AUSTIN, Texas (Nov. 4, 2014) – Newly crowned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Champion Colin Thompson saw his Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup debut cut short last weekend, when an accident in Saturday’s race forced him to withdraw from the second half of the doubleheader.



The intensely competitive Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has long been known as a springboard to GT stardom for up-and-coming drivers. This year’s Supercup finale took place at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, alongside the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix. Thompson’s entry as a guest driver with Kelly Moss Motorsports came courtesy of his 2014 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA championship.
 


Though Thompson was familiar with the 20-turn, 3.4-mile road course and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, limited track time and standing starts made the Supercup weekend a unique challenge. After just one 45-minute practice session on Friday, Thompson qualified the No. 56 Porsche of Bucks County Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 18th for Race One and 16th for Race Two on the 30-car grid—the highest of any guest driver.
 


Pleased with qualifying, Thompson then faced his first standing start since his 2010 race season with the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. This is where the 20-year-old’s Supercup debut began to go awry.
 


“I didn’t get the start I wanted,” Thompson recalled. “I lost a bunch of positions on the standing start, something I wasn’t used to. As a driver coming off one his most successful seasons ever, I wasn’t happy about being in the back of the pack and I passed six or seven cars by Turn 12.  One of the biggest things I had to adjust to was the tire compound, so the tires were a bit too cold and I tried to brake where I normally brake while I was passing somebody and it didn’t work. The brakes locked up and unfortunately I got together with another car.”
 


Sadly, the damage from the accident was not repairable in time for Sunday’s race and Thompson did not have the opportunity to redeem himself. He still walked away from the learning experience in good spirits, knowing that he showed the pace to run with the next generation of GT superstars.
 


“I learned that when you think you’re getting really good at racing you come across a new crowd and realize you need to raise your game that much higher,” Thompson said. “These guys were so aggressive and throwing the car around in ways that physics says isn’t possible. The caliber of the guys out there is insane. They’re some of the most talented drivers I’ve ever raced against. I know I have the speed to run with them and I just need to work on a few things. I learned a lot last weekend and I can’t wait to prove it.”



With his offseason now officially underway, Thompson can work on those lessons learned and focus on preparing for the 2015 season.



“Just because the race season is off, doesn’t mean anything slows down,” Thompson said. “I’m going to be going harder than ever to prepare physically and mentally for whatever the next race is. I’m getting sponsorship in line to make sure I’m on track next year and just making sure I’m where I need to be at every level.”
 
Stay tuned to www.colin-thompson.com for news on the 2015 race season.