Jeff Williams, Rocky Mountain Region
2026 Zone Group Championship Manager
Recap
The dust has cleared, and Central/Southeast (Zones 3-5-10-12-13) stands on the top step of the podium for the 2026 Zone Group Championship. Congratulations! They will be added to the PCA trophy that is ensconced at PCA National Headquarters.
The Zone Group Championship (ZGC) is PCA Sim Racing’s annual competition for the title of best Zone Group in the country. The primary purpose is to foster camaraderie within the Zone Groups (ZGs) and “friendly” competition between the ZGs.
A change made for 2026 to better balance drivers was to have three Zone Groups in place of the prior four. Zones 1-2-4 (East), Zones 3-5-10-12-13 (Central/Southeast), and Zones 6-7-8-9-11-14 (West).
78 drivers competed for seats in the Porsche 992.2 championship team cars over the course of three solo driver qualifying races. Each Zone Group selected a track from their area and determined the track conditions for the qualifiers.
The activity within the ZGs before the championship race was fast and furious. Top-secret ZG practices, development and sharing of setups, Pro drivers sharing tips and techniques with drivers in their ZG, and the creation of special Zone Group liveries built relationships that will last well past the ZGC.
The championship race was a 4-driver team race event. Each team car was required to have a driver of each class (Pro, Club, Sport, Challenge), with each driver required to drive 1/4 of the 2-hour race. As a nod to the organization the Central/Southeast ZG was able to bring to the competition, they fielded six team cars in the championship race. East (1-2-4) and West (6-7-8-11-14) gridded three teams apiece.
RaceSpot provided live broadcast coverage. Close battles between drivers throughout the field provided ample opportunity for lively commentary.
Results
Drivers & Teams
(C/SE) Charolais: Justin St John Jason Barnett Daniel Harmon David Sauntry
(C/SE) Longhorn: Mike Patterson Mario Gonzalez Christopher Costis Les Carmichael
(C/SE) Angus: Blake Townend Robert Neville Tim Thornton Kris Drankiewicz
(C/SE) Wagyu: Justin Tipton David Saylor Peter Bodensteiner Leon Snyman
(C/SE) Hereford: Leif Peterson Ken Eskridge Joseph Evers Patric Aguirre
(C/SE) Brangus: Chris Paiz Gary Reiss Lee Binkley Sherry Le
(W) WWZ Team 1: David Mendonca James Martin Sheldon Zaharichuk Tim Taplin
(W) WWZ Team 2: Thomas Isabel Brandon Ogle Volker Krebs Jeffrey Block
(W) WWZ Team 3: Jordan Heppell Jeremy Hall Matthew Troillet Keith Marcusssen
(E) Second to None: John Gibson Chad Kacyon Antonio DaSilva Dave Jones
(E) Team Two for One: Chad Henson Peter Sigourney Donald Manning Brad Dunn
(E) We Apex As Late As We Register: Jake Gerbino Rex Jariwala Anker Berg-Sonne Joe Birkenstock
Schedule
| Event | Event Date | Track/Layout | In Sim Date/ Time of Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZG Qualifier 1 | |||
| Prelude | April 29th | Barber Motorsport | May 15th / 9:45 AM |
| Race | May 6th | Barber Motorsport | May 15th / 9:45 AM |
| ZG Qualifier 2 | |||
| Prelude | May 13th | Mid-Ohio Full Course | May 20th / 10:00 AM |
| Race | May 20th | Mid-Ohio Full Course | May 20th / 10:00 AM |
| ZG Qualifier 3 | |||
| Prelude | May 27th | Portland Full Circuit | May 23rd / 2:45 PM |
| Race | June 3rd | Portland Full Circuit | May 23rd / 2:45 PM |
| ZG Championship | |||
| Prelude | June 10th | Mugello Grand Prix | June 17th / 10:00 AM |
| Race | June 17th | Mugello Grand Prix | June 17th / 10:00 AM |
A special thanks to Patryk Adamczyk, Upper Canada Region, for creating our Zone Group Championship emblem.