Hurley Haywood Scholarship winner and IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama Champion Jake Eidson stormed onto the one-make championship’s schedule in strong style.

When the season had concluded he reaped title of one of the hardest-fought seasons to-date for the one-make championship. He also earned yet another valuable trophy in the process – the keys to a brand-new Porsche 911, his to use for the next year.

Appropriately equipped for a GT3 Cup Challenge Champion, Porsche outfitted the stunning black 911 with a seven-speed manual transmission to transfer power to the ground from the 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged boxer engine that produces 370 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque.

And if Eidson is late for an appointment, those six cylinders will propel him to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, while the Champion is wrapped in a leather interior listening to the tones of the optional Bose Surround Sound system and Sport Exhaust.

Eidson first got a glimpse of the car at the championship banquet at Motul Petit Le Mans. At the end of the celebration, the first year participant in the series was handed the keys to iconic machine by Dr. Daniel Armbruster, president and CEO of Porsche Motorsport North America.

Entering the Road Atlanta finale, the 22-year-old driver had already clinched the Overall and Platinum Cup Championships at the series' previous event at Sonoma Raceway in the No. 24 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry. However, he had to wait to the conclusion of on-track activities at Road Atlanta on Friday to collect the wares of his efforts. To celebrate the teamwork nature of the sport, Eidson said one of his first rides in his new 911 Carrera was with Kelly-Miss principal Jeff Stone.

While the fruits of the labor came at the season’s close, the young driver said a major career moment happened before his 2017 season even started when he got the call that he had won the inaugural Hurley Haywood GT3 Cup Scholarship, backed by IMSA, Yokohama, Porsche and Haywood himself. The scholarship allowed Eidson to grow his relationship with Kelly-Moss and put into motion his impressive rookie season.

Although winning a new Porsche and the scholarship were memorable, Eidson raved about his experience with “Racing For Kids” – a unique national charity, which supports children when they are most vulnerable, sick and hospitalized.

Drawing on the popularity of motorsports, “Racing For Kids” uses its distinctive position within the racing world to bring attention and funding to child health institutions. Around 100 of those children came out to Barber Motorsports Park for the GT3 Cup Challenge event weekend in April. Eidson started from pole position and won both 45-minute races at the Alabama track.

Jake Eidson, 2017 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama Overall Champion.

About winning the 2017 Championship and 911 Carrera. "They basically handed me the keys and said, 'Go have fun!’ There's six to seven drivers on any given weekend who could win the pole and the race so it's a lot of tough competition in this series.

"The amount of support I've received this year is overwhelming, I can't thank everyone enough. First of all, I have to thank my team - Kelly-Moss Road and Race. I think they're the best team at what they do. They've been a huge contributor with [owner and competition director] Jeff Stone and he's been an enormous amount of help and support for me. He's done a really good job of making us feel like we are part of the Kelly-Moss family - and it's truly more of a family than a team."

About winning the Hurley Haywood Scholarship. "Winning that scholarship was a bit of added pressure because a lot of people really want to see you do well. Trying to meet those expectations and standards was difficult at times, but I think if nothing else, it was more motivation.

About the Racing For Kids Experience. "Being able to meet some of those kids involved and put a smile on their faces has been really moving and memorable. It was special watching them enjoy the sights and sounds of racing and all the excitement of a race weekend."