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Stuttgart. At the Porsche press conference held on the day before the Porsche Carrera World Cup and the Nürburgring 24 hour race, Porsche head of motorsport Hartmut Kristen and Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard fielded questions from journalists.
Porsche head of motorsport Hartmut Kristen
Joining them in the Porsche Media Lounge at the Nürburgring were Melanie Snow and Craig Baird,
Craig Baird and Melanie Snow
the drivers of the VIP-cars at the Porsche Carrera World Cup – and as star guest, rock legend Udo Lindenberg.
This is what they said…
Hartmut Kristen on the further-developed Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid:
“The main priority for us was about improving efficiency. We reached this goal through targeted optimisation of the hybrid components. We reduced the weight by 50 kilograms, at the same time increasing the performance of the two electric motors from 60 to 75 kilowatts each. All of this was with the objective of improving the efficiency.”
Timo Bernhard on his second 24 hour race in two weeks:
“It’s quite exhausting obviously, but we’re trained for it. That’s our job. Both Le Mans and the Nordschleife are unbelievably demanding circuits. We’re driving both the 911 GT3 R and the 911 GT3 RSR here. The race cars are not that different in their handling, they’re both 911s after all. The 911 GT3 R is built more for top speed, the 911 GT3 RSR for more downforce. Because the competition is incredibly strong this year, our team boss Olaf Manthey decided that we should test both vehicles and then decide which one we’ll finally drive for the race. Many regard us as favourites because we won four consecutive times between 2006 and 2009. As far as I’m concerned, the most important factors are the reliability and speed of the 911 as well as having Olaf Manthey as an ingenious team boss and strategist. He lives only three kilometres away from the track and knows it and the Eifel like no other.”
Melanie Snow on her first Nordschleife race:
“Without doubt, the Porsche Carrera World Cup will be the highlight of my career. I have a great deal of respect for this circuit. You need a lot of courage on the Nordschleife to be truly fast. I will do my best and I’m very happy that Porsche Cars North America sent me here. I’ll certainly be sure to enjoy every moment.”
Craig Baird about the Porsche Carrera World Cup:
“I’ve won 109 Cup races by now, and everyone of course asks me whether this fantastic race will be the 110th. To be honest, even for me as an experienced pilot, it’ll be very difficult to match the boys who have grown up on this circuit. I was last here three years ago and I have turned just four laps in practice. Four laps in three years – that’s not exactly a lot. But I’m very much looking forward to the race and I’m proud that Porsche AG has entrusted me with the VIP-car.”
Udo Lindenberg on the 24 hour race and the fascination of Porsche:
“I bought my first Porsche in 1973 in Hamburg and spent all of my earnings from my first big gig. I’ve never regretted it, on the contrary: For me, Porsche embodies passion in its most beautiful form and I’m pleased that Porsche also leads in environmental matters with the hybrid car. We have to get the emissions down, that much is certain. And of course I hope the car wins the race. This is my first time here and I find it totally awesome. I’ve got my fingers crossed for the Porsche boys, they’ll swing this thing.”
Joerg Bergmeister, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long, and Richard Lietz with Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
At the press conference, Udo Lindenberg unveiled his own painting with the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, entitled:
Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
“Porsche Panic Power”. This picture will be auctioned on the internet under www.porsche.com with the proceeds going to the Udo Lindenberg charity for child aid projects in Africa.
Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
Porsche Cars North America Unveils 911 GT3 Cup Racecar Livery for Carrera World Cup Race at Nurburgring
Winning design created by Porsche Cars North America Intern
ATLANTA – June 23, 2011 – Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) intern Anna Frey designed the livery that will appear on a 911 GT3 Cup racecar the company will campaign in the Porsche Carrera World Cup Race this Saturday at Germany’s infamous Nürburgring race track.
“I am very excited my design was selected,” Frey says. “I have loved cars since I started attending car shows with my father when I was growing up. The opportunity to intern at Porsche has been very rewarding and exciting. And the thought of my design appearing on a Porsche race car in front of thousands of people – and 100 other Porsche race cars – is quite amazing!”
Frey, a recent graduate of Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, GA, majored in industrial design. Her paint scheme was selected from four final contenders by PCNA employees and won out over several designs drafted by professionals.
Introducing the Porsche employee team, selected from submitted video and written essays detailing their motorsports passion, will be on hand to capture and share the insider’s view on what it takes to compete internationally, what it feels – and sounds – like from the driver’s seat and who’s who in the world of Porsche motorsports.
American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTC Champion Melanie Snow has been chosen to pilot PCNA’s 911 GT3 Cup racecar and will be joined by six PCNA “pit crew” employees.
Melanie Snow
The inaugural Porsche Carrera World Cup race, which is held during the same weekend as the 39th ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring Race in Germany, June 25, 2011, will be documented by the team and will share all the off and on-track excitement on the “The Hub”, Porsche Cars North America’s new social media press site.
The Porsche employee team, selected from submitted video and written essays detailing their motorsports passion, will be on hand to capture and share the insider’s view on what it takes to compete internationally, what it feels – and sounds – like from the driver’s seat, and who’s who in the world of Porsche motorsports.
In addition to featuring photos and videos posted by the on-site Porsche employee team, “The Hub” will also serve as a Porsche motorsports history destination, including historic racing images from Porsche archives and Porsche motorsports milestones.
Lufthansa German Airlines is supporting the PCNA crew with logistics and air travel to and from Germany. “This racing endeavor is an exciting opportunity to showcase the relationship between these two iconic German brands,” said Nicola Lange, Director Marketing and Customer Relations The Americas, Lufthansa. “Our Lufthansa team is incredibly enthusiastic to be a part of the team and support Melanie Snow and the Porsche Cars North America 911 Cup car effort at the Nürburgring.”
Introducing the Porsche employee team, selected from submitted video and written essays detailing their motorsports passion, will be on hand to capture and share the insider’s view on what it takes to compete internationally, what it feels – and sounds – like from the driver’s seat and who’s who in the world of Porsche motorsports.
Snow joins more than 100 participants from 25 countries on the starting grid at 10:30 am local time, at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring on June 25, she’ll not only have a unique ground support crew; she is slated to be the only female racer to compete in the Carrera World Cup.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera Gran Turismo. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 195 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000 motorsport wins to date.
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus” thrilled fans at the Nurburgring
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus”, Porsche factory drivers Richard Lietz, Jörg Bergmeister, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long (l-r)
Click on photos for better viewing
Stuttgart. Two days before the start of the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring, Porsche turned back the clock. At exactly 111 years.
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus”, Porsche factory drivers Richard Lietz, Jörg Bergmeister, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long (l-r)
The motor sport fans in the Eifel region were presented with the Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus”, developed in 1900 by Ferdinand Porsche, as the first functional vehicle with full hybrid propulsion.
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus”, Porsche factory drivers Richard Lietz, Jörg Bergmeister (rear from left), Marco Holzer, Patrick Long (front from left))
With the faithfully reconstructed ancestor of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the Porsche Factory Drivers Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Patrick Long and Marco Holzer drove the Hybrid among the 24-hour Nürburgring fans to the Porsche autograph session – almost silently, because the hybrid is all-electric.
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus” with Porsche factory drivers
Ferdinand Porsche, the visionary of his time entered a new technical ground with the construction of “Semper Vivus”. The drive concept of the brilliant designer and pioneer, has been taken up by Porsche with the development of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, thus ushered in over a year ago as a new chapter in history of the Porsche 911.
Lohner-Porsche “Semper Vivus” with Porsche factory drivers
Porsche GT3 R Hybrid’s first race in the 24-hour race at the Nurburgring in 2010 made worldwide headlines: eight hours into the race at the forefront of the field on victory course, was an impressive example of the ” Porsche Intelligent Performance ” More power on less fuel, more efficiency and lower CO2 emissions – on the racetrack and on the road.
Lohner Porsche “Semper Vivus”
Despite the much lower speed to drive the first hybrid car, is no less strenuous than full throttle on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the 911 GT3 R hybrid. With a front axle weight of 1,060 kilograms – 830 kilograms – and the steering without power assistance is hard work. But the Porsche drivers are well trained – and met with much applause by fans during the demonstration drive.
Stuttgart. The Porsche teams are in a good position for Friday’s final qualifying for the 24 hour race.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing: Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr
With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Manthey Racing, Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) together with Lucas Luhr (Switzerland) posted sixth place. The quartet won the 24 hour race four times straight from 2006 to 2009.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing: Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing: Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing: Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Manthey Racing: Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr
The seventh quickest time was claimed by Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), Peter Dumbreck (Great Britain), Martin Ragginger (Austria) and Sebastian Asch (Germany) in the 911 GT3 R of Falken Motorsport.
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports: Wolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger, Sebastian Asch
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports: Wolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger, Sebastian Asch
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports: Wolf Henzler, Peter Dumbreck, Martin Ragginger, Sebastian Asch
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Falken Motorsports: Sebastian Asch, Martin Ragginger
Richard Westbrook (Great Britain), Christian Menzel (Germany), Mike Stursberg (Germany) and Hans Guido Riegel (Germany) planted their Haribo Team Manthey 911 GT3 R on the tenth grid spot.
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Haribo Team Manthey: Richard Westbrook, Christian Menzel, Mike Stursberg, Hans-Guido Riegel
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Haribo Team Manthey: Richard Westbrook, Christian Menzel, Mike Stursberg, Hans-Guido Riegel
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Haribo Team Manthey: Richard Westbrook, Christian Menzel, Mike Stursberg, Hans-Guido Riegel
Porsche 911 GT3 R, Haribo Team Manthey: Richard Westbrook, Christian Menzel, Mike Stursberg, Hans-Guido Riegel
Fielded by Porsche Team Manthey, the further-developed Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid (Version 2.0) with its innovative hybrid drive was not able to match the pace of the fastest vehicles after its performance was capped recently by the organizers.
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
Moreover, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) had to contend with heavy traffic during his fastest lap and only managed 18th. He shares the cockpit of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid with his factory pilot colleagues Richard Lietz (Austria), Marco Holzer (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA).
The second and final qualifying takes place on Friday from 16.55 to 18.55 hours.
The 24 hour race gets underway on Saturday at 16.00 hours. Television station Sport1 intermittently broadcasts more than 13 hours of the race live on Saturday (from 15.45 hours) and Sunday (from 07.00 hrs). A one-hour highlight program of the race is televised on Sunday at 22.30 hours.
Quotes from the drivers
Marc Lieb (No. 18, Manthey Racing):
Marc Lieb
“We changed the set-up of our car during the qualifying and turned the fastest lap 40 minutes before the end. Now we’re happy with everything. If it stays dry for tomorrow’s final qualifying session we’ll attack again.”
Joerg Bergmeister (No. 9, Porsche Team Manthey):
Joerg Bergmeister
“We didn’t really expect to actually do well. We could have been a bit faster but the heavy traffic prevented a better time.”
Wolf Henzler (No. 44, Falken Motorsports):
Wolf Henzler
“We’re satisfied with our set-up. The track conditions were very good with loads of grip. Martin Ragginger went out first and set our best time. Still, we’re more than eight seconds shy of the quickest vehicle.”
Richard Lietz (No. 9, Porsche Team Manthey):
Richard Lietz
“The lengthy qualifying today was a good chance to familiarize myself with the car and to get a good feeling for driving at the limit. The character of our rolling race lab is somewhat different to the 911 GT3 RSR that I drove in Le Mans two weeks ago.”
(Marco Holzer No. 9, Porsche Team Manthey):
Marco Holzer
“I got four yellow flags while I was out on the track. It’s not easy to get a free lap. We worked some more on our race set-up and tried to bring the tyres up to the optimal temperature. Driving on the Nordschleife at night is exhausting, you first have to get back the feeling for it.”
Patrick Long (No. 9, Porsche Team Manthey):
Patrick Long
“Yesterday I drove in the rain for the first time on the Nordschleife and that is something quite special. Our car is well balanced and I’m very happy about that. Regardless of whether it rains during the race or stays dry, I’m feeling well prepared.”
Video game animator and gun fan John Beauchemin filmed the motoring massacre. He said: “The car was 100 yards from the line, and we had lots of new and inexperienced shooters and people using pistols. “We were accurate enough to shoot the spokes out of the wheels pretty quickly when someone suggested it. “I managed to put a few rifled slugs into her myself — I just wanted to destroy something beautiful. “Fun times were had by all — except the Porsche.” The gun club said the unnamed owner had spent thousands trying to fix problems with the car’s engine and cooling system before deciding to scrap it.
Ever dreamed of taking revenge when you’re cut up at the lights by a flashy sports car? Well these pictures will be a dream come true… a Porsche 911 riddled with 10,000 bullets. The silver sports car was donated to an American gun club by a wealthy motorist who was fed-up with the vehicle’s constant engine problems.
Shell shocked: The remains of a Porsche 911 sports car after it was hit with 10,000 bullets
Look away now! The weapons used varied from hand guns to rifles to a twin M2 Browning machine gun and all but completely obliterated the car
Destruction: The shooting event was hosted by gun rights group Commonwealth Second Amendment, based in Massachusetts
This silver Porsche 911 had suffered a number of problems to the engine and cooling system and was going to cost the owner more than $16,130 to put right.
So instead of fixing the sports car he gave it to Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Second Amendment, which campaigns to ‘reserve and expand the rights of gun owners’ in north-east USA.
They teamed up with Northeast Shooters in New England and placed the Porsche in a makeshift ‘no parking’ spot on a shooting range before opening fire on the machine.
Aiming at the $96,800 motor, 140 members were permitted to shoot at will
Firing range: Aiming at the $96,800 motor, 140 members of the Commonwealth Second Amendment were permitted to shoot at will.
No mercy: Men, women and children fired off more than 10,000 rounds using machine guns and automatic weapons to leave the Porsche a bullet-riddled shadow of its former self
Goodnight: The luxury car had suffered a number of problems to the engine and cooling system and was going to cost the owner more than $16,130 to put right
Men, women and children fired off more than 10,000 rounds using machine guns and automatic weapons to leave the Porsche a bullet-riddled shadow of its former self.
The incredible pictures were taken at the weekend by video game animator John Beauchemin, who was one of the 140 people to fire weapons at the car.
He said: ‘The car was 100 yards from the line, and we had lots of new and inexperienced shooters and people using pistols.
Shooter: The incredible pictures were taken at the weekend by video game animator John Beauchemin, who also fired at the car
Ready for the junkyard: Even the spokes were shot off the wheel’s alloys
A closer look: Shooters gather around the car to admire their handy work
‘We were accurate enough to shoot the spokes out of the wheels pretty quickly when someone suggested it.
‘I managed to put a few rifled 12ga slugs into her myself – I just wanted to destroy something beautiful.
Stuttgart. In establishing his engineering office in Stuttgart in 1931, Ferdinand Porsche laid the foundations for the future success of what is today Porsche AG. The Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart museum is paying tribute to this milestone with a new special exhibition “80 years of Porsche Engineering”.
Ferdinand Porsche (left) and engine specialist Josef Kales 1937 in the Porsche engineering office at Kronenstrasse 24 in Stuttgart.(Click on photo to enlarge)
From 21 June until 11 September, 2011 visitors will be able to experience the most important and exciting customer developments of the past eight decades.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
On display will be approximately 20 special exhibits ranging from the development of entire vehicles via engines and transmissions to remarkable industrial projects of the present day.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
For example, among the exhibition pieces you will find one of the first Porsche developments that the Chemnitz-based car manufacturer Wanderer placed with the engineering office in 1931: the Wanderer W22, also known in-house at Porsche as the Type 7. This mid-size saloon features a six-cylinder alloy engine with 1.7 or two litre displacement that was also later to power the famous “Audio front”.
Two years later Auto Union commissioned the design of a Grand Prix racing car, which is now one of the most legendary racing cars of all time. Driven by motor racing legends such as Hans Stuck and Bernd Rosemeyer the Auto Union “P racing car” achieved no fewer than 30 Grand Prix victories and 15 world records between 1934 and 1937.
Hans Stuck in the Auto-Union racing car at the 1934 Brno Grand Prix at the Masaryk-Ring. Ferdinand Porsche is next to Hans Stuck on the left.(Click on photo to enlarge)
The “Opel Zafira” compact MPV as well, which Porsche designed in 1994 for Adam Opel AG, will enjoy equal billing with the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, which was in series production between 1990 and 1995 in Porsche’s very own Zuffenhausen plant.
The anniversary exhibition, the most comprehensive special event since the museum first opened, will also surprise the visitor with unusual Porsche know-how beyond the automotive arena.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
In addition to a Harley-Davidson “V-Rod”, the Porsche Museum will also be exhibiting the original racing sled that Porsche engineers designed together with professional sportsman Georg Hackl.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
It was with this model that Hackl, a professional sportsman, won the Olympic silver medal in 2002.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
The “Adventure” electric wheelchair with independent four-wheel spring suspension will also be on show, designed by Porsche in 2004 on behalf of Ulrich Alber GmbH.
In addition to the already familiar guided tour offering of the permanent exhibition, the Porsche museum also provides exclusive tours of the “80 years of Porsche Engineering” special exhibition. The visitor service can be reached on +49(0)711 911 20911 or via e-mail info.museum@porsche.de for inquiries about dates and bookings.
Next generation of inventors wanted
The Porsche museum is staging a creative competition for young boffins: Children up to the age of 12 are invited to follow in the footsteps of Ferdinand Porsche. The next generation of engineers has until August 22 to submit their own original ideas and inventions on anything and everything to do with the car. Materials as diverse as wood, plasticine, paper or polystyrene are allowed.
This will culminate in the award of a prize for the most ingenious ideas. The handiwork can either be submitted in person at the Porsche museum information desk or sent by post under the heading “Next generation of inventors wanted”: Porsche museum, visitor service, Porscheplatz, 70435 Stuttgart.
The Porsche Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Further information is available online at www.porsche.com/museum.
Stuttgart. Motorsport fans around the world wait in eager anticipation for the 25th of June, 2011.
On this day, Porsche adds yet another superlative to the history of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife: At the Porsche Carrera World Cup, more than 100 participants from 25 countries contest the greatest Porsche race of all time on the legendary race track that is also dubbed the‘green hell’.
Nürburgring circuit map, taken at German Grand Prix 1964; the legend advises…
“No driving in the Eifel (mountains) without a lap on the Nürburgring”
The race on the legendary circuit in Germany’s Eifel region with a total of 88 corners (northern loop plus the Grand Prix circuit) runs over six laps (152.268 kilometres), and is not just a case for the ‘Guinness Book of Records’.
It also poses the greatest sporting challenge imaginable for Porsche Cup pilots.
“The Nordschleife is a very tricky track,” says Uwe Brettel, General Manager Motorsport Sales at Porsche.
He sums up the fascination of this race aptly:
“The Carrera World Cup is the link between two very successful motorsport platforms: Porsche’s one-make race series and the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.”
The Porsche Carrera World Cup, which takes off just prior to the 24 hour race, is not only unique because of its giant grid, but also because of the sporting significance. Quantity and quality – that was the whole idea. And it worked: The Porsche Mobil1 Supercup as the world’s fastest international one-make race series, and the well-supported Carrera Cups in Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy and Scandinavia count this event as one of their regular championship rounds. Drivers will be classified for their respective series as well as for the Porsche Carrera World Cup. Also joining the action are guest drivers from other Carrera Cups and GT3 Cup Challenges around the world.
One of the most prominent competitors is Craig Baird.
Over the course of his outstanding career, the New Zealander has notched up 109 victories in Porsche one-make race series, making him the most successful Porsche Cup pilot in the world. Porsche AG invited him back to the Nordschleife, which he knows from two 24 hour races there, to drive the VIP-car with the starting number 200.
Craig Baird (NZ)
His Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is also a feast for the eyes. Its design is an artistic interpretation of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife as the ‘green hell’ with licking flames as well as a stylized world map representing the 25 nations from which the international grid comes to contest the greatest Porsche race on earth.
At the wheel of the second VIP-911 fielded by Porsche Cars North America, Melanie Snow celebrates her race debut on the Eifel circuit.
Melanie Snow (USA)
The mother of four is one of the most well-known racers in the USA and for many years has contested the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge where she won the Gold Cup class in 2009. At the Porsche Carrera World Cup the ‘world’s fastest mum’ is the only female in the field.
The field is divided into two classes: The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with 3.6-litre engines from the 2007 to 2009 model years (400 to 420 hp) as well as the 3.8-litre version from the 2010 and 2011 model years (450 hp) are classified separately. Two sets of slicks and one set of wet tyres are permitted for each vehicle for the entire race weekend.
The starting groups, consisting of a maximum of 70 vehicles per group, take off on their journey into the “Green Hell” with a flying start (Indianapolis start). About two minutes separate each group.
So that the spectators can better recognize the vehicles, all start numbers have three-digits. The first numeral stands for the respective series from which the cars come. 0 stands for the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, the number 1 for the Carrera Cup France, the number 2 for the Carrera Cup Deutschland, number 3 for the Carrera Cup and the GT3 Cup Challenge Great Britain, 4 for the Carrera Cup Italia and 5 for the Carrera Cup Scandinavia. The second and third numerals are the original starting numbers with which the individual cars contest their respective series.
Prize money for the overall winner is 11,000 Euro. Second place receives 8,000 Euro, third 6,000 Euro.
“Since its market launch in 1998 we’ve built more than 2,200 units of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup which are fielded in 20 one-make race series worldwide,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “With the Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nordschleife, we want to offer our brand trophy series customers worldwide another highlight.”
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup: Nick Tandy hopes for first win of the season
Nick Tandy tackles the Porsche Carrera World Cup as the leader of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup. Driving for Konrad Motorsport, the Briton has notched up three second places this season, but is now hoping to bring home his first victory from the demanding Nordschleife.
Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Spanien 2011
Last year’s vice-champion has prepared himself well for the race, however the three winners of this season are experienced Nordschleife pilots: For his teammate Christian Engelhart, winner of the season-opener in Istanbul, the Eifel circuit is no less familiar turf as it is for Barcelona winner Sean Edwards of Abu Dhabi by tolimit
Sean Edwards (GB)
and the VELTINS Lechner Racing pilot and reigning Supercup champion René Rast, who dominated at the Monaco round.
René Rast (D)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Jeroen Bleekemolen from the Netherlands is also very much looking forward to the Porsche Carrera World Cup.
“This race is a great idea,” says the two-time Supercup winner driving for the Abu Dhabi by tolimit squad. Bleekemolen has yet to secure a victory this season. “If you want to be seriously fast on the Nordschleife you need to be gutsy. But that’s exactly what race drivers love. For me, this race marks the greatest challenge of the year.”
Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2011
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland: Ideal start to the season
Unlike in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, Nick Tandy has already notched up one win from the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland this year – the points’ leader kicked off the new season perfectly with victory at the season-opener in Hockenheim. Jeroen Bleekemolen has also enjoyed a promising start: Competing for the Deutsche Post by tolimit team, the Dutchman won his home race in Zandvoort.
His compatriot Jaap van Lagen (Land Motorsport), winner at Spielberg,
Jaap van Lagen (NL)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 02 Zandvoort 2011
and Denmark’s Nicki Thiim (Hermes Attempto Racing), who last weekend celebrated his first Carrera Cup victory on the Lausitzring, are all determined to earn more championship points at the Porsche Carrera World Cup.
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Despite not having notched up any wins yet, Germany’s seasoned campaigner Uwe Alzen (PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive) belongs to the circle of favorites to win at the Porsche Carrera World Cup, thanks to his extensive Nordschleife experience.
Uwe Alzen (D)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 02 Zandvoort 2011
“I’ve already driven the Cup-Porsche on the Nordschleife and the handling of the car is very good,” says Uwe Alzen, an authority on Porsche one-make race series. “It’s going to be tight amongst the front-runners and facing so many good pilots at the top will be a tough nut to crack.”
Another race favorite is the Schnabl Engineering pilot from Austria, Martin Ragginger.
Martin Ragginger (A)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 02 Zandvoort 2011
Schedule Porsche Carrera World Cup
Thursday, 23 June 18.00 – 19.00 hrs Free practice
Friday, 24 June 15.25 – 16.25 hrs Qualifying
Saturday, 25 June 10.30 – 11.00 hrs Grid line-up
11.00 hrs Formation lap
11.20 – 12.35 hrs Race
TV station Eurosport broadcasts the Porsche Carrera World Cup on 25 June 2011 live from 10.45 hrs.
Start: Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, round 4 on the Lausitzring
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Nicki Thiim narrowly wins turbulent race
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Stuttgart. Fourth race, fourth winner – and 24 laps of high suspense: The Lausitzring race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland was a real thriller. Cup-returnee Nicki Thiim from Denmark won his first race at Germany’s one-make series brilliantly but by a very narrow margin.
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Sean Edwards (GB), Nicki Thiim (DK), Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Only 0.3 seconds separated the Hermes Attempto pilot from Sean Edwards (Great Britain, Deutsche Post by tolimit) in second.
Sean Edwards (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Third place went to Nick Tandy. Driving for Konrad Motorsport, the Briton heads to round five – which takes place at the Porsche Carrera World Cup as the season highlight – as points’ leader.
Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
On 25 June at the Nürburgring, more than 100 competitors from one-make race series worldwide tackle the greatest Porsche race in history.
Fans were treated to gripping racing already at the start of round four on the 3.748 kilometre Lausitzing.
Sean Edwards (GB), Nicki Thiim (DK), Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Tandy, who started from fourth, took the outside line and in the first corner surprised pole-sitter Thiim and second in the qualifying, Supercup champion, René Rast (Germany, Förch Racing), by passing them. Behind the leading trio a turbulent scene developed. The first victim was reigning champ Nicolas Armindo. The Frenchman (Hermes Attempto Racing) became sandwiched between two opponents and landed in the gravel trap. Two laps later it was René Rast’s turn: out after a light nudge from Robert Renauer (Germany, Herberth Motorsport). Uwe Alzen (Germany, PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive) retired as a result of the collision with Armindo.
The fight at the top was extremely gripping.
At times, only six-hundredths of a second separated Tandy, Thiim and Edwards The leader was finding it increasingly difficult to fend off the two rivals. In the ninth lap came the crunch point. At the end of the back straight, Tandy ran with understeer too far to the outside, Thiim and Edwards slipped through and were able to pull away from Tandy.
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The current points’ leader then came under pressure from Zandvoort winner Jeroen Bleekemolen (Team Deutsche Post by tolimit) and Martin Ragginger (Schnabl Engineering). The Dutchman and the Austrian delivered a fair fight over much of the sprint, with Bleekemolen putting in an immaculate drive to hold the upper hand. Fourth at the flag put him in second overall, but he shares the same points’ tally as his tolimit teammate Edwards in third, followed by Ragginger in fourth.
Three Carrera Cup newcomers profited from the retirements. David Jahn from Germany finished sixth in the Lausitz, and brought home a better result than his team boss and colleague Uwe Alzen, and his second top ten result.
The 2010-rookie Stefan Wendt (Germany) planted his Attempto Racing 911 on seventh ahead of specialist Jan Seyffarth (Germany, SMS Seyffarth Motorsport). Two Cup debutants Philipp Frommenwiler (Switzerland, Attempto Racing) and Damian Sawicki (Poland, Förch Racing) celebrated their ninth and tenth place as if they were a victory.
Nicki Thiim (winner):
“The race was exciting. After Tandy snatched us both in the first corner I thought I wouldn’t regain my position. But then I noticed that he was experiencing problems so I stuck to him like glue and waited for a mistake. But at the same time I had to contend with huge pressure from Edwards. I’m so happy I’ve managed to bring home my first Carrera Cup victory!”
Sean Edwards (second):
“Great race! Even though I was obviously annoyed I missed out on my first Carrera Cup win by such a close margin. My car was perfectly set-up but it was not possible to get past Nicki unscathed.”
Nick Tandy (third):
“That was one of the most difficult races of my life. After a light nudge in the first corner with Nicki Thiim, my car no longer ran perfectly. I heard strange noises and it was very hard to control. Considering this, I’m pleased with third place and the points’ lead.”
Sean Edwards (GB), Nicki Thiim (DK), Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Race result
1. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, 34:50.590 minutes (143.739 km/h)
2. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 0.379 seconds
3. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 4.763
4. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 5.450
5. Martin Ragginger (A), Schnabl Engineering, + 5.810
6. David Jahn (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 15.781
7. Stefan Wendt (D), Attempto Racing, + 17.995
Drivers’ classification after 4 of 9 races
1. Nick Tandy (GB), 70 points
2. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 62
3. Sean Edwards (GB), 62
4. Martin Ragginger (A), 42
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL), 39
6. Nicki Thiim (DK), 38
Team classification after 4 of 9 races
1. Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, 124 points
2. Konrad Motorsport, 90
3. PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, 47
Round five of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland takes place as part of the Porsche Carrera World Cup on 25 June on the Nürburgring (combination Grand Prix circuit/Nordschleife).
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
Nicki Thiim relegates favorites down the grid
Stuttgart. The fight at the top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland remains lively at round four. At the end of a gripping qualifying session Nicki Thiim snatched his first pole position. The 22-year-old Dane turned the quickest lap on the 3.478 kilometre Lausitzring circuit in 1:24.727 minutes.
Nicki Thiim (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Driving for Hermes Attempto Racing, he easily outstripped points’ leader Nick Tandy and last year’s winner Nicolas Armindo.
René Rast (D)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Förch Racing pilot and champion of the international Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, René Rast (Germany), planted his 911 GT3 Cup on the second grid spot, 0.163 seconds shy of the pole-sitter.
Nicki Thiim, son of former DTM champion Kurt Thiim, already contested the German Carrera Cup in 2009. After claiming third as his best result and five further top ten placings, he concluded the season ranking fifth overall as the best rookie. Thiim made a promising start to the 2011 season with third qualifying place in Hockenheim. In the race, however, his team made a wrong tyre choice which prevented a top result. After a 14th and two eighth places, the Dane heads into tomorrow’s 24-lap sprint ranking only tenth overall.
Robert Renauer (D)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Third in the qualifying on the Lausitzring went to Robert Renauer.
Robert Renauer (D)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Driving for Herberth Motorsport, the German yielded a surprising first pole position from the season-opening qualifying session. However, after missing out on two rounds, his position in the championship standings plays no role. The opposite is the case for the driver starting from the second row alongside Renauer – points’ leader Nick Tandy.
Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
In the final moments of the qualifying, the Briton failed to crack Thiim’s lap time. At the wheel of his Konrad Motorsport 911, last year’s second place-getter took a journey into the gravel trap.
Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
The two Deutsche Post by tolimit pilots are also not particularly thrilled with their grid positions in the third row.
Sean Edwards from Great Britain already has four Supercup wins under his belt and was determined to finally achieve a top result in the German brand trophy series on the Lausitzring. Jeroen Bleekemolen had also hoped for more.
Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 04 Lausitzring 2011
Sitting second on the points’ table, the Dutchman has notched up a clear lights-to-flag victory at his home race in Zandvoort this season.
Austria’s Martin Ragginger (Schnabl Engineering) and Nicolas Armindo (Hermes Attempto Racing) share the fourth grid row in seventh and eighth respectively.
For the champion from France, the result is a bitter disappointment and a continuation of a difficult season so far. The two drivers behind are also seasoned campaigners in the Porsche one-make race series.
Jan Seyffarth (Germany, SMS Seyffarth Motorsport) was the 2008 Carrera Cup vice-champion, and Uwe Alzen is three-time champion of the Supercup and the Carrera Cup. In the closing phase of the qualifying, tyre damage prevented Alzen from Germany (PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive) from hunting for a better time.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland race is shown live on the official website (www.porsche.de/carreracup). On 24 June, TV station Sport1 broadcasts a race review, interviews and reports from 16.30 to 17.00 hours in the ‘Carrera Cup Magazin’.
Nicki Thiim (pole-sitter):
“I could have cried with relief because until now it just wasn’t working. Mostly I’m pleased for my team. The breakthrough came today when I managed all sectors perfectly and with total concentration. The field is so incredibly close that you only have a chance when everything comes together one hundred percent.”
René Rast (second qualifier):
“I’m completely happy with second on the grid. In fact, this position could even be better than the pole. I took off from first on the grid here three years ago and was promptly overtaken by the second starter at the first corner.”
Robert Renauer (third qualifier):
“To be honest, I hadn’t expected to do so well after taking a break for the last two races. In Hockenheim I experienced bad luck from pole position. So a podium result tomorrow would be great, but I know I have a lot of drivers breathing down my neck wanting the same thing. It’ll be exciting.”
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Qualifying result:
1. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, 1:24.727 minutes
2. René Rast (D), Förch Racing, + 0.163 seconds
3. Robert Renauer (D), Herberth Motorsport, + 0.164
4. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.339
5. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 0.363
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Deutsche Post by tolimit, + 0.455
7. Martin Ragginger (A), Schnabl Engineering, + 0.490
8. Nicolas Armindo (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.533
9. Jan Seyffarth (D), SMS Seyffarth Motorsport, + 0.629
10. Uwe Alzen (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 0.992
33 Porsche tackle the long distance classic in the Eifel
Stuttgart. A strong contingent of Porsche teams takes up the 24 hour race on the Nürburgring.
Like last year, Porsche AG as well as various customer teams field 33 vehicles featuring the characteristic six-cylinder boxer engine at the 39th running of the long distance classic in Germany’s Eifel region on 25/26 June.
Eight Porsche works drivers contest Germany’s greatest motorsport event at which Porsche has celebrated four overall victories in the last five years.
After an impressive 24 hour debut last year where it held the lead for eight hours witnessed by over 200,000 ardent spectators and grabbed headlines worldwide, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid returns to the Nordschleife this year with the starting number 9.
The vehicle, however, has been substantially reined in by the organizers.
After the latest reclassification, the combustion engine now delivers only 448 hp. Calculated over one lap, the further-developed 911 GT3 R Hybrid (Version 2.0) now delivers a lower system output than last year’s vehicle with a combustion engine.
“This further reduction in performance by the organisers is incomprehensible to us,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “There are no data from the two test races as part of the 2011 Nürburgring Long Distance Championship that would provide the basis for such a grading. Our goal was and is to achieve similar lap times to other GT3 vehicles, but with better efficiency. We feel this goal is the right one long term and very much regret that some officials in motorsport can’t or won’t yet come on board with this approach.”
Sharing the cockpit of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 are Porsche factory pilots
Joerg Bergmeister (Germany)
Richard Lietz (Austria)
Patrick Long (USA)
and Marco Holzer (Germany)
who were all deeply involved in the vehicle development. The efficiency of the innovative race car from Weissach was improved through targeted optimisation of the hybrid components. The general hybrid layout of the Version 2.0 was adopted from its predecessor. The output of both electric motors in the portal axle increased from 60 to 75 kilowatts each. They supplement the four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine which now only delivers 448 hp after the repeated power reduction.
For seconds at a time, pilots now have about 200 hp more at their disposal, which is equivalent to ca. 32 hp of additional conventional power per Nordschleife lap. Depending on the programming, this electrical power is automatically activated through use of the throttle pedal.
Moreover, hybrid pilots can manually call up this extra power, for instance when overtaking.
“We’ll go all out to continue on from last year’s strong performance with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid. It won’t be easy against the strong opposition who have taken major steps forward, particularly since our car has been disproportionately handicapped,” says Joerg Bergmeister. The Porsche works driver is looking forward to the Nordschleife: “It’s one of the world’s most beautiful race tracks. It’s incredibly demanding but it’s incredible fun as well. Every lap is a challenge.”
This year, the winning Manthey Racing squad fields two Porsche 911 – a GT3 R and a GT3 RSR – sporting a prominent yellow-green design. Manning both vehicles is the winning Porsche works driver quartet, Timo Bernhard (Germany),
Romain Dumas (France)
Marc Lieb (Germany)
as well as Manthey pilot Lucas Luhr (Switzerland)
who have notched up over 50 major international titles between them.
Every year, Timo Bernhard is thrilled anew by the unique atmosphere of the non-stop motorsport party.
Timo Bernhard
“Driving on the Nordschleife is always an experience,” says the Porsche works driver and Le Mans winner, who has contributed to all four Porsche overall victories here between 2006 and 2009. “Although you’re constantly challenged as a driver and there is no chance to catch your breath over the long laps, you still don’t want to climb out of the car.”
Another Porsche factory pilot, Wolf Henzler (Germany), competes for the Falken Motorsport team.
His teammates in the #44 Porsche 911 GT3 R are Martin Ragginger (Austria), Peter Dumbreck (Great Britain) and Sebastian Asch (Germany).
Also hoping for a top result is the Haribo Manthey Racing (No. 8) line-up of Richard Westbrook (Great Britain), Christian Menzel (Germany), Mike Stursberg (Germany) and Hans Guido Riegel (Germany).
With the all-German crew of Georg Weiss, Oliver Kainz, Michael Jacobs and Jochen Krumbach, the Wochenspiegel Team Manthey has proven Nordschleife specialists at the wheel of the #26 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Manthey Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (No. 10) is manned by another strong squad with Marc Gindorf (Monaco), Wolfgang Kohler (Germany) and Peter Scharmach (New Zealand).
The 39th edition of the Nürburgring 24 hour race starts on Saturday 25 June at 16.00 hours. Television station Sport1 broadcasts a total of over 13 hours live on Saturday (from 15.45 hours) and Sunday (from 07.00 hours) intermittently. A one-hour highlight programme of the race will be televised on Sunday at 22.30 hours.
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Schedule Nürburgring 24 hour race
Thursday, 23 June
14.30 – 16.00 hrs, Free practice
19.30 – 23.30 hrs, 1st qualifying
Friday, 24 June
14.00 hrs, Porsche press conference
16.55 – 18.55 hrs, 2nd qualifying
Saturday, 25 June
13.30 – 15.10 hrs, Grid line-up
15.40 hrs, Formation lap
16.00 hrs, Start
CLUB CARRERA a division of CARRERA MOTORS
BEND, OREGON…Porsche Crankshaft Lamp part of the permanent collection. http://clubcarrerabend.com/
Campbell Levy Designs – Handcrafted. Exquisite. Powerful.
You don’t have to decide whether it’s an intriguing work of art, a beautifully crafted lamp, or a memorable way to show your passion for the automobile…because it’s all three.
Centennial, Colorado– Designed and created entirely in their own studio, Campbell Levy Designs, has created a line of high-end crankshaft and cylinder head lamps for the truly discerning auto aficionado’s home or office.
Close up of 356 Porsche Roller Bearing Crankshaft Lamp
Each of the lamps are one-of-a-kind, custom made by Father-Son duo, Edward and Campbell Levy.
Close up of base treatment Porsche 356 Roller Bearing Crankshaft Lamp. Lite weight flywheel.
Extreme attention to detail, and perfection are instantly associated with the lamps created in the Colorado Studio.
426 HEMI CRANKSHAFT LAMP – Rods actually rotate
“Beautiful,” “Outstanding,” “A true work of Art” are just a few of the praises from customers.
DOHC Head Lamp, Mirror Polished on Walnut, with Mica and Silk Shade, with Chromed Cogs
For the first time, collectors, racers, and auto enthusiasts are able to bring their passion from the racetrack or garage inside their homes.
With numerous options, such as nickel plating, custom made shades, and innumerable finishes, each lamp is truly an extension of one’s love for the automobile.
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Representing much more than a simple lamp, every Campbell Levy Designs creation encompasses power, beauty, and one-of-a-kind design, and instantly becomes the center of attention in any space it inhabits.
Source and Contact Information:
Campbell Levy Designs LLC
6032 East Hinsdale Avenue
Centennial, Colorado 80112 (303) 796-7496
CAMPBELL LEVY DESIGNS LLC has been designing and building custom Crankshaft and DOHC Head Lamps since 1974. Recently they have expanded their range to include one off tables of many different configurations, which include glass and marble elements. Be sure to check their website and Facebook page for the latest editions to the line.
Campbell Levy Designs began in 1974 when Edward Levy built his first crankshaft lamp. “The idea came when I saw a BMW engine taken apart, and the architectural qualities of the crankshaft were immediately appealing to me.”
The prototype lamp which emerged from the BMW became the first of a long line of custom crankshaft lamps to come, and it still sits on the desk of the Rocky Mountains’ oldest BMW & Mercedes dealer.
The lamps were an instant hit among all of the premier automobile dealers in the Colorado area. Each piece of art maintained extreme attention to detail, and the intricacies of each new lamp were obvious. Even from the beginning, nothing short of perfection was acceptable.
Edward Levy by no means was a stranger to the automobile scene. He began his career in Manhattan, selling Maserati’s, Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, Porsche’s, BMW’s, and Mercedes. His first and favorite cars included a brand new Austin Healey 3000 and a Lotus Elan SE coupe. Many more cars followed.
Recently, Ed’s son Campbell joined the venture. “Along with everyone else, I’ve always admired my Dad’s crankshaft lamps, and I thought it was only natural for us to share his creations with as many people as we could.”
Campbell Levy attended Knox College in Illinois for two years, where he played soccer. In 2001, he transferred to the University of Denver, where he graduated with degrees in Political Science and English in 2003. Following university, he pursued his passion for the outdoors in Whistler, British Columbia, where he pursued skiing and mountain biking. He rode his bike back down the Coast from Whistler to California, and then returned to Colorado to pursue the business of building lamps with his father.
Campbell Levy Designs’ goal is to continue to build custom lamps to the highest possible standard, and to share them with fellow automobile afficionados all over the world.
We are finding that the more lamps we build, the more creative we become. We constantly have new ideas, and there is no limit to what we can create. Whether we are building a completely custom creation, or simply building a classic, you will love our lamps as much as we do. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
We are looking forward to showing our lamps at the RETRO AUTO exhibit at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in August 2011, we hope to see you there.
Popular Porsche Series in 2011 has been a success and a tight battle at Barbagallo Raceway. Despite being off the Australian scene for two years, the Porsche Cars Australia Carrera Cup has already re-established itself as a key category in Australian motor sport. The opening round of the series was held at the Australian Grand Prix meeting and it was established star Craig Baird who took the honours.
The world’s most successful Porsche Cup driver in VIP car at Porsche Carrera World Cup
Craig Baird – the man of 109 victories
Stuttgart. A great honour for Craig Baird: Porsche AG has invited the world’s most successful Porsche Cup pilot to contest the Porsche Carrera World Cup on 25 June on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife at the wheel of the VIP car with starting number 200.
Over the course of his career, the 40-year-old New Zealander has already notched up 109 victories in Porsche one-make race series. With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, built by Porsche Motorsport in Weissach, Baird takes up the greatest Porsche race in history against more than 100 competitors from 25 nations.
“With his skill and experience, he is the ideal person to drive our VIP car,” says Uwe Brettel, Head of Motorsport Sales at Porsche AG. “More than any other driver, he embodies the customer sports philosophy of Porsche.”
Craig Baird, who lives with his wife and two children on the Gold Coast of Australia, has clinched the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia title twice and the GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand six times since 2004.
At the Dubai 24 Hours of 2008 he won with a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Baird knows the Nürburgring-Nordschleife from contesting the 24 hour race there in 2006 and 2007.
On his list of successes are 23 national championship titles. For his services to motorsport, he was awarded the “New Zealand Order of Merit” in 2010.
“It’s a huge honour for me to be given the chance to contest this race against the world’s best Porsche Cup pilots at the wheel of a Porsche AG VIP-911,” says Craig Baird.
“To bring the Porsche Carrera World Cup to the Nordschleife is a fantastic idea and will most certainly be an unforgettable experience for drivers and fans.”
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His #200 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will also leave a lasting impression on spectators at the ‘Ring. The winning racer not only impresses with his 450 hp engine output, but is also a feast for the eyes.
Its design is an artistic interpretation of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife as the ‘green hell’ with licking flames as well as a stylised world map signalising the 25 nations from which the international grid comes to contest the greatest Porsche race on earth.
PCNA Team to Report the Sights and Sounds from Germany’s Nurburgring
ATLANTA, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Porsche Cars North America is entering a 911 GT3 Cup racecar and dispatching six employees to the inaugural Porsche Carrera World Cup race, which is held during the same weekend as the 39th ADAC 24 Hours of Nurburgring Race in Germany, June 25, 2011. The team will document and share all the off and on-track excitement on the “The Hub”, Porsche Cars North America’s new social media press site.
PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA, INC. 911 GT3 R HYBRID Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid at the Nurburgring. (PRNewsFoto/Porsche Cars North America, Inc., Jan Brucke) ATLANTA, GA UNITED STATES (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110609/CL17259-a )
Held prior to the start of the 39th ADAC 24 Hour Race, the Porsche Carrera World Cup will pit up to 200 competitors and their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers against each other and the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
When American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTC Champion Melanie Snow joins the other Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers on the starting grid at 10:30 am local time, at Germany’s legendary Nurburgring on June 25, she’ll not only have a unique ground support crew; she is slated to be the only female racer to compete in the Carrera World Cup.
The Porsche employee team, selected from submitted video and written essays detailing their motorsports passion, will be on hand to capture and share the insider’s view on what it takes to compete internationally, what it feels – and sounds – like from the driver’s seat and who’s who in the world of Porsche motorsports.
PCNA employees were also involved in selecting the racing livery, with the winning design designed in-house. The 70.2-mile race is six complete laps of 15.5 miles each with nearly 200,000 spectators expected.
The Porsche Carrera World Cup includes drivers from Porsche’s 18 brand trophy and challenge series worldwide and this race also counts as a competition round towards several other championships, including the Porsche Carrera Cups in Germany, Scandinavia, France and Italy.
911 GT3 R Hybrid “2.0”
Following the Porsche Carrera World Cup race, Porsche takes on the Nurburgring 24-hour race with the latest-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid. ‘Version 2.0’ features a flywheel accumulator hybrid system that is 20 percent lighter than last year; a weight saving that targets the same lap times as its predecessor, but with even less fuel consumption, resulting in fewer pit stops for fuel. The general layout of the hybrid engine remains the same; however, the output of the electric motors increases from 60 to 75 kilowatts each, or from approximately 80 to 100 horsepower per motor.
Driving the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, will be
Patrick Long (USA),
Richard Lietz (AUS)
and Marco Holzer (GER).
The trio claimed the first win for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 at the VLN 4-hour Nurburgring Long Distance Championship on May 30.
To show their enthusiasm for Porsche motorsports, racing fans can order t-shirts, including a shirt with Melanie Snow’s motto “Some Girls Chase Boys, I Pass Them,” hats and a special edition limited run die-cast model of her 911 GT3 Cup car will be available at http://shop4.porsche.com/usa/ later this month.
In addition to featuring photos and videos posted by the on-site Porsche employee team, “The Hub” will also serve as a Porsche motorsports history destination, including historic racing images from Porsche archives and Porsche motorsports milestones.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera Sedan. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 195 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000 motorsport wins to date.
sport auto is a German automobile magazine, established in 1969, published monthly by Motor Presse Stuttgart, based in Stuttgart. The magazine publishes its “Supertest” of cars, featuring the laptime (usually driven by editor-in-chief Horst von Saurma) at the Nordschleife. The magazine also runs a challenge for the fastest lap time driven with a car that is road legal (TÜV) and registered in Germany. The road legality rule also applies for the tires.The journalists usually enter VLN and 24 Hours Nürburgring races
“Sportauto” readers voted: seven first places for Porsche
Stuttgart. Porsche is the top favorite among sports car fans: The readers of the “sportauto” car magazine ranked seven Porsche models – from the Boxster to the Panamera – first in the 15 categories of“The Sportiest Cars of 2011” survey. A second and two third places top off Porsche’s track record of success.
Tuner-Kategorie Cabrios bis 80.000 Euro – Platz 2: TechArt-Porsche Boxster (Stimmenanteil: 16,3 Prozent)
The top models of the 911 line once again proved to be winners, from the open Carrera GTS and the Turbo S Cabrio to the quasi race cars GT3 and GT3 RS.
These sports cars received three times as many votes as the runners-up. There can be no clearer proof that the 911 model line enjoys highest esteem in the sports car world. Other winners were the Cayman R, Boxster S and Panamera Turbo models. No other marque came close to winning as many first places.
With this result, Porsche clearly strengthened its position at the top. In the 2010 survey, three first places went to Zuffenhausen.
Stuttgart. Last year’s winners narrowly missed out on the podium at the 79th running of the long distance classic.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Richard Lietz, Marc Lieb, Wolf Henzler
After 24 hours, the Felbermayr-Proton team with Porsche works drivers
Marc Lieb (Germany),
Richard Lietz (Austria)
and Wolf Henzler (Germany) received the flag as fourth in the GTE Pro sports car class.
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad clinched fifth place ahead of Flying Lizard Motorsports from the USA.
The 911 of the Belgian ProSpeed Competition team crossed the finish line
at the Le Mans 24 Hours in eighth.
In the GTE Am class, where only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle and only last year’s vehicles are eligible to race, the French Larbre Competition team celebrated second place with the 911 GT3 RSR.
“All of our teams took off into the race well prepared. Under the most difficult circumstances, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR proved to be enormously durable and reliable. Unfortunately our teams had to cope with two accidents. You could clearly see the performance differences that are a direct result of the current Balance of Performance ratings. Unfortunately the fastest 911 GT3 RSR were affected by the phenomenon that they couldn’t turn the number of laps per set of tyres that were calculated which meant some extra pit stops for tyre changes. Under these conditions we can be satisfied with the results – especially in the GTE Am class where our team claimed a spot on the podium. I congratulate all the teams, drivers and partners who have contributed to this good result.”
Like in 2010, the best-placed Porsche crew put in a brilliant drive with high reliability in all areas. Drivers Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz and Wolf Henzler drove an immaculate race that was punctuated by many accidents and safety car phases. Only in the early stages of the race, the team lost more than one lap, first at the red light on the exit of the pitlane, then due to tyre damage which also required repairs to the car body.
Other than that, the blue 911 GT3 RSR only came into the pits for tyre changes and refuelling. Under the leadership of team boss Christian Ried, the pit crew of the Felbermayr-Proton team again shone with very fast pit stops.
Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet (France) also lost time in the jam at the red light of the pitlane exit. Shortly before midnight, Pilet and his driver colleagues, team owner Raymond Narac and his French compatriot Nicolas Armindo were ranking eighth in the GTE Pro class.
With consistent lap times and a perfectly-running 911, the trio with the two seasoned Le Mans campaigners Pilet and Narac and the 24 hour rookie Armindo fought their way up to fifth place.
The pilots of Flying Lizard Motorsports can look back on a lively marathon.
In the opening phase of the race, the set-up was not perfect, and they also had to contend with tyre damage. For a while, works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as Lucas Luhr (Germany) held a promising fourth place, only to fall back to eighth with technical problems.
After a difficult race, the trio were satisfied to finally bring home sixth place.
Fight to the finish – that was also the motto of the Belgian squad.
Works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Belgium’s Marc Goossens and Jaap van Lagen from the Netherlands had all but worked their way nearly into the lead after the first third of the race but finally finished in eighth place after losing time with two minor repair stops.
The untiring mechanics of ProSpeed Competition received a very special honour:
They won the “Prix ESCRA”, an award that has been endowed for the 36th time to the best pit crew of the entire race.
In the GTE Am category, Larbre Competition were thrilled with second place in a 2010-spec 911 manned by the all-French line up of Christophe Bourret, Pascal Gibon und Jean-Philippe Belloc.
Two 911 GT3 RSR retired after accidents that were not their fault. One of those affected was the sister car of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner.
Al Faisal
Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured, but the Pro-911, which he shared with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it.
Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition)
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 GT3 RSR was hit hard on the driver’s side.The Austrian was transported to hospital for a medical examination.
Result Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro class
1. Garcia/Milner/Beretta (E/USA/MC), Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1, 314 laps
2. Fisichella/Bruni/Vilander (I/I/FIN), Ferrari 458 Italia, 314
3. Priaulx/Müller/Hand (GB/D/USA), BMW M3 GT, 313 4. Lieb/Lietz/Henzler (D/A/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 312 5. Pilet/Narac/Armindo (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 311 6. Bergmeister/Long/Luhr (D/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 310 8. Holzer/Goossens/van Lagen (D/B/NL), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 293
GTE Am class
1. Gardel/Canal/Bornhauser (CH/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette C6-ZR1, 302 laps 2. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 301
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
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With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
Stuttgart. Porsche’s customer teams have an eventful night behind them. With five hours to go until the finish of one of the toughest Le Mans races in history, the teams in the GTE Pro class currently sit in positions three, four, seven and eight.
Piloting the best-placed 911 GT3 RSR are the winning trio from last year. Porsche’s factory pilots Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) fought their way through the field to now rank third thanks to the reliability of their 911, the perfect work of the drivers and the swift pit stops of the Felbermayr-Proton crew.
“I can’t remember the last time I experienced so many accidents at a Le Mans race,” said Marc Lieb, the two-time GT class winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours. “I don’t find it okay that many of the drivers are so extremely aggressive. Luckily we had no problems in the night and we are hoping for a podium finish.”
The drivers of the French IMSA Performance Matmut 911 can thank their fourth place at 10 a.m. to the fact that the night hours ran smoothly. Works driver Patrick Pilet, team owner Raymond Narac and Carrera Cup champion Nicolas Armindo (all France) all put in double stints. As planned, the brake pads were changed once.
Le Mans newcomer Armindo was surprised at the harshness of the competitors in the more powerful classes.
“Sometimes it seems we are completely invisible to them when they are lapping us,” says Armindo. “They drive as if we weren’t even there.”
After leading for quite some time, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the American Flying Lizard Motorsports team lost an excellent fourth place within striking distance of the podium six hours before the finish. Works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and seasoned racer Lucas Luhr (Germany) share driving duties in double stints and are doing a faultless job. However, due to a problem in the engine electrics, the 911 was forced to take an unscheduled pit stop and fell back from fourth to eighth position.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad experienced a problem free start to the race only to suffer a sitback while lying in a promising fourth. A small leak in the water cooling system made repairs necessary in the early morning hours, which relegated works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) back down the field. Extreme bad luck plagued the second driver trio of Felbermayr-Proton. Suffering tyre damage Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) flew from the track in the fast Indianapolis corner. The Pro-911, which he shares with Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Bryce Miller (USA), was so badly damaged that the team was unable to repair it. Luckily, Al Faisal climbed out uninjured.
Contesting the GTE Am class, Horst Felbermayr Senior (Team Proton Competition) fell victim to an opponent at 8.00 a.m. when his 911 was hit hard on the driver’s side of the 911 GT3 RSR. The Austrian was transported to hospital for an examination. In the same class, a 2010-spec 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the French Larbre Competition team currently ranks second.
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Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Stuttgart. The opening eight hours of the long distance classic brought mixed fortunes for the five Porsche customer teams.
The Belgian ProSpeed Competition squad made the best start to the race. After completing the first third of the distance, Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), Marc Goossens (Belgium) and Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands) rank third in the GTE Pro sports car class in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Flying Lizard Motorsports (USA) follows with factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) as well as seasoned campaigner Lucas Luhr (Germany) sitting sixth in the strongest-supported class of the 24 hour race.
Driving for the Felbermayr-Proton squad, last year’s winners Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany) were thrown far back down the field with two mishaps and are now fighting their way through the pack.
An hour before midnight, the Porsche works drivers lie tenth in the GTE Pro class.
“After refuelling we waited for ages for the lights to turn green at the pit exit during the safety car phase,” explains Marc Lieb. “Once we rejoined the race the car suffered tyre damage – I must have picked something up. Unfortunately it happened in the first chicane, that’s about 10 kilometres from the pits.”
Lieb returned to the pits on his rim and lost more time when the crew found that part of the body had also been damaged.
The ProSpeed Competition team are feeling cautiously optimistic.
“The first eight hours ran smoothly,” reported Marco Holzer.
The 22-year-old was a Le Mans rookie last year and now has the role of team leader. For Jaap van Lagen this marks a premiere on the demanding 13.629 kilometre track.
“I know exactly how this feels,” says Holzer. “You need quite some time to find a rhythm and to trust the car and your own ability. Our 911 is running well, the team’s pit stops are super. Our goal is to keep out of any trouble.”
The American Flying Lizard Motorsports team also faced tyre problems. Early on in the race, Joerg Bergmeister fell victim to tyre damage.
“My first stint was difficult because the set-up wasn’t one hundred percent,” said Bergmeister. “We then made a few changes and now the balance is much better. We can’t quite match the pace of the front-runners but we’re looking ahead. We can build on sixth place.”
Heading into the night, the French IMSA Performance Matmut team was not particularly pleased with their eighth place.
Works driver Patrick Pilet was also held up long at the red lights of the pit exit.
“It was really dumb,” complained the Frenchman. “But I had to come in to refuel otherwise I would have been stranded out there. The traffic on the track is brutal and the prototype drivers are at times very aggressive. Nicolas Armindo is a newcomer in our team, but he’s a very controlled driver.” Third in the group is an experienced Le Mans contender, team owner Raymond Narac (France).
The second Felbermayr-911 ranks 13th in the GTE Pro class after eight hours. At the wheel are Le Mans debutant Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) as well as American Bryce Miller, who contested the endurance classic last year.
In the GTE Am sports car class, in which only one professional race driver is permitted per vehicle, Larbre Competition lies in a excellent first place with their 911 GT3 RSR in last year’s specification (as stipulated by the regulations for this class). The sister 911 of Flying Lizard Motorsports has settled in to fourth place, with the Proton Competition drivers currently sitting in sixth.
Facts and figures
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
With grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start together in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. Moreover, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Source: Images of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Porsche AG Press Database
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Stuttgart. The first step is taken with success. Porsche customer teams from all over Europe and the USA have secured good grid positions after the qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports (l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Lucas Luhr, Patrick Long, Seth Neiman, Spencer Pumpelly, Darren Law
The fastest Porsche driver, works pilot Marc Lieb (Germany), planted the Felbermayr 911 GT3 RSR on seventh in the GTE Pro class. Lieb competes for last year’s winning team with works drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Wolf Henzler (Germany). Four other 2011-spec 911 GT3 RSR take up the race in the GTE Pro category. In the GTE Am class, three 911 GT3 RSR from last year take off into the 79th edition of the long distance classic on Saturday at 15.00 hours from positions two, three and four.
(l.-r.): Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler
“We’re satisfied with our preparations and are feeling confident for the race,” said two-time Le Mans winner Marc Lieb. “In the practice sessions, we managed to find a good set-up for our 911 for the challenges of this marathon and the very special, highly demanding race track.”
Richard Lietz, who has also notched up two wins at the world’s toughest automobile race, added:
“The handling of our 911 GT3 RSR is neutral and comfortable. This means that the car tends neither towards oversteer nor understeer. This works in favour of Marc, Wolf and I because our driving styles are similar.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton
The crew of the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR also finished the qualifying without problems. Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) clinched the ninth grid spot for the ProSpeed Competition squad.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition (l.-r.): Marc Goossens, Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer
(l.-r.): Jaap van Lagen, Marco Holzer, Marc Goossens
“Today we worked on our race set-up,” said Holzer. “Yes, we were faster yesterday but our car was rather twitchy, and that wouldn’t have been optimal over the race distance. There are a couple of damn fast corners here in Le Mans so you need a car that you can trust. And now we have that car.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Prospeed Competition: Marc Goossens, Marco Holzer, Jaap van Lagen
Joining forces with the 22-year-old is Le Mans veteran Marc Goossens (Bel-gium) as well as Le Mans rookie Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands).
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
A damaged damper and an accident threw the schedule of the Flying Lizard Motorsports into disarray.
“Because of the faulty shock absorber we worked in the wrong direction for a long time during yesterday’s practice session,” explained Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister (Germany). “Then we lost time when a competitor spun and I couldn’t avoid him. The repairs were extensive. We decided to forget about turning an extra qualifying lap and instead we concentrated totally on finding a set-up.”
(l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Lucas Luhr
Bergmeister takes up the marathon on Saturday with his works driver colleague Patrick Long (USA)
Lucas Luhr
and Germany’s Lucas Luhr from 12th position in the GTE Pro class.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Nick Tandy, Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Bryce Miller
Grid position 14 went to Nick Tandy in the second 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton. The Briton currently leads the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup series as well as the German Carrera Cup, but this marks his first race in Le Mans. His teammates are Abdulaziz Al Faisal from Saudi Arabia and Bryce Miller from the USA.
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, IMSA Performance Matmut (l.-r.): Patrick Pilet, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
The French IMSA Performance Matmut squad had counted on a better grid position than 16th. Still, after team owner Raymond Narac’s accident during the first free practice, Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet, Narac and Le Mans newcomer Nicolas Armindo (all France) could only begin their set-up work this afternoon and therefore lag be-hind.
(l.-r.): Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo, Patrick Pilet
In the GTE Am sports car class, Austrian Horst Felbermayr Junior qualified the 911 GT3 RSR of Proton Competition on second place. His teammates are Horst Felber-mayr Senior and team owner Christian Ried (Germany).
(l.-r.): Horst Felbermayr Sr., Christian Ried, Horst Felbermayr Jr.
Position three was snatched by Larbre Competition’s
Grid spot four in the GTE Am class went to Americans Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Spencer Pumpelly from the Flying Lizard Motorsports team.
(l.-r.): Spencer Pumpelly, Seth Neiman, Darren Law
Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, praised the teams’ professional preparations for the race.
“They all worked hard to find an optimal set-up. Taking the Balance of Performance into account, the teams made the most out of what was possible.”
The race gets the green light at 15.00 hours on Saturday, 11th June. Television stations Eurosport and Eurosport 2 broadcast the race alternately around the clock with 15 hours of live coverage shown on the main station, Eurosport.
Result Qualifying GTE Am
1. Perazzini/Cioci/Breslin (I/I/D), Ferrari F430, 4:21.015 minutes
2. Ried/Felbermayr Jr./Felbermayr Sen. (D/A/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.250 seconds
3. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.366
4. Neiman/Law/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.636
Facts and figures
This is the Le Mans 24 Hours
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
With a grid line-up of 55 vehicles, the 24 Hours of Le Mans consists of two different sports car categories: sports prototypes and modified standard sports cars. The technical regulations of the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) correspond to those of the 24 hour race. All race cars start to-gether in Le Mans; there is an overall classification and a classification for individual classes.
The four classes in Le Mans: GTE Pro class: The most popular class of car manufacturers (formerly run as the GT2 class) is traditionally the best supported: Modified sports cars with up to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms. GTE Am class: Like the GTE-Pro, but with the 2010-vehicle specifications. More-over, the regulations stipulate that each vehicle must have one professional driver at the most. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes of around 440 hp, GT-class homologated engines and a 900 kg minimum weight.
Porsche enthusiast, Flying Lizard fan, Photographer SEAN KLINGELHOEFER, gives us a tour on what it takes to do a photo shoot of the Flying Lizard Motorsports Le Mans Porsches
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer posts another “Making of” behind the scenes look of his Automotive photo session with Porsche Flying Lizards GT3 RSR for Le Mans 24 hour 2011.
It is with great pleasure that I give you a look behind the scenes of the most challenge yet most fun photoshoot I’ve had to date. It should come as no surprise since I’m a Porsche enthusiast and Flying Lizard fan that I jumped at the opportunity to work with the team. It all started with some discussions during the off season, then a few months ago the head of PR/marking got in touch with me about a photo shoot concerning images for Le Mans. What I didn’t know at the time were the constraints I would be facing for the shoot.
READ MORE HERE>>>>> about Sean and the photoshoot of the 911 GT3 RSR Flying Lizards Le Mans Porsche with graphic design by Troy Lee
Flying Lizard 2011 Porsche GT3 RSR Photographer: Sean Klingelhoefer
Sean Klingelhoefer is a photographer specializing in automotive/motorsports photography and post production. He lives in Los Angeles …..more about Sean here
Baden-Württemberg’s new prime minister in consultation with Stuttgart sports car manufacturer
Winfried Kretschmann Baden-Württemberg’s New Prime Minister & Matthias Müller, CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG Photo: Porsche AG Database
Stuttgart. Baden-Württemberg’s new prime minister Winfried Kretschmann is visiting at the invitation of Matthias Müller, CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG, the parent company of the sports car manufacturer in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
During an extensive tour of the production of the Porsche 911 and Boxster / Cayman, the Prime Minister also spoke with staff and trainees of the company.
Winfried Kretschmann Baden-Württemberg’s New Prime Minister & Matthias Müller, CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AGPhoto: Porsche AG Database
“This first exchange is a good start for an intense and above all constructive dialogue with the Prime Minister and his government,” said chief executive Mueller said: “I am confident that with the necessary understanding for each other together to further strengthen the automotive state of Baden- Württemberg and help expand its international significance.”
Winfried Kretschmann Baden-Württemberg’s New Prime Minister & Matthias Müller, CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG Photo: Porsche AG Database
Kretschmann Prime Minister said: “The visit to the Porsche AG was in a very harmonious atmosphere and gave me a deep insight into the company granted. Porsche is certainly one of the great success stories of our country.”
He was able to obtain get an idea of the performance and the quality awareness of the company, said Kretschmann. With the Boxster with electric drive, which is now being implemented as a prototype, and with the first hybrid models Porsche show that even in the luxury segment more fuel efficient options are possible.
Winfried Kretschmann Baden-Württemberg’s New Prime Minister & Matthias Müller, CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG Photo: Porsche AG Database
“Porsche is right to build in the premium segment cars that use less fuel, thereby harming the environment less. I am firmly convinced that the company Porsche is overcome with his broad technical expertise, its highly qualified staff and its ability to innovate the new challenges,”said the Prime Minister.
Source: Porsche AG Database
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Dirk Erat
Joerg Bergmeister, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long, and Richard Lietz with Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
Udo Lindenberg with a Likörell painting he did to be auctioned for his charity project
Porsche Everyday Dedeporsches Blog 