While sportscar competition has a long history in Southeast Asia (a Porsche 1600 took its place on the Macau Grand Prix grid way back in 1957), until 2003 no single manufacturer had had the foresight and confidence to invest in a one-make championship on a regional scale. That all changed in 2003, when Porsche, with the success of its successful Carrera Cups in Germany, France and Japan, made the inspired decision to take on the challenge of the world’s most exciting region.

 Ideally positioned to organise the new series was its regional headquarters located in Singapore. Porsche Asia Pacific was not only tasked with replicating the high standards of the three existing Carrera Cups, but with using the new series to raise the bar on motorsport competition across the region.

But to rewind further, the success of the Porsche Carrera Cups, of which there are eight in 2015, began in 1948 when, just a month after the completion of the first-ever car, the Porsche 356 No. 1 won its class in the debut race for the marque in Innsbruck, Austria. In 1951, the Porsche 356 Alu-Coupe took the first Le Mans class victory with an impressive average lap speed of 145kph. These first steps marked the start of a passion for motorsport which has so far resulted in more than 30,000 race victories for Porsche in nearly every motorsport series in the world, not least of which was its phenomenal Le Mans victory earlier this year.

The first Porsche one-make racing series was the 944 Turbo Cup, introduced in 1986 in Germany, and the idea of developing its own racing series around the iconic Porsche 911 was realised in 1990 with the introduction of the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. The Porsche Motorsport Department developed the Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cup car for the series, and a new chapter began.

The one-make concept, where racing skill is brought to the fore with all drivers competing in identical cars under the same technical conditions, was an immediate triumph and the Carrera Cup soon expanded globally, and this season the eight Carrera Cups are: Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Asia, Great Britain and Scandinavia.

On its debut at the start of the 2003 season, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia exceeded all expectations, immediately taking the region by storm. The rich motorsport heritage of Porsche attracted Asia’s leading racing competitors, with the likes of former works touring car driver Charles Kwan of Hong Kong, and regional touring and single-seater champion Nattavude Charoensukhawatana of Thailand taking up the challenge. It began as it was to continue though, as a truly international series. Britain was represented by Nigel Albon, while South African Toby Venter and American-born William Heinecke brought the number of continents represented on the grid to four.

The entire series was centrally managed, and each car was run by the official series service provider, Malaysian-based EKS Motorsport, which provided all engineering and mechanical services for the 18 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. EKS and Porsche Asia Pacific provided a complete ‘arrive and drive’ service for all the teams and drivers, something previously unseen in the region. Centrally-managed parts, shipping, unparalleled hospitality, logistical support – even individual car liveries – were all provided to the highest standards.

Porsche well and truly threw down the gauntlet to Asian motorsport for the launch of its new Carrera Cup Asia, leveraging its influence on the world stage to open the 2003 season at the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix.

The first season included 12 races at six difference tracks in Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, China and Macau.

For the start of its second season, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia introduced a second championship title within the series. Class B was created for privateer drivers who, while racing in the same field as some of the finest professional sportscar drivers in the world, would at the same time compete amongst themselves for a second championship title. The creation of Class B has resulted in the very best privateer teams in Asia racing wheel-to-wheel with respected professionals such as Earl Bamber, Martin Ragginger, Tung Ho-Pin, Darryl O’Young, Christian Menzel and Craig Baird.

Over subsequent seasons, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia continued to prosper. With the rise of China, in 2011, the organisation of the championship was taken over by Porsche China.

A regular fixture at the Asian rounds of the F1 world championship, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia made its debut on Singapore’s Marina Bay street circuit in 2008, along with the F1 field. It has returned each year, the race a popular event on the calendar, as well as becoming a regular support race at both the Malaysian and Shanghai Grands Prix.

At the start of the 2014 season, the new Porsche 911 GT3 (Type 991) was introduced to the Asian Cup. Not a car for the faint hearted, nevertheless the entire Porsche Carrera Cup Asia field – from defending champion Earl Bamber to the newest rookie – immediately mastered the formidable car, and the already-intense competition went up another gear.

Today, while independent teams are welcome in the series, EKS continues to service many of the 28-strong field. All parts remain centrally managed, meaning teams are not required to invest in inventory, and hospitality and logistics are provided by the organisers, along with a comprehensive promotional programme which encompasses print, online and broadcast.

Porsche dealer teams have strengthened the entry, the series benefitting from the world-class professionals they have brought to Asia, while series partners Michelin and Mobil1 have also contributed greatly to its astonishing success.

While the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has long been the Number One choice for drivers looking to establish a name for themselves in sportscar competition, one man has catapulted the series right into the glare of the international spotlight: Earl Bamber. Just two years after making his first ever start in a Porsche at the opening round of the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season, Bamber took his place on the winners’ podium of the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours as a fully-fledged Porsche LMP1 works driver.