Ryan Yardley reaches a major career milestone in January, making his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona as the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion.

yan Yardley’s Porsche ladder climb reaches its biggest milestone yet in January, as the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion prepares to make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Fresh off a title-winning season that went down to the wire, the 27-year-old New Zealander will step into GT3 competition for the first time, contesting one of the world’s most famous endurance race in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

For Yardley, the opportunity represents far more than a one-off start–it is the realization of a long-term goal that began when he first entered Carrera Cup three years ago.

“For me, it’s obviously a dream to graduate to not only doing the Daytona 24 Hour, but also the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” Yardley said.

“It’s just a one-off race right now, but I’m incredibly excited to get to Daytona next month for the Roar and then leading into the race. To continue my relationship with Porsche after three years of Carrera Cup, and to make my first GT3 start in a Porsche, is pretty special.”

Yardley’s Daytona debut with Muehlner Motorsports America will come immediately after the most successful season of his career.

In 2025, he captured the Porsche Carrera Cup North America championship in dramatic fashion, sealing the title at Circuit of The Americas with pole position and two race wins for TOPP Racing in a finale that showcased his composure under pressure.

“To win the championship was massive,” Yardley said.

“But to do it the way we did–beating Riley [Dickinson], a past champion, and beating Kellymoss, which has been the dominant team in Porsche racing in North America for so long–that’s what made it even more special.”

The title marked the culmination of a three-year plan for Yardley, who joined the one-make series with a clear objective: to use Carrera Cup as a springboard to top-level GT racing. Making the jump straight into GT3 machinery, the season after winning the championship was always the target.

“That was a huge goal of mine–making sure I went straight from Carrera Cup into GT3,” he said. “To have my GT3 debut at Daytona is going to be pretty special.”

The path to the Rolex 24 came together quickly–and unexpectedly. Yardley revealed that the Daytona deal was finalized in a matter of days, the result of relationships built through coaching and endurance racing outside the Carrera Cup paddock.

“It all happened within almost 48 hours,” Yardley explained. “I had a few different options on the table for Daytona, but I’ve been coaching Dave Musial Jr. in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama. This race will be with Dave senior and junior, as well as Peter Ludwig, who’s senior’s coach. It’s wild how it all worked out.”

That connection has already produced results. Yardley and Musial Jr. previously teamed up to win the final round of Porsche Endurance Challenge North America at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this year, strengthening a partnership that now carries into one of the toughest events in global motorsport.

“We already had a win together, which makes it pretty special,” Yardley said. “To do his debut endurance race and get a win showed we had a strong partnership. Now we’re taking on one of the biggest endurance races in the world together.”

Daytona will present a very different challenge from the sprint racing environment that defined Yardley’s Carrera Cup success. Instead of 40 minutes of flat-out intensity, the Rolex 24 demands patience, traffic management, and long-run consistency–skills Yardley is eager to refine.

“Carrera Cup was 40 minutes of all-out sprint racing,” he said. “Endurance racing is different. We’ll need to manage fuel, look after the tires, and deal with traffic–both passing and being passed by LMDh and LMP2 cars. It’s a massive change in dynamic.”

Preparation will begin with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 – multiple days of testing leading into race week. While Yardley’s teammates has previous Daytona International Speedway experience, the race his first at the famous Florida venue.

“We’ve got plenty of time to get adjusted and learn the car,” Yardley said. “It’s the first race at Daytona for most of us, so the focus is on learning, ticking the boxes at the Roar, and putting our best foot forward for the 24.”

The Daytona opportunity comes on the heels of another career highlight: Porsche’s Night of Champions in Germany, where Yardley celebrated his Carrera Cup title alongside champions from across the global Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.

“To experience that for the first time was really cool,” he said.

“Being in a room with drivers I’ve looked up to for years, doing the museum tour and the factory tour–it’s something not many people get to do. The group of North American champions this year was awesome, and the atmosphere was really special.”

While the celebrations marked the end of a successful chapter, Yardley’s focus quickly shifted forward.

“I’m 27 now, and after that night it was straight back to focusing on the future,” he said. “Carrera Cup will always be special, and my time there means a lot, but now it’s about the next chapter.”

That next chapter begins under the lights at Daytona, where Yardley will take on the Rolex 24 with the confidence of a champion and the mindset of a driver still hungry to learn.

“I’m under no illusions about how tough Daytona is going to be,” Yardley said. “You’ve got the best sports car drivers in the world all coming together in January. We just need to prepare as best we can, stay out of trouble, and see what happens.”

For Ryan Yardley, the jump from Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition is exactly where the road was always meant to lead–and Daytona is the perfect place to start the next climb.