Daytona Beach, Florida - Tim Sanderson stood atop the podium in late August 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, basking in the satisfaction of success.

Sanderson, from Pickering, Ontario, had just earned his first Gold Cup championship in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin in his third season in the championship. He prevailed by just two points, 178-176, over a hard-charging driver, Jerimy Daniel, less than half his age in a bruising, season-long battle.

It would be understandable if Sanderson, 53, decided to stay in Gold Cup this season to defend his title. But that's not his style. He runs toward challenges like a moth flies toward a porch light on a summer night.

Sanderson decided to take the leap to the top level of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. His fourth season would be in a Platinum Cup (2014-15) car.

"I think our decision was to try the newer car and to see how competitive we could be running with these guys in Platinum," Sanderson said. "I love the 997 V2 (Gold Cup) that we ran, the 2012 car. It was an incredible car.

"But everything I was hearing from the guys who were in the 991s (Platinum Cup) were just how much incredible they were beyond the 997. And I just wanted to give it a try, and I really wanted to test my mettle against the front-runners in Platinum."

So far it's looking like a good decision for Sanderson.

He finished fourth and fifth overall, respectively, in the first two rounds of the series May 16-17 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). He placed second among Platinum Masters competitors in both races in the No. 07 Northwest Atlantic Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, prepared by series powerhouse Alegra Motorsports.

The performance was even more impressive considering Sanderson didn't get his hands on the car until April. He bought the car from Alegra team owner and Platinum Masters standout Carlos de Quesada and then competed in a regional race on the first weekend of May at CTMP.

It only took a few laps for Sanderson to realize the thoroughbred performance of his new car.

"I just feel the car is a lot more responsive," Sanderson said. "The paddle shifters, they're totally more responsive. The braking is dynamite.

"Even when you feel like the car is going to get out of shape a little bit, it seems to not do that. It's reassuring. I feel comfortable, very comfortable in the car. There's nothing in the back of my mind saying, 'Hey, you've got to be careful.'"

Sanderson admits there was one adjustment he needed to make with his new ride. Gold Cup cars feature traditional shift levers and clutches for gear changes, while Platinum Cup cars have paddle shifters and sequential transmissions that don't require clutch use.

That adjustment caused Sanderson to reach a few times for a gear shifter that didn't exist and search for the clutch pedal during gear shifts when turning his first few laps in the car, a memory that brought a smile to his face.

Sanderson turned his quickest race lap of 1:21.388 in Round 1 on May 16. It was a positive, confident start. But he knows he needs to find a few tenths of a second to compete with two-time reigning Platinum Masters champion Marco Cirone, who finished second overall and was the top Platinum Masters finisher in both rounds at CTMP.

"We need to be in the 1:20s (at CTMP) to run with these other guys, and everything that Alegra's telling me is that I'll be in the 1:20s at some point," Sanderson said. "Marco Cirone is an awesome driver. To be close to him in the points and close to him on the track throughout the series for the Masters championship is my goal. I don't know about running with these young kids, but if I can keep them in my sight, then I'll feel pretty good."

Embracing those challenges and adapting to a new car this season are some of the reasons why Sanderson has found a home in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Single-Make Series. He also has enjoyed forging strong bonds with Joanne's House, a charity that provides services for homeless, at-risk youth in his local region, during his tenure in the series.

"I think it's the professionalism of the series, the professionalism of the Porsche brand," Sanderson said about his desire to compete in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin. "It's the professionalism of IMSA. For me, it's the professionalism of what Alegra brings.

"It's advancing my driving. Before I retire from all this, I want to say I gave it absolutely my best shot."

Rounds 3 and 4 of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin will take place June 12-14 during the Honda Indy Toronto on the streets of Toronto. Both races are 45 minutes.

For more information about Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtag #GT3CAN @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin enters its fifth season in 2015 ready to produce more intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world's most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned championship is one of 20 global Porsche single-make Cup Racing series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Racing is divided into two classes - Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014 and 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh, and current, generation of the street car; and Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous iteration (model years 2010-2013) of the race car. A Masters Championship also is conducted in the Platinum class. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.

ABOUT IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA - a company within the NASCAR Holdings group - is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.