Racing to End Alzheimer’s returns to Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America and MDK Motorsports in 2024

The 2023 Am Class champion Mark Kvamme will be back in the familiar purple “names” livery that honors loved ones who have suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s

LOS ANGELES (15 February 2024) – The 2023 Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America Am Class champions will reunite in 2024, as Racing to End Alzheimer’s once again partners with Pataskala, Ohio-based MDK Motorsports and driver Mark Kvamme to contest the 16-race season.

The familiar purple and white livery will return for its eighth straight season of IMSA competition. 2023 saw a record 216 names on the No. 43 Racing to End Alzheimer’s/MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, helping family and friends honor loved ones who have suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s. The $250 donation that places the name on the car is matched by the organization’s founder, Phil Frengs, and his company Legistics – and every dollar goes directly to the Racing to End Alzheimer’s beneficiary programs.

Kvamme captured his second straight Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America Am class title in 2023 with nine victories in 16 races, scoring an astonishing first or second place finish in every race. But for Kvamme, whose grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s, the season represents much more than simply going for his third straight Am class title – it’s a chance to connect with race fans across the country who share his story.

“Alzheimer’s has touched our family so this is very personal,” said Kvamme. “I love being a part of this effort, not only to raise money, but to talk to people at the racetrack. The car is iconic in its design, with all the names, and people identify with that – especially the family members and friends who have put loved ones’ names on the car. We hear their stories and it’s so powerful. I’m hoping to go out there, do well again this year, and continue the effort – we have to go for the three-peat!”

But the on-track action is only a fraction of the work that lies at the heart of Racing to End Alzheimer’s. Frengs attends every race weekend, serving as the designated “hugger-in-chief.” He spends those race weekends talking to fans, many of whom have stories of their own that speak to the effect that dementia and Alzheimer’s has had on their families. Most choose to put their loved ones’ name on the car – and many give donations so that “scholarship” names can be added as well.

“Last year was such a successful season for us, both on and off the racetrack, and we’re excited to partner with Mark and MDK Motorsports again this year, to continue that momentum,” said Racing to End Alzheimer’s founder Phil Frengs. “Mark shares our commitment to the cause and helped us to a record number of names on the car last year.

“Each name on the No. 43 Porsche represents a loved one who has suffered from dementia or Alzheimer’s,” continued Frengs. “It gives family and friends the chance to honor their loved ones in a very tangible way. Going to the racetrack and meeting so many people throughout the season is the most important part of the program for me. It seems that everyone has a story about how Alzheimer’s or dementia has affected their family, and it helps me to share in those moments. We’re ready to head to Sebring – and the rest of a very impressive 2024 racing schedule.”

The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America series will compete on some of the biggest stages in racing in 2024, in both the U.S. and Canada. The series joins IMSA at five of its legendary venues: Sebring, Watkins Glen, Road America, Indianapolis, and Road America. In addition, the series is also the undercard at three Formula One events: Miami, Montreal and Austin.

“The 2024 schedule is spectacular,” said Kvamme. “We look forward to racing with IMSA and with Formula One. Last year at Circuit of the Americas, Kevin Magnussen came over to talk with us and to see his grandfather’s name on the car – we hope to do more together this year, because once you have a family member afflicted this way, you want to do everything you can to find a cure.”

The Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America season opener will see two races contested at Sebring International Raceway as part of IMSA’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring race weekend. Race one will take the green flag Thursday, March 14 at 4:50 pm, with race two Friday at 7:15 pm ET. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.