This weekend, the current Porsche Carrera Cup Asia overall and Class B championship leaders – Kamlung Racing’s Chris van der Drift and Yuey Tan of Team Jebsen, respectively – will defend the honour of regional motorsport in what promises to be a memorable showdown between the leading Porsche Carrera Cup drivers from France Italy, Australia, Scandinavia and Asia in the Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015.
Powerfully illustrating the truly multinational nature of Porsche motorsport, up to 37 identical, German-engineered Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) cars will battle it out on the renowned Belgian Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia two-car team run by French rally and race legend, Sébastien Loeb.
New Zealander van der Drift, new to Porsche racing this season, and Singapore’s Tan are each relishing the prospect of taking on the finest Carrera Cup drivers in Europe. While van der Drift has previous experience at Spa, and has competed against some of the drivers in field, he isn’t planning to let his relative unfamiliarity with his Porsche be an issue for long: “There are a few in the field I know of and that I have raced against over the previous years in Blancpain and GT Open, and I’m sure every one of them will want to be at the pointy end. I guess for me knowing the track is one less thing I need to worry about, although I’ve never been around Spa in a 911 hopefully I’ll need only a couple of laps to know what I’m doing! I am still learning the car so every time I get behind the wheel I feel more comfortable and this should be the case here too. I can’t wait to hit the track and see where I stack up!”
Tan, meanwhile, is also guaranteed to give the challenge his all, and heads to Spa focused and prepared: “I’ve been spending some time in a racing simulator to make sure I am in tuned with the flow of the circuit. From friends that have been there, I have heard that there is a certain flow to the circuit that I need to get to know, so I’ve done quite a few laps. It should be good fun!
“Obviously it’d be great to get a result out there though I’ll be just keeping relaxed to keep my mind on the job! Nothing too complicated, just need to stay focused on getting the maximum performance. It’s an important opportunity to put Asian motorsport on the map, though I think Earl [Bamber] has helped us with that by winning Le Mans 24 Hours on his first participation!”
Held in support of the 24 Hours of Spa, the race has been organised jointly by the Porsche Carrera Cups France and Italy. van der Drift and Tan were invited to compete by Porsche China, organisers of the Carrera Cup Asia, and its partners as a reward for topping the leaderboards in each of the two fiercely-contested championship categories after Rounds 5&6 in Japan.
While the pair will fly the flag for Asian motorsport, they will also carry the names of two of their biggest fans after a hugely-successful social media competition. The two fans will literally race to the flag along with van der Drift and Tan, their names emblazoned on the side of each of the two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars.
Commented Alexandre Gibot, Motorsport Manager, Porsche China: “The Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015 is a showcase for the success of Porsche one-make racing around the world. For the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, it is an opportunity to once again prove that our series provides a very high international benchmark. Our former two-time champion and recent Le Mans 24 Hours winner Earl Bamber has already shown how high the level of competition is in our series, and we are confident that both Chris van der Drift and Yuey Tan will be strong challengers amongst this incredible field of drivers.”
As well as the leading drivers from the Italian, French, Australian and Scandinavian series, the line-up for the Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015 also includes a former and another current Porsche Carrera Cup Asia driver; Zhang Da Sheng of China, this season competing in Italy; and 2013 Asian Class B champion Egidio Perfetti, who is combining a season in the French Carrera Cup with selected Asian outings in the Spark Motorsport entry.
Designed in 1920, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is home to the famous Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination, and is well known to drivers as being an ultimate test of skill, brains and courage.
Qualifying for the Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015 will be held on Friday July 24, with the race starting on Saturday at 13:00 local time.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2015
Series Partners
Supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport. The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is organised and promoted by Malaysian based Motorsport Asia Ltd.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991)
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsport version of the new 911 GT3 (Type 991). The near-standard race car, based on the seventh generation of the 911, made its debut in Asia in 2014, having previously run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre, six cylinder boxer engine which, due to the weight optimized modular race exhaust system, generates 460hp (338 KW) at 7,500 revs per minute, ten horsepower more than its predecessor. Power is delivered to the rear axle via a race clutch and a Porsche Motorsport designed six-speed dog-type gearbox with a mechanical limited slip differential. For the first time in a Porsche makes cup race car, gear shifting is activated with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport. The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.
Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has grown by 100 millimetres, improving handling at the limit, while Porsche Motorsport newly designed the forged single-piece 18 inch race rims with central locking.
The new racing brake system improves the endurance qualities of the 911 GT3 Cup, and the internally vented and slotted steel brake discs are operated by aluminium six-piston racing calipers in the front, and four-piston units at the rear.
Safety features have also been further enhanced, and drivers are protected by a newly calculated safety cage and newly designed race seat, while a rescue hatch in the roof enables easy access and extrication.
Like the road going version, the body of the new 911 GT3 Cup combines maximum rigidity with low weight thanks to its aluminium-steel construction, and weighs in at just 1,175 kilograms.
About Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
Preparing for its 13th season in 2015, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia blasted off the starting grid in 2003 and has never looked back. Joining the family of hugely successful Porsche “one make” series, it is now firmly established as the Number One racing series in Asia.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia offers sporting competition at the highest level across the region and is truly international, with competitors from all over Asia as well as Europe and the Pacific. The field is made up of a combination of professional racing drivers and ambitious and talented gentlemen drivers.
About Porsche China
Porsche was founded by Prof. Ferdinand Porsche in Stuttgart, Germany in 1931 and was then transformed into a sports car manufacturer by Ferry Porsche in 1948. Porsche has been known as one of the most
prestigious automobile brands in the world for decades. Under the guiding credo of “Intelligent Performance”, Porsche leads the way in providing a new generation of sports cars that prove performance and efficiency can be perfectly combined.
Since entering the Chinese market in 2001, Porsche China has been dedicated to bringing the sporty genes and innovative spirit of the marque to Porsche enthusiasts in this dynamic market. In Porsche’s network in China, customers can experience the unlimited appeal of Porsche’s iconic sports cars: the legendary 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the luxurious Cayenne premium SUV, the dynamic and pioneering Macan SUV, the sleek four-door Panamera Gran Turismo and the futuristic 918 Spyder super sports car. Each demonstrates excellence in performance, exquisite design, and consistent commitment to perfect quality that Porsche embodies. Across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, there are now 80 Porsche Centres in operation, ensuring that Porsche customers across the country receive the hallmark personalised care that sets Porsche apart around the world.
In 2014, Porsche has delivered a spectacular sales record of 46,931 deliveries across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. In 2015, Porsche China expects to continue another year of outstanding performance in the Chinese market.