determined because the drivers got better and better, and I want to be able to compete at that level. For example, last year Scott Hargrove, Chris Green and Spencer Pigot, those kids were unbelievably fast. So I had to try to up my game just to try to keep up. I've been trying with physical conditioning, to learn more about the car, make less mistakes, and I've definitely learned quite a bit by watching those guys and trying to do what they do. They're great race car drivers.

Harvey: We always need the best drivers in the best cars possible. It's so close. Sometimes we're racing just tenths of a second apart, lap after lap. We always need to increase the level.

McKaigue: The level of competition is definitely increasing every year. This is now a series where we are seeing lots of young drivers. That forces everyone to up their game. I now know so much more about racecraft, setup, data analysis, communicating driver feedback to my engineer, Gianni. The constant improvement is what makes it a lot of work but also what makes it rewarding.

Q: Are there any races or seasons that stand out above the others during your career in this series?

Harvey: I really liked racing during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend at Montreal.

McKaigue: This may be a funny answer, but one of the races weekends that stands out the most for me was one of our worst weekends. The Toronto Indy was a really tough weekend last year. We never got the setup right; we sustained a lot of damage. I joked that the only good thing about the weekend was that the car only had four corners because if it had five, we would have bent that one, too. But that has left us with a determination to return and do better. We spent time testing and competing at Sebring, all with that rough Toronto Indy track in mind. The successes are great and a lot of fun, but we never get them if we don't learn from the failures.

Cirone: I think the inaugural race at Mosport, where I actually won. I won that race. It was the first GT3 Cup Canadian race at Mosport (in July 2011). I was first; Randy (Oswald) was second. I finished first on the podium, and we had a hospitality suite with plenty of guests and friends. It was my moment, and I was very proud. My family was there. I was very, very happy. That was probably my best moment.

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin enters its fifth season in 2015 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. 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 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Racing is divided into two classes - Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014 and 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the 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 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 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA - a company within the NASCAR Holdings group - 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 TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.