Newsletter 6 - 2011
Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world. More detailed information and additional photographs are available for accredited journalists from the press database.
American Le Mans Series: Wolf Henzler and Porsche win in front of 150,000 fans
Double success for Porsche at the inaugural ALMS race on the street course of Baltimore (3 September): Watched by 150,000 fans, works driver Wolf Henzler and his American teammate Bryan Sellers celebrated their second GT class win of the season at round seven. Moreover, their Falken Tire Porsche 911 GT3 RSR also won the “Michelin Green X Challenge” as the most efficient GT racecar. Henzler laid the foundation for his triumph in lap 16 of the two-hour race when he spectacularly overtook the leader on the outside of a corner. Bad luck plagued reigning champions Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, who finished eleventh after a drive shaft failure on their Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3 RSR.
ADAC GT Masters: Emphatic win for Porsche at first Austrian event
A banner day for the Porsche MRS PZ Aschaffenburg team at the Red Bull Ring premiere of the ADAC GT Masters: A cracking start phase, a faultless drive and a perfectly timed pit stop earned Christian Engelhart and Norbert Siedler victory at the maiden race (13 August) in their Porsche 911 GT3 R. Taking off from sixth on the grid, Engelhart immediately moved into the lead at the end of lap one. When rain clouds closed in after 20 minutes, he pitted just before heavy showers started which gave him the decisive advantage. Norbert Siedler took the wheel and brought home victory with a 20-second lead. Sunday’s race (14 August) yielded position nine for the duo.
Porsche 911 GT3 R: More powerful and easier to drive
Stronger, faster, easier to drive: From November, the 2012 model Porsche 911 GT3 R arrives at motorsport customers around the world. The output of the four-litre, six-cylinder engine has increased by 20 hp to now deliver 500 hp (368 kW). Paddle-shifts on the steering wheel ensure even quicker and simpler gear changes. The transmission electronics, featuring an automatic throttle blip control, make it almost impossible to miss a gear and over-rev the engine. Like in the predecessor, traction control and racing ABS provide extra safety.
International GT Open: Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini continue on title course
After races nine and ten on the Red Bull Ring in Austria (27/28 August), Italians Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini rank second in the drivers’ classification, seven points adrift of the front-runner in the GTS class for GT3 race cars. The pair kept within striking distance of the leaders, yielding second from Sunday’s race with the 911 GT3 R fielded by Autorlando Sport. Success for Autorlando also in the top ‘Super GT’ class: Alvaro Barba and Andrea Ceccato brought home overall victory in a 911 GT3 RSR.
Blancpain Endurance Series: Porsche trio head to finale with slim title chance
Clinching second place at the three-hour race in Magny-Cours, France (29 August), Gianluca Roda, Raffaele Giammaria and Paolo Ruberti still have a slight chance of claiming the title with the 911 GT3 R of Autorlando Sport. The Italian trio heads to the fifth and final round in Silverstone (9 October) ranking second behind Belgian Greg Franchi.
Grand-Am GT: Andrew Davis and Leh Keen head to final as pursuers
A mere three points separate the Brumos Porsche pilots Andrew Davis and Leh Keen from the leading Chevrolet team prior to the finale of the Grand-Am GT on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington (17 September). After clinching seventh at round ten in Watkins Glen (13 August), the Porsche drivers lost their points’ lead. With fifth place at round eleven in Montreal (20 August), they once again narrowed down the gap.
French GT Championship: Beltoise and Pasquali edge ahead in final spurt
After victory and a sixth place with the Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by the Pro GT by Almeras squad at the penultimate race weekend in Albi (3/4 September), Anthony Beltoise and Laurent Pasquali take up final round in Paul Ricard (29/30 October) as points’ leaders.
Japanese Super GT: Hankook-Porsche snatch second after race thriller
At the rainy fifth round in Suzuka (21 August), Masami Kageyama and Tomonobu Fujii brought a 911 GT3 R run by the Hankook Porsche squad home in second. Over the last laps, Kageyama delivered a breathtaking duel with his rival Kota Sasaki, that was only decided in the ultra-fast ‘130R’ corner: both race cars shot into the combination side by side, with Kageyama briefly leaving the track. With three races left on the calendar, the Hankook Porsche lies third in the GT300 classification.
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup: Three-way fight for the championship
At the eighth round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as support to the Formula 1 race on the tradition-steeped track of Spa (Belgium, 28 August), Poland’s Kuba Giermaziak secured his second straight win in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Verva Racing and moved into third place in the championship rankings. Clinching second place, reigning champ René Rast shunted Sean Edwards off the top of the points’ table. Just eleven point separate Rast, Edwards and Giermaziak with two race weekends left in Monza and Dubai.
Carrera Cup Asia: Alexandre Imperatori recaptures lead with two victories
In early July, Swiss pilot Alexandre Imperatori had lost his championship lead to Rodolfo Avila in Ordos, China. On the last weekend in August, the StarChase driver claimed back the top position with victories at races seven and eight. Keita Sawa from Japan came twice two times, Darryl O’Young finished twice in third place. Avila retains his second overall after two fourth places.
Carrera Cup Deutschland: Two British pilots in title bid on season’s finish straight
Heading to the eighth and penultimate round on 18 September in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, two British drivers go head-to-head for the title: Nick Tandy as points’ leader and his pursuer Sean Edwards. Tandy looks forward to the 3.667 kilometre circuit. In 2010, the 26-year-old dominated with pole position, fastest race lap and a lights-to-flag victory. In fourth, his compatriot Sean Edwards narrowly missed out on a podium spot by 0.4 seconds.
Carrera Cup Great Britain: Michael Meadows seizes points’ lead at Knockhill
Even the qualifying for the race in Knockhill (4 September) was a thriller: First rain, then a red flag and finally seven minutes for the decisive lap. For race 12, Michael Meadows (SAS/Red Line) snatched the pole and won over Euan Hankey, which was enough to shunt Stephen Jelley off the top of the points’ table. At the next race, Euan Hankey (Parker with Juta) blitzed the start from pole to bring home victory. Finishing in second place, Meadows extended his newly-won championship lead.
Carrera Cup Scandinavia: Robin Rudholm pulls ahead with two wins in Karlskoga
With just four races to go, the fight for the championship goes down to the wire. Notching up wins four and five (13/14 August) in Karlskoga, Robin Rudholm captured the points’ lead from his toughest rival Johan Kristoffersson. Kristoffersson finished in fourth and second place. Next race: Knutsdorp (10/11 September).
GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil: Constantino Júnior defends championship lead
With second places at races eight and nine in Curitiba (20/21 August), Constantino Júnior defended his points’ lead in the GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil. Victory went to Ricardo Baptista and Clemente Lunardi. Gui Affonso won round seven of the Challenge for 2010-spec 911 GT3 Cup race cars. Sylvio de Barros remains at the top of the points.
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama: Fernando Pena wins, favourites retire
Whilst pole-sitter Fernando Pena brought home his first Platinum class win in the 911 GT3 Cup of Autometrics Motorsports/Colours Inc. to consolidate his third place in the standings, the race came to a premature end in corner 12 for points’ leader Henrique Cisneros and his hottest pursuer Tim McKenzie. After a hefty crash, the two retired. In the Gold class, 15-year-old Madison Snow extended his advantage with his fourth win of the season.
Race notes: Pole position and victory at both rounds of the Australian GT Challenge for John Modystach/Jonny Reid in the Prosurv-Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at the fifth of seven race weekends on Phillip Island (4 September). Porsche pilot Peter Boylan retains the points’ lead. +++ With third at the third and final race of the Jim Richards Endurance Trophy at Morgan Park (14 August), Roger Lago (Falcon Property Group) secures the award, held for the first time as part of the GT3 Cup Challenge Australia. All three races of the weekend go to Matthew Kingsley (Action Tyres&More). +++
Public Relations and Media
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger
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