Porsche Sprint & Endurance Challenge sparked his ambition; a season in the GT World Challenge with the Porsche 911 GT3 R built his confidence. Now, he’s taking the next step with Kellymoss into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Michael Clark was chasing a Cayman Masters championship when Porsche Endurance Challenge opened his eyes to a bigger goal.
Three years after his 2024
Clark will share the No. 17 Kellymoss Porsche 911 GT3 R with Colin Braun in the GTD class in 2027, with Kyle Marcelli joining for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. His debut season will begin with a significant personal milestone: a round-the-clock battle at the Daytona International Speedway.
Climbing the North American Porsche Motorsport Pyramid.
For Clark, the connection between that opportunity and his Porsche single-make beginnings is clear.
“I did Sprint Challenge, but I did Endurance Challenge as well,” Clark said. “I think that definitely helped further my desire to go further in the endurance side because I just really enjoy the endurance racing side of it.”
That inaugural
Yet an IMSA campaign was not the immediate objective when he pursued his Sprint Challenge title with Kellymoss and driver coach Andrew Davis.
“At that time, I wasn’t really thinking about the future,” “I was focused at that time really on the Cayman championship, again with Kellymoss. I was working with Andrew Davis, another great instructor and great driver, and had a lot of fun.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans provided the spark.
Clark briefly stepped away in 2025 as commitments outside racing took priority. A visit to the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a spectator helped convince him there was more he wanted to accomplish.
“I looked at my wife, and I said, ‘I don’t think I’m done yet,’” he said. “I’d really like to do this race.”
His ambitions now extend beyond reaching the IMSA grid, with the Bob Akin Award among his targets for the coming season.
“Racing at Le Mans is a huge goal, but you’ve got to set your sights high,” he said.
Clark’s progression began well before his championship-winning Cayman campaign, in an old Porsche 944 that taught him the importance of carrying momentum.
An early move from the 944 into a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car proved a substantial jump. The Cayman subsequently provided the intermediate step he needed, giving him room to develop his technique and confidence.
“The Cayman was a great intermediate step,” Clark said. “It is a super stable and reliable car. You still have the thrill of the Cup car, but it didn’t bite you as bad as the early 991 Cup would.
“It made me work on my technique and skill and made me a better driver.”
The lessons learned in those earlier cars continue to influence his approach.
“You learn the basics in the slower car,” he said. “Skills that have been very beneficial as I’ve climbed the ladder.”
Taking the steps with Kellymoss.
Kellymoss has remained central to that development. Clark initially approached the team seeking greater support for his Cayman program. A meeting at Road America with co-owners Andy Kilcoyne and Victoria Thomas established a relationship that has continued through his move into GT3 competition.
“They’re fantastic people, and we love spending so much time with them,” Clark said. “When you are spending a lot of time with these people, you have to enjoy them.”
That relationship also helped connect Clark with Braun as his ambitions grew toward IMSA and top-level GT3 racing. The pair raced together in GT World Challenge America in 2026 before committing to their IMSA program.
“Colin and I pretty much hit it off from the beginning,” Clark said. “We do work very well together, and I’ve learned so much from him.”
Braun’s contribution extends beyond setting a benchmark lap time. Clark credits his co-driver with helping him understand how the Porsche works and how to communicate its behavior to the engineers.
“It’s really impressive how he communicates with the engineers and translate what I’m feeling in the car,” he said.
Comparing their data provides another clear guide to where Clark can improve.
“My data traces look okay, but you overlay Colin’s, and then you see what the differences are,” Clark said. “You can see exactly where those tenths are missing and where I can work on those.”
Trusting the performance of the 911 GT3 R.
Learning to trust the Porsche 911 GT3 R has been another important part of the transition.
“So many times, Colin would tell me, ‘Don’t worry, the car will handle it. The car will stick. The car will go there,’” he said. “It really just was getting me to understand how much this platform can do.”
The next challenge will require that confidence over much longer distances. Clark has experience in club-level endurance races with friends, including events lasting eight, nine, and 14 hours, but Daytona will take him into new territory.
His preparation now emphasizes physical endurance, mental focus, and sustained consistency, including extended simulator sessions.
“It’s not just about turning fast laps; it’s turning consistent laps over extended times,” he said. “That’s what we’re really working on right now.”
For a driver whose endurance ambitions grew through Porsche Endurance Challenge, the prospect of returning to Daytona as a competitor carries particular meaning.
“I’ve been to the race so many times,” Clark said. “To be able to kind of walk through that Daytona gate with my helmet, it will be quite a moment, I’m sure.”
