Kiwi racer Madeline Stewart secured her second top-ten finish of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season and her sixth point-scoring result to date, following a remarkable qualifying and bouncing back from an accident in race 1 to finish tenth at Road Atlanta.
Madeline Stewart scored her second top-ten result of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the penultimate round of her rookie season in one of the most competitive Porsche one-make series worldwide.
Stewart, who had a remarkable first season on North American soil in 2023 as she entered the 992 class of the Porsche Sprint Challenge NA championship, stepped up to the Porsche Carrera Cup NA in 2024, joining JDX Racing. After gaining experience in the first couple of rounds, she scored points for the first time in Montreal, Canada, with a 13th-place finish in Race 2.
The New Zealander then claimed her personal best at Road America, with a seventh-place finish that showcased the impressive progress she made in the first half of the season. From that moment, Madeline scored points in four consecutive races, with solid runs at Elkhart Lake and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, including two P11 results.
This strong form allowed the Kiwi to climb to 16th in the championship standings. Aiming to continue her momentum, Stewart headed to Road Atlanta, which hosted the seventh and penultimate round of the season, marking her first-ever visit to the circuit, and participated in a test day beforehand to prepare.
"It’s a race I’ve looked forward to ever since I saw the schedule", Madeline commented before the event. "It’s an exciting track to drive, and very high speed. I had a great couple of days testing and feel like I really made progress learning the track. I’m sure that will continue to evolve throughout race week and I’m looking forward to a couple of great races.”
Her weekend started off well with a strong practice run, placing her #82 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup just outside the top 10 in the Pro class.
In qualifying, Stewart showed her superb single-lap pace by securing P10 overall, a further testament to her progress in the second half of the season. The session saw Alex Sedgwick take pole position, sharing the front row with championship leader Loek Hartog.
Madeline Stewart lined up in 10th place on the grid after her impressive qualifying session, and as Race 1 got underway, she made a strong start, gaining one position when Michael McCann of Kellymoss Racing ran wide into the gravel and dropped to P19.
As the race unfolded, Stewart found herself in a fierce battle with the drivers around her, including Jimmy Llibre and Adam Kaminsky. She was holding her own in the top-10, trying to close the gap to Llibre while also defending her position from Kaminsky. Despite her best efforts, Kaminsky eventually found a way past her, pushing Stewart down a spot.
Madeline then had Michael Cooper and Sabré Cook both on her tail; Heading into the tricky Turn 10, Cooper attempted a move on Stewart and, under pressure, she went slightly wide, dropping a wheel off the track, which caused her to unfortunately spin on the path of Sabré Cook, resulting in both drivers being forced to retire with significant damage to their cars.
It was a disappointing end to the first race for Stewart, who had shown competitive pace and was well within the top-10 battle before the incident.
The final race of the weekend took place on a sunny Friday morning, and Stewart was determined to make up for her misfortune from the previous day. Starting from P11, thanks to the remarkable overnight work by the JDX Racing crew to repair her car, Stewart was fully focused on delivering a solid performance.
At the start, the front runners quickly established a tight battle for the lead, with Ryan Yardley, Loek Hartog, and Zachary Vanier all within a few tenths. Stewart, meanwhile, held onto her P11 position, keeping pace with the midfield pack and staying close to Kaminsky, who was running just ahead.
Stewart then began to lose a bit of ground to De la Torre, who had been overtaken by Kaminsky. However, with the top-four drivers engaged in their own intense scrap for positions, Madeline could close in on the cars ahead. On lap 12, McCann, who had earlier been battling within the top-10, made a small mistake, allowing Stewart to get through and move into the top 10.
From that point on, Stewart drove with consistency and determination, building a gap of over three seconds to McCann behind her. Her focus then shifted to closing the gap to De La Torre, who was her next target on the track. Lap after lap, Stewart chipped away at the gap, while also managing tyre wear.
By lap 24, Stewart had reduced the gap to just one second behind her JDX Racing teammate. She pushed hard in the final laps, trying to find a way past, but she couldn’t ultimately get close enough to make a decisive move before the checkered flag.
Stewart finished the race in P10, securing her second top-ten finish of the season and her sixth point-scoring result overall. It was a commendable performance, especially given the setback she faced in Race 1.
"The most important thing is that we made a big step in the right direction this week", Stewart stated. "We know we have the pace and equipment but this championship is challenging, and this field is really strong so it takes more than that to get a result."
"The JDX Racing crew work tirelessly to give me a great car and I am so grateful, I am especially grateful that they got the car fixed overnight after Race 1 and ready for Race 2.
Madeline Stewart will now aim to end her rookie campaign on a high note at the Circuit of The Americas, Austin, on October 18-20, as the series will support the F1 US Grand Prix.