This season, PJ Groenke proved that your dreams can indeed become a reality. After accumulating eight wins and six podiums this year across fourteen rounds, he was crowned the TCA class champion, achieving a longtime goal he had set out for himself.
His unmatched performance enabled him to wrap up the championship a little early, and as he crossed the finish line at Barber Motorsports Park and claimed the title, he was met with a strong mix of emotions.
“It was a sense of absolute joy, happiness, and relief now that the job was done,” Groenke explained. “I knew we could do it, and I needed that validation again after winning my first championship back in 2017. It’s been a long time coming, and all the hard work and determination paid off. It means the world to me, and I do not take one second of what I am so luckily and thankfully able to do for granted. It was finally time to climb up on the roof of my MINI JCW and celebrate!”
Groenke is known for his can-do attitude and positive spirit, but he remains a fierce competitor at heart. No matter the setting or situation, he wants to go out there and put his best foot forward, making trips to victory lane and picking up trophies along the way.
“The goal each and every season is to win the championship,” he explained. “If that wasn’t the ultimate objective, there would be no point in me being out here. I am a competitive person and I want to win and be the fastest every time I'm on track.”
He credited both the highs and lows for building his resilience and never-give-up mindset, but looking back, he holds a particular fondness for his performance at Road America.
“The weekend at VIR was not what I wanted and it got me down a bit,” he elaborated. “We had a mechanical issue in Race 1, and overall did not have the long run pace to challenge against Alex Garcia. However, I have always been wickedly fast at Road America since the first time I raced there in 2014. I absolutely love that place! We needed to set the tone for the remainder of the season and did just that by earning pole position, winning Race 1, setting the lap record for the TCA class of 2:33.959, then sweeping the weekend by winning Race 2. I rewarded myself by putting up a sticker behind the bar at Siebkens right after.”
He was quick to praise his team and all the people along the way who have helped him achieve this feat, recognizing that it takes a village in order to reach this level of success. Noting the tremendous amount of effort that goes on behind the scenes each season to build a championship campaign, he never misses an opportunity to highlight the ones behind the scenes.
“I am so very thankful to have an incredible group of partners and sponsors making each and every season possible,” he expressed. “I sincerely cannot thank them all enough for everything; Josef Gas, Aletha Corp., Cabano’s Cheeseburgers, Eventscape, TalentNet, Tundra, Vestacon, BR-BP, Hempen Jewellers Markham, Doug Ramshaw & Family, Noventa Energy Partners, Quality Cheese, RLVM Group, Route 44 Productions, Warp Speed Computers Inc., Alpha Laboratories Inc., Canadian Credit Corporation, LF*GO!, Proprint Services Inc., Accurate Fasteners Ltd. ARS Global Emergency Management, and Autobahn Auto Salon Corporation. This championship was for them.”
When asked about his plans for the 2025 season, the TCA champion left us on a cliffhanger; “Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?”