PMNA Reveals Expanded Porsche Junior Program

Photos: Porsche

Porsche Motorsport North America will continue to pave the way for emerging motorsport talent through a comprehensive expansion of the Porsche EBOOST Junior Program in 2025.

The initiative, part of Porsche’s global Motorsport Development Pyramid, offers aspiring drivers professional development opportunities, from grassroots levels to the international stage.

The program supports racers starting in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama and Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama, and continues its support in Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

The 2025 program members include:

Porsche Carrera Cup North America
Paul Bocuse
Tyler Maxon
Wesley Slimp
Yves Baltas
Zachary Vanier

Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama
Anna Checchi
Cole Kleck

Porsche Sprint Challenge USA West by Yokohama
Daniel Hanley
Luke French

Bocuse, Baltas, and Vanier return for 2025 after being part of the EBOOST-backed program last year. The 17-year-old Bocuse actually enters his third consecutive season in the program.

In his first season in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama in 2003, he won the GT4 Cayman Sprint Challenge and last year finished second in the GT3 Cup Sprint Challenge. This season he made the step up to Porsche Carrera Cup North America, contesting the championship with JDX Racing.

Drivers in the program are offered training in racecraft, chassis setup, tire management, fitness, and media handling. Performance incentives include complimentary entries and tire packages, with standout participants receiving further opportunities in higher-tier Porsche series.

The drivers will again get the opportunity to lean on program mentors. Porsche legend Patrick Long will continue in this role again in 2025.

Long is the most successful American Porsche factory driver in history, with a career spanning over two decades and highlighted by multiple class wins at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring.

Additionally, the recently retired two-time Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion Richard Westbrook has been added for additional mentor support for 2025.

Westbrook was Supercup champion in 2006 and 2007. This championship success launched a massively successful endurance racing career, which secured major wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, as well as multiple Le Mans podiums. 

Westbrook hung up his helmet after his final race at Petit Le Mans last year aboard the JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963.

“I’m really looking forward to working with young drivers this season,” Westbrook said.

“When I started my career, there were a lot of experienced guys who helped me, and now that I’ve retired, I’m keen to return the favor. Helping these young racers is really rewarding. It’s not just about how they drive the car, but it’s every aspect of a race weekend, working with the team, sponsors, the fans – there is a lot to it.

“After my single-seater days, I was basically out of racing until I got the chance to drive the Porsche Cup car. Those championship wins in Supercup paved the way to a rewarding career in endurance racing – I’m hoping some of these get the same opportunity.”

While the Junior Program members will again head to Porsche Penske Motorsport’s headquarters in July for their annual two-day workshop, the 2025 program has been expanded to include mentoring sessions at multiple rounds of Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

The Carrera Cup members of the program were tutored on the importance of mental preparation by Dr Jacques Dallaire of Performance Prime at the opening round at Sebring.

For next week’s second round at the F1 Miami Grand Prix, the social media team from Yokohama will host a session for the participating drivers about content creation and online brand management.

Program features also include:

*Drivers can use the designation Official Porsche Junior Driver of Porsche Motorsport North America.

*The junior driver who earns the most points each race weekend wins a set of Yokohama race tires and free entry into the next round of their championship.

*Access to the annual Porsche Junior Workshop for education on becoming a professional race car driver.

*Racers from Porsche Carrera Cup North America have the chance to be nominated by Porsche Motorsport North America to attend the Global Porsche Junior Selection program, where young racers from across the globe compete to become the global Porsche Junior.

Since its inception in 1997, Porsche’s Junior Program has been instrumental in developing world-class drivers. Notable alumni include current Porsche Penske Motorsport stars Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, and Julien Andlauer, as well as the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD champion, Laurin Heinrich.

“At Porsche, developing young talent isn’t just a program—it’s part of our DNA,” said Porsche Motorsport North America President and CEO, Volker Holzmeyer.

“From the early days of our Junior initiative in the late 1990s, we’ve seen drivers like Timo Bernhard, Jörg Bergmeister, and Patrick Long rise through the ranks to championship success. The Porsche Motorsport North America EBOOST Junior Program continues that legacy here in the U.S., creating a clear, merit-based pathway from grassroots racing to the highest levels of international competition. 

“It’s about giving deserving young drivers the tools, mentorship, and competitive platform to succeed—on and off the track.”

“In North America, we have such a huge market, we have so much talent. That’s why we want to show them the pathway to reach the top level with Porsche. 

“Our goal is to develop talent here in the US to the stage where they could be considered to be part of Porsche’s global Junior Program, and eventually, get the opportunity to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with our factory teams.”

The next step beyond the Porsche Motorsport North America Junior Program is the Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver program. The 2025 members of the Selected Driver program were announced earlier this week and features three former Junior Program members, Loek Hartog, Riley Dickinson, and Tom Sargent.