Porsche pilots hope for improvement in the World Endurance Championship, rd 2 at Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium

03 May

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas

Stuttgart. In the qualifying for the six hour race of Spa-Francorchamps, round two of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for sports cars on the storied circuit in the Ardennes,

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas

Porsche works pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France) planted their Porsche 911 RSR on the sixth grid spot in the GTE-Pro class. For Saturday’s race, they share the cockpit of the number 91 car with Timo Bernhard (Germany).

Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Richard Lietz, Porsche AG Team Manthey

Their works driver colleagues Marc Lieb (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) take up the race one position behind them. The third driver in the 470 hp # 92 GT racer is Richard Lietz (Austria). Porsche AG Team Manthey field both Porsche 911 RSR.

From this season on, the qualifying in the WEC is conducted following a new format: For the first time, two drivers must qualify one car. The grid positions for the race are determined by the average of the two fastest timed laps of each of these drivers.

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet

Joerg Bergmeister (#91)

“I made a small mistake in my second lap. Otherwise I could have gone a little faster. But I still pitted so that I didn’t wear the tyres too much for Patrick.”

Patrick Pilet (#91):

“The car ran very steadily and that’s good for the race. We’re not too far back and I hope that we can do even better tomorrow.”

Romain Dumas (#92):

“That qualifying wasn’t perfect. But I’m sure we’ll look better in the race.”

Marc Lieb (#92):

“Our car performed better than in practice so that’s a small step in the right direction. Let’s see what tomorrow’s race brings.”

Porsche AG Team Manthey

Qualifying result
GTE-Pro class
1. Makowiecki/Bell/Senna (F/GB/BRA), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:19.811 minutes
2. Bruni/Fisichella (I/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.042 seconds
3. Kobayashi/Vilander (J/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.278
4. Turner/Mücke/Dumbreck (GB/D/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.296
5. DallaLana/Stanaway/Lamy (CAN/NZ/P), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.430
6. Bergmeister/Pilet/Bernhard (D/F/D), Porsche 911 RSR, + 0.432
7. Lieb/Lietz/Dumas (D/A/F), Porsche 911 RSR, + 1.049

GTE-Am class
1. Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen (DK/DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:21.265 minutes
2. Potolicchio/Aguas/Malucelli (I/P/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.030 seconds
3. Goethe/Hall/Campbell-Walter (D/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.284
4. Bornhauser/Canal/Rees (F/F/BRA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.480
5. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.425
7. Narac/Vernay (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.156

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The World Endurance Championship
In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.

SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Database Photo

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

Tags: Aston Martin Vantage, Autos & Vehicles, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Jörg Bergmeister, Joerg Bergmeister, Marc Lieb, Marco Holzer, Motorsport in Germany, Motorsport News, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, porsche 911 rsr, Porsche Motorsport around the world, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard, world endurance championship

World Endurance Championship, round 2 in Spa-Francorchamps Latest Photos

03 May

Patrick Pilet, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Joerg Bergmeister (l-r), Porsche AG Team Manthey

Stuttgart. Latest photos from free practice 1 in Spa-Francorchamps, where round 2 of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) is contested on Saturday.

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Proton Competition, Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti

Patrick Pilet, Romain Dumas, Joerg Bergmeister, Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz,Timo Bernhard (l-r), Porsche AG Team Manthey

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SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Databse
Communication Porsche AG Motorsport Press

Tags: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Joerg Bergmeister, Manthey Porsche, Marc Lieb, Motorsport in Germany, Motorsport News, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, porsche 911 rsr, Porsche Motorsport, Porsche Motorsport around the world, Richard Lietz, Richard Lietz (Austria), Romain Dumas, Spa-Francorchamps Belgium, Timo Bernhard, Track Events, world endurance championship, World Endurance Championship (WEC)

Race debut of the new Porsche 911 RSR, World Endurance Championship, rd 1 in Silverstone, Great Britain

12 Apr

World Endurance Championship, round 1 in Silverstone, Great Britain

Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey

Stuttgart. At the six hour race on the Silverstone Circuit, which signals the start of the 2013 World Endurance Championship (WEC) season on 14th April, the Porsche 911 RSR celebrates its race debut. Running the campaign on the storied 5.981 kilometre circuit in the British Midlands is the Porsche AG Team Manthey works team with Olaf Manthey at the helm.

Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey

The Porsche drivers

Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Pilet (France) and Timo Bernhard (Germany) take up the GTE-Pro class in the 911 RSR with starting number 91.

Porsche 911 RSR , Porsche AG Team Manthey: Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet

Sharing driving duties in the cockpit of the number 92 vehicle are their factory driver colleagues Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Romain Dumas (France).

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas

Two customer teams tackle the GTE-Am class with last year’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR: Driving the Proton Competition entry is Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda, with an all-French line-up of Raymond Narac, Christophe Bourret and Jean-Karl Vernay competing for IMSA Performance Matmut.

The Porsche 911 RSR

The Porsche 911 RSR delivers 460 hp and is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car.

Timo Bernhard, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey

As the successor to the winning 911 GT3 RSR, with which Porsche customers scored many victories and title wins since 2004, it is characterized by consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics.

Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas

Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey

The look of the new 911 RSR is dominated by the flared mudguards and the deep cooling air intakes at the front. The exceptional vehicle styling honours the anniversary “50 years of the 911”.

Timo Bernhard, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey

The schedule

The six hour race takes off on Sunday, 14 April, at midday local time (13.00 hrs CET). Eurosport 2 televises the start of the race live at 13.00 hours (30 minutes) and returns to a live broadcast at 15.00 hours (30 minutes). The final hour is aired live from 18.00 hours on Eurosport 1. The race can be viewed live on the internet under http://www.fiawec.com.

Comments before the race

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “The whole team is ready and raring to tackle the first race with the 911 RSR. Our squad has worked extremely hard over the last months to make our new car competitive right from the start.”

Jörg Bergmeister

Joerg Bergmeister (# 91): “I’m looking forward to my premiere in the WEC – in the most beautiful and spectacular 911 ever.”

Patrick Pilet

Patrick Pilet (# 91): “To share the cockpit with such successful Porsche pilots like Joerg and Timo is a great and exciting challenge.”

Timo Bernhard

Timo Bernhard (# 91): “I felt great at the tests in the 911 RSR. We have a good chance to win our class with this car.”

Marc Lieb

Marc Lieb (# 92): “The new 911 RSR is a significant step forward. I hope that the good test results can be confirmed at the first race.”

Richard Lietz

Richard Lietz (# 92): “We face very strong opposition from the works teams from Ferrari and Aston Martin. In Silverstone we’ll see where we stand.”

Romain Dumas

Romain Dumas (# 92): “I’m looking forward to racing the new 911 RSR with Marc and Richard and I’m confident that we’ll make a good start into the season.”

In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four different classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.

SOURCE: World Endurance Championship Porsche Media Database

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

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Posted by dedeporsche on April 12, 2013 in Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG, Hartmut Kristen Head of Porsche Motorsport, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Joerg Bergmeister, Marc Lieb, Motorsport News, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas, Silverstone, Stuttgart, Timo Bernhard, Track Events, WEC, World Endurance Championship

Tags: Germany, Jörg Bergmeister, Marc Lieb, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, porsche 911 rsr, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard, world endurance championship

American Le Mans, Falken Porsche, Henzler, Tandy, Sellers Third in GT at 12 Hours of Sebring

16 Mar

Wolf Henzler, Nick Tandy, Bryan Sellers (r – l)

American Le Mans Series, round in Sebring, Florida USA

Stuttgart. At the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Falken Tire squad, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and his teammate Bryan Sellers (USA) and works driver Nick Tandy (GB) finished the opening round of the American Le Mans Series season on the GT podium in third place.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Nick Tandy, Bryan Sellers

With this result, they were the best of the Porsche pilots on the bumpy 17-turn Sebring circuit which hosts America’s oldest endurance race.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Nick Tandy, Bryan Sellers

The team qualified in 12th place in class, but Henzler timed his acceleration at the green flag perfectly, scooting to sixth place in the 500 meters between the start line and turn one. Then, with perfect pit stops and some great driving in traffic from all three racers, the customer Porsche entry outran and outlasted factory teams from Corvette, BMW, SRT Viper and Aston Martin.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Falken Tire: Wolf Henzler, Nick Tandy, Bryan Sellers

“When the week began, I wouldn’t have thought we had a chance to make it on the podium as we didn’t have the speed of the others. Our Porsche was consistent, with the engine, brakes and handling all perfect, and we made up positions one at a time until we moved into the top three.

We are very satisfied with third place. We tested several times here, and that certainly helped, but we have more work to do for the season. One of the secrets to our success today was the fast and consistent driving of my colleagues Bryan and Nick,” said Henzler, the 2008 ALMS co-champion.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Paul Miller Racing: Marco Holzer, Richard Lietz, Bryce Miller

The other Porsche customer team in the GT class was the Paul Miller Racing orsche 911 GT3 RSR, with factory drivers Richard Lietz (AUS) and Marco Holzer (GER) joining Bryce Miller (USA), finished in sixth place. Holzer, who will drive this car all season with Miller, was pleased with the performance of his Porsche for the last half of the race

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Paul Miller Racing: Marco Holzer, Richard Lietz, Bryce Miller

“This was not an easy race for us as our setup in the beginning needed modification, but we picked up our pace and made up four positions in the second half to give Paul Miller Racing its best Sebring finish ever.

Bryce and Richard drove great, and a sixth position gives us valuable points for the season,” said Holzer.

In the GTC class for matched Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars, no less than seven cars led the class during the 12-hour race, with the #66 TRG Porsche with Damien Faulkner (IRL) in the lead late in the race when an air gun failure during a tire change allowed the #22 Alex Job Racing Porsche being driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL) to take the lead with 90 minutes remaining.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Alex Job Racing: Jeroen Bleekemolen, Cooper MacNeil, Dion von Moltke

Bleekemolen, former Porsche Mobil1 Supercup champion, who shared the driving duties with Cooper MacNeil and Dion von Moltke (both USA), then took the car to the checkered flag to win the class.

Round two of the American Le Mans Series takes place on 20 April on the street circuit in Long Beach, California USA.

Result
GT class
1. Milner/Gavin/Westbrook (USA/GB/GB), Chevrolet Corvette, 333 laps
2. Bruni/Beretta/Malucelli (ITA/MC/ITA), Ferrari F458 Italia, 333
3. Henzler/Sellers/Tandy (GER/USA/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 332
4. J.Mueller/Martin/Auberlen (MC/BEL/USA), BMW Z4, 330
5. Farnbacher/Goossens/Dalziel (GER/BEL/USA), SRT Viper, 329
6. Holzer/Miller/Lietz (GER/USA/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 329
7. D.Mueller/Hand/Edwards BMW Z4 (CH/USA/USA), BMW Z4, 321
8. Senna/Muecke/Turner (BRA/GER/GB), Aston Martin Vantage V8, 318
9. Lamy/Della Lana/Johnson (POR/CAN/USA), Aston Martin Vantage V8, 309
10. Kendall/Wittmer/Bomerito (USA/CAN/USA), SRT Viper, 303

GTC class
1. Bleekemolen/MacNeil/von Moltke (NL/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 315 laps
2. Pumpelly/Wong/Canache, Jr. (USA/USA/VEN), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 315
3. Edwards/Cisneros/Seefried (GB/USA/GER), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 314

Points’ standings
GT class
Driver
1. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Richard Westbrook, Chevrolet, 24 points
2. Gianmaria Bruni, Olivier Beretta, Matteo Malucelli, Ferrari, 20
3. Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers, Nick Tandy, Porsche, 17
4. Joerg Mueller, Maxime Martin, Bill Auberlen, BMW, 14
5. Ryan Dalziel, Marc Goossens, Dominik Farnbacher, SRT Viper, 12
6. Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Bryce Miller, Porsche, 10
7. Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, John Edwards, BMW, 7
8. Darren Turner, Stefan Muecke, Bruno Senna, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 7
9. Jonathan Bomarito, Tommy Kendall, Kuno Wittmer, SRT Viper, 6
10. Pedro Lamy, Paul Della Lena, Billy Johnson, Aston Martin Vantage V8, 5

Manufacturers – GT
1. Chevrolet, 24
2. Ferrari, 20
3. Porsche, 17
4. BMW, 14
5. SRT Viper, 12

Teams – GT
1. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 24
2. RISI, Ferrari, 20
3. Team Falken Tire, Porsche, 17
4. Rahal RLL, BMW, 14

The American Le Mans Series

The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The field is divided into five classes that start together but are classified separately:
GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers traditionally receives the most support: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and a 900 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

SOURCE: American Le Mans Series Porsche AG Media Database
Communication Porsche AG, Motorsport Press

Tags: Alex Job Racing: Jeroen Bleekemolen, American Le Mans Series, BMW Z4, Bryce Miller, Cooper MacNeil, Dion von Moltke, Nick Tandy, Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, SRT Viper, Wolf Henzler

Le Mans 24 Hours / World Endurance Championship – Confirmed Porsche entry for Le Mans

01 Feb

24h Le Mans

Organizer confirms Porsche entry for Le Mans

Stuttgart. Porsche AG fields two new 911 RSR based on the 991 model generation at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and in the World Endurance Championship.

Entry for the newly developed vehicles sporting the starting numbers 91 and 92 was confirmed for the GTE class by the organisers ACO and FIA today in Paris.

The factory squad “Porsche AG Team Manthey” will run both 911 RSR race cars.

Contesting the event in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR are Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria).

Marc Lieb

Richard Lietz

The pair has already shared a cockpit in last year’s WEC. At the first two rounds of the season in Silverstone (14 April) and Spa (4 May) as well as at the Le Mans 24 hour race (22 June) they will receive reinforcement from their works driver colleague Romain Dumas (France).

Works drivers also pilot the number 91 sister car: Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) teams up with Patrick Pilet (France). In Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans the duo are joined by Timo Bernhard (Germany).

Jörg Bergmeister

Patrick Pilet

Timo Bernhard

Additionally, the customer teams IMSA Performance Matmut and Felbermayr Proton have received a starting place in the WEC and at Le Mans, fielding the predecessor model Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE-Am category.

At the wheel of the IMSA Matmut 911, Raymond Narac (France) shares driving duties with Jean-Karl Vernay (France) who contests the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with backing from Porsche AG this year. Vernay is the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France.

Jean-Karl Vernay

The customer team Dempsey Racing-Proton is also delighted with its acceptance to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Patrick Dempsey

Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey, who is known especially for his role as “McDreamy” in the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy, already contested the Le Mans race in 2009 and now climbs back into the cockpit.

Patrick Dempsey
ALMS LAGUNA SECA 2012.USAGE: Dempsey Racing web site and press material only..Photo: ©2012 Rick Dole.904.806.0362.radole@earthlink.net

“We are very much looking forward to returning to Le Mans with a works team from Porsche for the first time since 1998,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen.

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport

“The new 911 RSR performed well in earlier tests and is already proving extremely reliable on the track. Between them, our six pilots have scored eight class wins in Le Mans and have a great deal of experience with different 911 race cars.

And our customer teams in the GTE-Am class are also well prepared for the 2013 season.”

SOURCE: Porsche Motorsport – Porsche AG Media Press Database

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

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Tags: #91 Porsche 911 RSR, #92 Porsche 911 RSR, Dempsey Racing-Proton, France, GTE, IMSA Performance team owner Raymond Narac, Jean Karl Vernay, Jean-Karl Vernay (France), Joerg Bergmeister, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Le Mans, Le Mans 24 Hours, Le Mans 24 Hours and in the World Endurance Championship, Marc Lieb, Patrick Dempsey, Patrick Pilet (F), Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche AG Team Manthey, Raymond Narac, Richard Lietz, Richard Lietz (A), romain d, World Endurance Championship (WEC)

Video: Four Porsches on the first four grid spots – Daytona 24 Hours 2013

24 Jan

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Konrad Motorsport/Orbit: Nick Tandy, Michael Christensen, Christian Engelhardt, Lance Willsey

Daytona 24 Hours – Press Release – 24/01/2013
Four Porsche on the first four grid spots

Stuttgart. Good starting position for Porsche at the Daytona 24 hour race: In qualifying for the sports car classic in Florida, Porsche pilots locked out the first four grid spots in a field of 36 vehicles entered in the GT class.

Nick Tandy

Pole position went to Nick Tandy in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Konrad Motorsport/Orbit. Daytona marks the first race for the Briton as a Porsche works driver.

Michael Christensen

One of his teammates is Porsche Junior Michael Christensen (Denmark), who contests his first 24 hour race on Saturday.

“Pole position in Daytona shouldn’t be underestimated, even if the race runs over 24 hours,” said Nick Tandy.

“Starting from the front allows you to avoid getting caught up in any skirmishes and that’s certainly an advantage. Our car ran perfectly and that gives us a good feeling for the race.”

In last year’s winning car with the starting number 44, Andy Lally (USA) set the second quickest qualifying time.

Sharing the cockpit of the Magnus Racing 911 GT3 Cup is Porsche works driver Richard Lietz from Austria.

Richard Lietz

Third in qualifying in the fiercely competitive qualifying session on the Daytona International Speedway, in which the eleven top placed cars are all within just one second, went to Sean Edwards (MOMO/NGT) from Great Britain ahead Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long (USA) competing for the Park Place Motorsports squad.

“We won the race last year. Second on the grid is an excellent starting position to repeat this success,” said Richard Lietz.

Patrick Pilet

Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet (France), one of Sean Edwards’ teammates, was also feeling optimistic.

“Sean did an excellent job. After this great qualifying result we are all looking forward to the race. Our goal is to finish on the podium.”

The Daytona 24 Hours starts on Saturday at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 hrs CET).

Result GT qualifying

1. Nick Tandy (GB), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 1:47.631 minutes
2. Andy Lally (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.197 seconds
3. Sean Edwards (GB), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.376
4. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.506
5. Alessandro Balzan (I), Ferrari 458, + 0.629
6. Felipe Albuquerque (MEX), Audi R8, + 0.651
7. Marco Seefried (D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.688
8. Robin Liddell (GB), Camaro GT.R, + 0.699

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SOURCE: Daytona 24 Hours – Porsche Media Press Database
Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

— at Daytona International Speedway.

In North America, the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race sets the standard for sports car performance and longevity. Traditionally, the 24 hour race on the Daytona International Speedway is the first highlight of the motorsport season and year after year attracts the best pilots from all kinds of race series worldwide to the ‘Sunshine State’ of the USA.

Porsche has collected 72 class and 22 overall wins in the race’s 49-year history, making Porsche the most successful manufacturer in the history of the race. In recent years, Porsche cars have made up almost one-half of the overall entry list at Daytona.

The race
The endurance classic, which kicks off the Grand-Am Series season, started out in 1962 as a three-hour race. At 1,250 miles in 1964, the race grew to double the distance of the classic 1,000 kilometer races of Spa, Monza and the Nürburgring. The maiden 24-hour event in Daytona took place in 1966. Taking their places on the winner’s list are Formula 1 champions like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti as well as legendary Porsche pilots like Hans Herrmann, Rolf Stommelen, Hurley Haywood and Bob Wollek.

The circuit
The Daytona International Speedway is one of the world’s most famous racetracks. The 24-hour race is contested on the 3.56-mile track combination of oval with banked corner and the infield. The circuit is also the venue for the famed NASCAR Daytona 500 race with more than 250,000 spectators annually.

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Tags: 24 Hours of Daytona, Andy Lally (USA), Autos & Vehicles, daytona international speedway, FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS, Joerg Bergmeister, Konrad Motorsport, Magnus Racing, Marc Lieb, Marco Holzer, Marco Seefried (D), Motorsport News, Nick Tandy (GB), Patrick Long, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, Richard Lietz, Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sean Edwards (GB), Track Events, TruSpeed Motorsports, Wolf Henzler

PORSCHE: First Mother-Son Duo Enter Rolex 24 – Wright Motorsports and Snow Racing Combine Forces for Strong Entry at Daytona

13 Jan

First Mother-Son Duo Enter Rolex 24

;Grand-Am Rolex Series photos by Brian Cleary

Driver Line-up Includes Race’s First Mother-Son Duo

BATAVIA, Ohio, Jan. 12 — Wright Motorsports of Batavia, Ohio and Snow Racing of Pleasant Grove, Utah, have combined forces for a history-making entry in the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Jan. 24-27.

The entry marks the first time a mother and son will compete in this storied race, as Melanie Snow and her 17-year-old son Madison are two of five drivers of the Wright Motorsports/Snow Racing Porsche GT3 Cup No. 62 sponsored by Universal Industrial Sales (UIS) and Bilstein Shocks. Headquartered in Lindon, Utah, UIS is among the largest suppliers of overhead sign structures and fabricated highway products in the country.

Melanie Snow

The other three drivers in the very strong line-up are Porsche veteran Sascha Maassen, 43, of Lontzen, Belgium; Porsche junior driver Klaus Bachler, 21, of Unzmarkt, Austria, who has been competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup; and top Porsche driver and instructor Marco Seefried of Wemding, Germany, 36. He’ll compete in two 24-hour races this month, as he is driving a Porsche 911 in the 24 Hours at Dubai Autodrome at press time.

Grand-Am Rolex Series photos by Brian Cleary

Wright Motorsports/Snow Racing’s white, red and black Porsche is currently one of 36 entries in the Grand Touring (GT) class for the Rolex 24.

Both Melanie and Madison Snow are making their first Rolex 24 starts, although they have extensive experience in other series. Along with her husband, Martin Snow, and another driver, Patrick Huisman, Melanie Snow was part of the winning GTS entry at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1999 in a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Madison and Melanie Snow Professional racing drivers
Photo source: autoblog.com

Madison Snow, of Lehi, Utah, started racing at the age of 4 in karts.

He finished second overall last year in the top class of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama with three victories in a car prepped by Wright Motorsports. When he clinched that series’ Gold Cup championship in 2011 when he was 15 he became the youngest Porsche one-make Cup champion in history.

Although he won’t be the youngest driver ever to compete in the Rolex 24, at press time he’s the youngest driver entered in this year’s race, according to Grand-Am officials.

Maassen has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and both the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans four times. He was the ALMS GT champion twice and he has also won the ALMS LMP2 championship and the FIA GT championship. He is also an instructor for Porsche, and one of his students is Bachler.

All five drivers participated in the official test for the event Jan. 4-6 at Daytona, where they logged 279 laps around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course that also incorporates most of the oval. They were in the top five in half of the eight test sessions, they were only out of the top 10 once, and they topped the charts in Practice 3.

“There were 12 hours of testing available, and we put 11 hours on the car,” said Wright Motorsports owner John Wright, who is participating in this race for the 19th time. He has been on the podium at this event many times in various roles, most recently in 2009 when he was the team owner/manager of the car that finished third in the GT division. Maassen was one of the drivers in that effort.

“The car was strong; we were fast at the test,” Wright said. “All the drivers showed good pace; there isn’t a weak link in our driver line-up, and the team is gelling nicely.

“In addition to UIS and Bilstein, we’d like to thank Porsche Motorsports North America for all their help, especially the guys who work in the engine and parts departments, and the phenomenal track support that they supply,” Wright added. “Running a 24-hour race is a big undertaking, but they make it a lot easier.”

Wright also stressed that it’s a pleasure to work with Martin Snow. “He brings so much experience to the program,” Wright said. “I don’t have to explain how endurance racing works to him. We get right down to business. I hope together we can make this Rolex 24 a winning performance.”

Wright Motorsports is coming off a sensational season in which its drivers finished first, second and third in the driver point standings and it won the team championship and Rookie of the Year award in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama. The team won 11 of the 15 races and had 27 podium finishes and 12 poles in that series last year with a driver line-up that included both rookies and veterans, just like it will have at the Rolex 24.

“We enjoy combining veterans with rookies,” Wright noted. “We pride ourselves on our driver development program. It fits our business model well, and it’s a way for us to help mold the sport’s future.”

The No. 62 will be on the track for the first practice session of the event at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Another practice session at 1:15 that day precedes qualifying at 4:10 p.m. and a night practice session at 6 p.m. There is a final practice session at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 25 before the 24-hour enduro begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26.

SPEED will provide live coverage of the Rolex 24 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, Jan. 26 and continuing at 9 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Jan. 27.

Live timing and scoring will be offered on the series’ website at grand-am.com. Additional information on Wright Motorsports can be found on the team’s website at wrightmotorsports.com, its Facebook page and through Twitter. Snow Racing’s website is at snow-ahead.com.

Driver pre-race quotes, in alphabetical order, follow:

Klaus Bachler:

“I am really looking forward to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. It is my first 24-hour race and my first race in the United States. Last week we had three good test days, and I think we will have a good car for the race. I feel good about the team and my teammates. Wright Motorsports is really professional. I can’t wait for the race!”

Porsche junior driver Klaus Bachler, 21, of Unzmarkt, Austria

Sascha Maassen:

“I am looking forward to the start of the 2013 racing season. John Wright and I have already had some success at the Rolex 24, finishing on the podium. And I’m also looking forward to working with the Snow family. I raced with Martin a few years ago at Daytona and I coached Melanie and Madison in 2011 at some IMSA Cup events. Another thing I’m looking forward to is racing with Klaus Bachler, the Porsche junior driver, whom I am normally coaching in Europe. Together with Marco Seefried, we have a very strong line-up.”

Porsche veteran Sascha Maassen, 43, of Lontzen, Belgium

Marco Seefried:

(Quote translated from his website, as he was racing in Dubai at press time): “The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the world’s most important endurance races. The first time I drove at Daytona was during the test. We reeled off a comprehensive program with our Porsche 911 GT3 at the test. Our driver line-up is very balanced, which in a long-distance race is a great advantage. During the night practice I was able to set the third-fastest lap in the GT class. It was a great result against very strong competition. I’m happy to be racing after the long winter break, and I’m looking forward to competing at Daytona very much.”

Top Porsche driver and instructor Marco Seefried of Wemding, Germany, 36

Madison Snow:

“The test went much better than I expected. I had assumed we would have a few fast people, but I didn’t think that everyone on our team would be this fast.

“The thing that surprises me is how well we all get along together. After the sessions when we went over the car and how it felt, I was surprised that we all felt the same thing. I’ve heard stories of teams when drivers all have different styles and so it is hard to set up the car for everyone, but we all get along and drive so similarly that it makes it much easier.

“I can’t wait for the race because I know we have such a good driver line-up and that we can win the race. I feel like we are the best team there because we get along so well with each other — drivers and crew. That is the difference from us to everyone else out there. This race will be really good for all of us. It’s the first 24-hour race for my mom and me so I really hope we are able to come out on top together.”

Melanie Snow:

“Wow, what a fun test at Daytona! I am really excited to be racing there. This will be my first 24 Hours of Daytona race. Having been there many times before, supporting Martin, I know the feeling of excitement that is spread throughout the track. I was never able to race at Daytona before, as when I had other opportunities I was pregnant or had a baby with me.

Finally, I get to race it, and what makes it so special is that I get to race it with Madison. My first time at Daytona with Martin, Madison was with me and he was just 6 weeks old. Now he is racing it with me; how time flies!

“Sascha, Marco and Klaus are such a great asset to our team. We have a wonderful dynamic and work so well together. Wright Motorsports has prepared our UIS Porsche and they have done an amazing job. The car was flawless at the test and we had some really good times. Between our drivers and our hard-working crew we have the best team! I can’t wait to get back to the track and get the race started!”

About Wright Motorsports:

Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche tuning facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, near Cincinnati, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief Wright has played a key role in winning seven driver and six team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series.

John Wright, owner & director of Wright Motorsports, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician

In 2013 Wright Motorsports will defend its 2012 driver and team championship and field multiple entries in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge; service its customers who compete in other series and club-racing events, and provide race car-quality preparation for its customers’ high-performance street cars. For more information see WrightMotorsports.com on the Internet and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: Restart Communications, Linda Mansfield and Wright Motorsports

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Posted by dedeporsche on January 13, 2013 in Autos & Vehicles, Klaus Bachler, Madison Snow, Marco Seefried, Melanie Snow, Motorsport News, Porsche, Rolex 24 at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Sascha Maassen, Track Events, Wright Motorsports, Wright Motorsports owner John Wright, Wright Motorsports/Snow Racing Porsche GT3 Cup No. 62

Tags: 24 Hours of Daytona, Daytona, Klaus Bachler, Porsche, Porsche 911, porsche 911 gt3, Rolex 24, rolex 24 at daytona international speedway, Sascha Maassen

Porsche Leipzig: on the limit as a co-pilot

02 Jan

Drama? Action? Thriller….on the limit as a co-pilot. Porsche

Have you ever wanted to experience the limits of a Porsche with a professional driving instructor on the track? Then Porsche Leipzig might have the right offers for you. Follow the link to find more information on the Co-Pilot offers:http://www.porsche-leipzig.com/en/leipzigangebote/leipzigcopilot/default.aspx

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Posted by dedeporsche on January 2, 2013 in Automotive Photography, Autos & Vehicles, Motorsport News, Porsche

Tags: Automobile, Autos, Leipzig, Makes and Models, Porsche, Porsche Panamera, Recreation, Sport utility vehicle

Dedeporsches.com Blog 2012 in Review Presented By WordPress.com

30 Dec

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys

prepared a 2012 annual report for Dedeporsches.com Blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

About 55,000 tourists visit Liechtenstein every year. This blog was viewed about 290,000 [actually the stats say 401,295] times in 2012. If it were Liechtenstein, it would take about 5 years for that many people to see it. Dedeporsches blog had more visits than a small country in Europe!

The busiest day of the year was November 2nd with 3,490 views.The most popular post that day was: Porsche Project: Janis Joplin’s psychedelic painted 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet

Some visitors came searching, mostly for porsche, janis joplin porsche,angelique kerber, matthew drendel, and sabine lisicki.

The top referring sites in 2012 were:

That’s 191 countries in all!
Most visitors came from The United States. Germany & The United Kingdom were not far behind.

Top Views by Country for all days ending 2012-12-30 (Summarized)

Country	Views
United States	76,283
Germany	21,411
United Kingdom	17,296
France	13,444
Netherlands	12,429
Canada	11,419
Italy	7,765
Australia	6,520
Belgium	5,414
Spain	5,174
Brazil	4,847
Poland	3,795
Switzerland	3,376
Sweden	3,303
India	3,275
Japan	3,201
Portugal	3,029
Russian Federation	2,948
Mexico	2,676
Turkey	2,565
Austria	2,219
Czech Republic	2,065
Thailand	1,902
Denmark	1,834
Argentina	1,798
Hungary	1,771
Greece	1,682
Romania	1,597
Indonesia	1,445
Malaysia	1,435
Norway	1,430
Hong Kong	1,421
New Zealand	1,397
Ukraine	1,392
Taiwan	1,384
South Africa	1,306
Philippines	1,288
Finland	1,184
Republic of Korea	1,114
Ireland	1,108
Bulgaria	1,027
United Arab Emirates	902
Serbia	893
Croatia	858
Slovakia	853
Singapore	756
Slovenia	698
Colombia	676
Israel	654
Chile	653
Pakistan	583
Saudi Arabia	537
Viet Nam	527
Egypt	470
Peru	389
Lithuania	346
Estonia	313
Luxembourg	299
Kuwait	297
Lebanon	262
Puerto Rico	258
Latvia	251
Georgia	239
Venezuela	239
Bosnia and Herzegovina	227
Morocco	217
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic	209
Cyprus	207
Moldova	197
Azerbaijan	192
Qatar	190
Dominican Republic	177
Sri Lanka	166
Belarus	162
Ecuador	147
Iceland	146
Costa Rica	139
Algeria	139
Albania	136
Iraq	136
Jordan	136
Bangladesh	134
Malta	132
Uruguay	124
Tunisia	117
Bahrain	113
Armenia	105
Montenegro	103
Panama	98
Oman	98
Guatemala	97
Trinidad and Tobago	97
Syrian Arab Republic	85
Nigeria	74
Paraguay	67
Monaco	63
Macao	61
Jamaica	57
Kenya	57
Mongolia	56
El Salvador	48
Mauritius	47
Nicaragua	46
Brunei Darussalam	42
Libya	37
Myanmar	36
Bolivia	36
Andorra	32
Cambodia	30
Mozambique	29
Barbados	26
New Caledonia	26
Bahamas	26
Guernsey	25
Ghana	25
Liechtenstein	23
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	22
Nepal	20
Angola	18
Yemen	18
Côte d’Ivoire	17
Kazakhstan	15
Jersey	14
Guadeloupe	14
Aruba	14
Honduras	13
Réunion	13
Ethiopia	13
Guam	12
Uganda	12
Afghanistan	11
Northern Mariana Islands	10
China	10
Suriname	10
Sudan	9
Madagascar	9
Maldives	9
Isle of Man	9
Netherlands Antilles	8
Åland Islands	8
Dominica	8
Gibraltar	7
Seychelles	7
Botswana	7
Zimbabwe	7
Zambia	7
Cape Verde	6
Bermuda	6
United Republic of Tanzania	6
Rwanda	6
Faroe Islands	5
Senegal	5
Fiji	5
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	5
Martinique	5
Bhutan	5
Benin	5
Namibia	4
Iran, Islamic Republic of	4
Cameroon	4
French Polynesia	4
Guyana	3
Cayman Islands	3
Kyrgyzstan	3
Tajikistan	3
Saint Lucia	3
Palestinian Territory, Occupied	3
Greenland	3
Grenada	3
Lesotho	3
Vanuatu	2
Burkina Faso	2
Gabon	2
Saint Kitts and Nevis	2
Djibouti	2
French Guiana	2
Togo	2
Norfolk Island	1
Cuba	1
Mauritania	1
San Marino	1
Anguilla	1
Sierra Leone	1
Haiti	1
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	1
Papua New Guinea	1
Malawi	1
Liberia	1

Attractions in 2012

These are just a few of the posts that got the most views in 2012.

1 PORSCHE PROJECT: Recreation of Janis Joplin’s psychedelic painted 1965 Porsche 356c Cabriolet April 2011

2 Porsche Motorsport around the world – Newsletter 2 – 2012 March 2012

3 PORSCHE Collection of Matthew Drendel offered at Gooding – Amelia Island Auction – March 9th, 2012 February 2012

4 AUCTION RESULTS ARE IN FOR DRENDEL FAMILY PORSCHE COLLECTION AT AMELIA ISLAND – MARCH 9TH, 2012 March 2012

5 Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nürburgring 24 hour – The race of records June 2011

Dedeporsches Blog

IT’S ALL ABOUT PORSCHE…IF YOU’RE AN OWNER OF A PORSCHE,OR A BIG ENTHUSIAST OF PORSCHE CARS, PORSCHE MOTORSPORTS, PORSCHE DESIGN, PORSCHE HISTORY, OR A MEMBER OF A PORSCHE CLUB….JOIN ME ON FOCUSING JUST ABOUT PORSCHE!!

My Facebook Page

Thanks for flying with Dedeporsches Blog.com in 2012. I look forward to blogging for you again in 2013! Happy New Year!

See you in 2013!

Tags: Belgium, Brazil, Facebook, Germany, Janis Joplin, Liechtenstein, Porsche, Porsche in motorsport, Porsche Motorsport, United States

PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGE COMES TO THE BENELUX 2013

29 Dec

All recent 911 GT3 Cup cars in one championship, six events in 2013

The 2013 racing season will bring the

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge to the Benelux

An initiative of Prospeed Competition and GT3.nl, with the support of national importers.

GRÂCE-HOLLOGNE –The 2013 racing season will bring the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge to the Benelux. This Challenge is an officially supported Porsche racing platform for drivers, teams and fans in the Benelux market.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is created in a joint effort with D’Ieteren Porsche Import (Belgium), Pon Porsche Import (The Netherlands) and the Luxembourg Porsche importer Autosdistribution Losch.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will be the twentieth member of a family that encompasses the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and various Porsche Carrera Cups and GT3 Cup Challenges representing the Porsche racing DNA throughout the world…

Leading the way will be the second generation of the 997-based 911 GT3 Cup car. This 450bhp race car, based on the road going 911 GT3 RS, will instantly make the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux the fastest one-make Cup in the Benelux.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will also welcome the first generation of the 997-based 911 GT3 Cup car and optionally the 996-based 911 GT3 Cup car, bringing together all recent generations of modern Porsche Cup racing in one championship.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is will run several classes. The Pro-Class will see two people take the wheel of a car in the proven Pro-Am structure, joining gentleman drivers with (semi-) professional drivers, creating synergies for both.

In the Am- and Club-Class, running the first generation 997 Cup and the 996 Cup respectively, cars will be shared by two drivers as well, but only gentleman drivers are allowed.The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is planning six events for its inaugural season and will race on all major circuits in Holland and Belgium.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is created by ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl, who have a longstanding relationship in racing and both have a background in Porsche dealership organisations. ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl are partners of Porsche Motorsport.

The new Challenge is an excellent opportunity for commercial partners to support participating teams, connecting their brand to the strong values of Porsche and motorsport.

The Challenge will also become an inspiring and useful relationship-marketing platform, bringing the brand closer to prospects and customers through test drives and events around the Challenge.

Jean Heinen, Director D’Ieteren Porsche Import: –

“The return of Porsche to the top category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 reaffirms the importance of motorsport for Porsche. At the same time 2013 will mark 50 years of the 911. It will be a good moment to celebrate the anniversary of this legendary car. As from next year the drivers of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will help us to communicate it even more thoroughly.”

Ray Uiterwaal, Managing DirectorPon Porsche Import: –

“Motorsport and Porsche have been inseparable since the very first car that was built, and today the racing heritage is still an essential part of the company and her cars.

With the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux we now have our own official platform to bring the Porsche values to our customers and fans, showcasing the level of performance and engineering in our cars, both on and off the racetrack.”

Michael Dreiser, Manager international One-Make Series, Dr.Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG: –

“The worldwide Porsche one-make series provide a stable platform for all involved parties: drivers, teams, sponsors and partners. We at Porsche Motorsport are delighted that this new GT3 Cup Challenge will take off in 2013 in the Benelux countries and would like to thank the ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl for their commitment as well as D’Ieteren Porsche Import an Pon Porsche Import for their strong support. Let’s all look forward to thrilling races.”

Prospeed – photos Porsche

Prospeed Competition organizers and GT3.nl chose to cut monobrand’s fastest Benelux 450 hp of the 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 II. But first, the first generation 997 and 996 are also welcome to complete the grid. There will be three categories (Pro and Am Club, depending on the level of drivers and cars) and the schedule includes six races on circuits Belgian and Dutch.

________________________________________________________________________________

Pascal ROUARD
Team communication
ProSpeed Competition
Rue Laguesse 17

B-4460 Grâce-Hollogne – Belgium
Phone +32 4 349 40 10 – Fax +32 4 349 40 19
Mobile +32 498 569 799
Email pascal.rouard@prospeed.be
Internet : www.prospeed.be

________________________________________________________________________________

Benelux is a union of states comprising three neighbouring countries in northwestern Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands andLuxembourg. The union’s name is formed from joining the first two or three letters of each country’s name – Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg – and was first used to name the customs agreement that initiated the union (signed in 1944).^[2] It is now used in a more general way to refer to the geographic, economic and cultural grouping of the three countries.

In 1951, these countries joined West Germany, France, and Italy to form the European Coal and Steel Community, the predecessor of theEuropean Economic Community (EEC) and today’s European Union (EU).

The main institutions of the Union are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliament, the Council of the Union, the Court of Justice, the Secretariat-General, the Organization for Intellectual Property.

The Benelux Secretary-General is located in Brussels. It is the central administrative pillar of the Benelux Economic Union. It handles the secretariat of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Economic Union and the various committees and working parties. Moreover, it ensures the registry of the Benelux Court of Justice.

1 Comment

Posted by dedeporsche on December 29, 2012 in D’Ieteren Porsche Import (Belgium), Luxembourg Porsche importer Autosdistribution Losch, Motorsport News, Pon Porsche Import (The Netherlands), Porsche, Porsche Carrera Cup, PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGE, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux, Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, ProSpeed Competition

Tags: Belgium, Benelux, D’Ieteren Porsche Import (Belgium), GT3 Cup Challenge, Luxembourg Porsche importer Autosdistribution Losch, Netherlands, Pon Porsche Import (The Netherlands), Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche Carrera Cups, porsche gt3 cup, PORSCHE GT3 CUP CHALLENGE, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux, Porsche in motorsport, Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, Porsche Supercup, ProSpeed Competition

Nick Tandy wins Porsche Cup as the best private driver in the world

08 Dec

Nick Tandy Winner Porsche Cup, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche Chairman of the Supervisory Board

Stuttgart. After his first full season in international GT racing, Nick Tandy (28) from Great Britain can celebrate winning the Porsche Cup as the best private driver in the world.

On the occasion of the Night of Champions on 8 December in the R&D Centre at Weissach, Nick Tandy received the Porsche Cup from Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG. Additionally, Tandy was awarded a new Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Tandy was awarded a new 911 Carrera S Coupé

During the past season the Briton scored a total of 7,510 points. Second-placed Raymond Narac is the recipient of 30,000 Euro, Paolo Ruberti’s third place comes with a purse of 25,000 Euro.

Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 09 Hockenheimring 2011

The Porsche Cup is endowed with a total value of 253,000 Euro. In the competition initiated by Ferry Porsche, drivers earned points in 18 Grand Touring and prototype race series worldwide as well as at selected long distance races. Professional race driver and part-time farmer Nick Tandy headed into 2012 as the reigning champion of the Carrera Cup Deutschland driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the experienced Manthey Racing team in the International GT Open. Sharing the cockpit with works driver Marco Holzer, Tandy won five races.
In the ADAC GT Masters, Tandy competed for the Geyer & Weinig EDV – Schütz Motorsport squad at the wheel of a 911 GT3 R. Here, Tandy and his teammate Christian Engelhart scored four victories. For the Brit, the season concluded with seventh place in the drivers’ classification.

Tandy earned further points towards the Porsche Cup competing for Flying Lizard Motorsports and TRG in the ALMS.

2012 ALMS – Petit Le Mans
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Flying Lizard Motorsports: Marco Holzer, Seth Neiman, Nick Tandy

In the British GT Championship, he manned the cockpit of a Team Motorbase fielded 911 GT3 R at selected rounds. After John Fitzpatrick (1972, 1974, 1980) and Tim Sugden (2005), Nick Tandy is the third Briton to be honoured with the Porsche Cup, which has been awarded by Porsche since 1970.

International GT Open, Barcelona, Marco Holzer (GER), Olaf Manthey (GER), Nick Tandy (GBR)

International GT Open, Barcelona, Nick Tandy (GBR)

International GT Open, Barcelona, Manthey-Racing, Marco Holzer (GER), Nick Tandy (GBR)

International GT Open, Barcelona, Manthey-Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Marco Holzer (GER), Nick Tandy (GBR)

With a margin of just 170 points, Frenchman Raymond Narac (45) finished the race for the Porsche Cup in second place. The founder and owner of the successful IMSA Performance Matmut team contested three major championships as team principal and driver.

International GT Open, Barcelona, IMSA Performance Matmut, Patrick Pilet (FRA), Raymond Narac (FRA)

In the European Le Mans Series, Narac defended the championship title in the GTE Am class driving a 911 GT3 RSR in last year’s spec.

International GT Open, Barcelona, Raymond Narac (FRA)

Joining forces with Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet, Narac periodically held the lead in the International GT Open driver’s standings and concluded the season in the hotly-contested championship in sixth. In the World Endurance Championship, Narac scored a class win and second place in Le Mans.
After securing second in last year’s Porsche Cup, Paolo Ruberti again climbs the “podium” in third. The 37-year-old Italian secured this success predominantly in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Driving Felbermayr-Proton’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Ruberti won the GT Am class at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 6 hour race in Bahrain.

Ruberti secured additional points thanks to a victory and a second place in the Italian GT Championship.

SOURCE: Porsche Motorsport Porsche AG Media Press Database

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

RACE REPORT: Porsche pilots narrowly miss podium at season final ALMS rd 10 Braselton, USA (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup New Edition of the world’s most successful race car (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
PORSCHE NEWS: Le Mans 24 Hours/WEC: LMP1 Sports Prototype to Be Run by Weissach-Based Works Team (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
Porsche Junior Programme : Porsche supports four juniors in the 2013 season (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)

4 Comments

Posted by dedeporsche on December 8, 2012 in Autos & Vehicles, Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG, FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Le Mans Series / Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, Manthey Porsche, Motorsport News, Motorsport Newsletter, Nick Tandy (GB), Night Of Champions, Porsche, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Porsche Motorsport around the world, Research and Development Centre in Weissach (Baden-Württemberg)

Tags: British GT Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN, Italian GT Championship, Nick Tandy, Porsche, Porsche 911, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche Carrera Cup

VIDEO: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup New Edition of the world’s most successful race car

08 Dec

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Stuttgart. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car in the world. Since 1998, 2,395 units of the near standard vehicle for customer sport were produced.

The new edition of the 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsports version of the future 911 GT3 and as such is the first race car that is based on the seventh generation of the sports car icon from Zuffenhausen.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The 911 GT3 Cup will be run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2013.

The car for one-make racing made its debut on the occasion of the end of motorsport season “Night of Champions” celebration at the R&D Centre in Weissach.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre six-cylinder flat engine. It generates 460 hp (338 kW) at 7,500 revs, surpassing the predecessor by 10 hp.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

A six-speed dog-type gearbox developed by Porsche Motorsport which is operated via shift paddles at the steering wheel for the first time in a Porsche brand trophy race car transmits the power to the rear axle.

The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.

A newly developed race braking system further improves the excellent endurance qualities compared to its successful predecessor. The 380 millimetre slotted and inner-vented steel brake rotors at the front axle are decelerated by six-piston aluminium fixed callipers. The rear axle features a four-piston version.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

During the development of the new car a particular emphasis was put on the driver safety. A newly designed safety cage protects the pilot in case of a roll or a collision as does a newly developed race seat which is distinctively shaped around the head and shoulders and can be adjusted individually with the help of padding. A rescue hatch in the roof provides easy access for primary medical attention and for the extrication of the driver.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

“The new 911 GT3 Cup is much easier to drive at the limit,” says Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard, who was significantly involved in the development of the new vehicle.

“The car is excellently balanced. The new axle geometry is enormously positive for the handling. Apart from that the new Cup 911 is great fun to drive.”

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Like its predecessor the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is produced in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on the same assembly line as the road legal models.

At the Motorsport Centre in Weissach it receives a general set-up for the circuit and is tested by a professional race driver before delivery to the customers. The basic price for the vehicle, which is available exclusively in white, is 181,200 Euro plus the country-specific value added tax.

SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Database Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

1 Comment

Posted by dedeporsche on December 8, 2012 in Autos & Vehicles, Hartmut Kristen Head of Porsche Motorsport, Matthias Müller CEO of Dr. Ing hc F. Porsche AG, Matthias Müller President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG, Motorsport News, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Stuttgart, Track Events

Tags: Auto racing, gt3 cup, Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche in motorsport, Porsche Motorsport, Stuttgart, Timo Bernhard, Weissach

PORSCHE NEWS: Le Mans 24 Hours/WEC: LMP1 Sports Prototype to Be Run by Weissach-Based Works Team

08 Dec

STUTTGART, GERMANY, Dec 08

At the Weissach Motorsport Centre, preparations for the running of the new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship are progressing at high revs. For this feat the infrastructure was considerably expanded.

A new workshop building and an office complex have been completed. “The first rollout of our new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013,”announced Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of season “Night of Championscelebration”.

“The car will be run by our own works team based here at Weissach.” The LMP1 project was realised by a new department headed by Fritz Enzinger.

With his well-established organisational structure, Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen continues to be responsibilityfor all other motorsport programmes worldwide. The customer sport model 911 GT3 R celebrated 41 wins from 131 starts in a range of GT3 racing series worldwide. For the 2013 season Porsche offers teams an upgrade package which will position the GT3 R even better in the performance window as defined by the FIA.

In his speech, Hatz underlined the importance of GT racing for Porsche and pleaded for two different GT categories for works-supported professional sport and for customer sport:

“In factory sport the regulations must be based on technology while in customer racing a stronger alignment of the relative strength by Balance of Performance measures is legitimate.”

In addition to the promotion of four Porsche Juniors, one pilot from the international makes cups will enjoy comprehensive support for the 2013 season. Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay (25) who won the Carrera Cup France at his first attempt last season receives funding to the value of 200,000 Euro towards his 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign. At a test session in Vallelunga, Vernay won over eight other top drivers from the Carrera Cups France, Asia, Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Australia, Great Britain and from the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. Vernay has already made a name for himself in international motor racing.

In 2005 he claimed the championship in the French feeder series Formula Renault Campus and went on to finish second in a Formula 3 single-seater at the Macau Grand Prix in 2009. In 2010 Vernay went to the USA and promptly clinched overall victory in the Indy Lights Series’ in his first season. Peugeot contracted the Frenchman as a test and reserve pilot for their LMP1 project in 2011. At the same time Vernay competed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and was crowned LMP2 champion.

“The support from Porsche is a great opportunity for me,” says Vernay. “In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup all drivers have to adjust to a new vehicle.

As a newcomer, this means I’ll have a good chance to be competitive right from the beginning.

The Supercup is the pinnacle of the Porsche one-brandcups and has a great reputation as a launching platform to enter professional GT sport.”

With its well-established works drivers, Porsche is relying on continuity.

All nine drivers still have a valid contract for the 2013 season or their contract was extended. For six of the nine drivers, the 24-hour race at Daytona on 26 January marks the start of the new season.

Joerg Bergmeister drives a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for The Racers Group. With Kevin Buckler’s squad, Bergmeister scored a sensational overall victory at Daytona in 2003 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Marco Holzer competes for Alex Job Racing, Marc Lieb again joins forces with Brumos Racing and Richard Lietz drives for last year’s winner Magnus Racing

Patrick Long goes racing for Park Place Motorsports and Patrick Pilet competes for the NGT team.

For the Porsche Juniors Michael Christensen and Klaus Bachler the race in Daytona marks the first time in their career that they contest a 24 hour race. Christensen receives support in his campaign from Christian Engelhart and Porsche Cup winner Nick Tandy for the Konrad Motorsport team with whom he contested the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2012. Bachler is competing for Snow Racing.

SOURCE: Porsche Motorsport Porsche Press Database

: Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1

: Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board – Research and Development

: Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board

: Michael Christensen (DK) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012

: Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1

: Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1

: Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1

: Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Timo Bernhard, Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Marco Holzer, Wolf Henzler, Porsche works drivers

: Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship

: Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship

: Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship

: Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship

: 24h Le Mans

: Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa, International Scholarship, Vallelunga

: Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa (l. – r.), International Scholarship, Vallelunga

: René Rast (D) Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Italien 2012

: Klaus Bachler (A) Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012

: Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport

IMPORTANT PORSCHE ANNOUNCEMENT: Porsche Motorsport Development Activity to Transition to Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (type 991) Starting in 2013 (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
Porsche works team fields two 911 RSR in 2013, Le Mans 24 Hours / World Endurance Championship (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
Porsche Junior Programme : Porsche supports four juniors in the 2013 season (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)

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Posted by dedeporsche on December 8, 2012 in 24 Hours of Le Mans, Autos & Vehicles, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Hartmut Kristen Head of Porsche Motorsport, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Joerg Bergmeister, Le Mans 24 Hours, Marc Lieb, Marco Holzer, Motorsport in Germany, Motorsport News, Porsche, Porsche Motorsport around the world, Track Events

Tags: ALEX JOB RACING, Brumos Racing, Carrera Cup France, Jörg Bergmeister, Klaus Bachler, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, porsche 911 gt3

Porsche AG works team Manthey fields two 911 RSR in 2013, Le Mans 24 Hours / World Endurance Championship

30 Nov

Le Mans

Le Mans 24 Hours / World Endurance Championship

Porsche works team fields two 911 RSR in 2013

Stuttgart. For the 2013 racing season, Porsche AG will field two new GT racecars based on the newest generation of the Porsche 911 at the Le Mans 24 hour race and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the first time since the overall victory in 1998, a factory team from Porsche will tackle the famed long distance classic in France.

While having halted development of its 997-model 911 GT3 RSR and pulled factory support from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche announced Friday that it will field a team of its own in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship with its new-generation GTE contender.

The German manufacturer will team up with longtime partner Manthey Racing to campaign two new 991-model Porsche 911 RSRs in the global sports car championship, including a full attack at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The effort, to be run under the Porsche AG Team Manthey banner, will mark the first factory entry in the twice-around-the-clock marathon by Porsche since its overall victory in the famed race in 1998.

Porsche 911

The two new Porsche 911 RSR, which race in the GTE category, will be run by the Porsche AG Team Manthey.

Porsche 911

The role of team manager goes to the experienced endurance specialist Olaf Manthey, who has celebrated five overall wins with Porsche at the Nürburgring 24 hour race and recently fielded a 911 GT3 RSR in the International GT Open.

Porsche 911

“The new 911 RSR is currently being developed by our engineers and tested by our works drivers,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “What better time could there be to introduce the new car than the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary.”

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport

Full details of Porsche’s factory program, including drivers, are unclear at this point. However, it would seem logical for both cars to be filled with its usual crop of factory pilots, with Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long all appearing to be potential candidates. Additionally, fellow factory driver Marco Holzer and Nick Tandy, who both drove for Manthey’s works-supported squad in International GT Open this year, could be in contention as well.

SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Database Porsche Motorsport

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

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Posted by dedeporsche on November 30, 2012 in Hartmut Kristen Head of Porsche Motorsport, Head of Porsche Motorsport, Le Mans, Le Mans 24 Hours, Motorsport News, Porsche, Porsche 911, Track Events

Tags: American Le Mans Series, France, GTE, Hartmut Kristen, new porsche 911, Olaf Manthey, Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche Motorsport, RSR, world endurance championship

Porsche congratulates Peter Falk on 80th birthday, Porsche Race Manager turns 80 November 27th

27 Nov

Le Mans 1987: Roland Kussmaul, 961-race driver Kees Nierop and Peter Falk (from left to right)

Stuttgart. Former Porsche engineer and race manager Peter Falk will be marking his 80th birthday on 27 November 2012. Peter Falk was a Porsche AG employee for more than three decades.

Not only did he play a vital role in the development of many legendary sports and racing cars such as the Porsche 917, as racing director he was also primarily responsible for the greatest successes of the Porsche 956/962 in the Group C Sports Car category.

Porsche congratulates Peter Falk on 80th birthday.
60 Jahre Porsche Sportwagen am 26. Mai 2008 © Dirk Michael Deckbar | mail@deckbar.de | +49 30 257 99 535 |

In 1959 Peter Falk began his career with Porsche as a young road testing engineer in the vehicle testing department. There he not only played a crucial role in the development of the original 911, he was also behind the wheel for the first race of the brand-new Porsche 911, taking a very respectable fifth overall at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally with co-driver Herbert Linge.

In the following years, many race car types from the 906 all the way to the 917 were designed under his responsibility as the head of pre-series and race car development with which Porsche established itself among the leaders in international motor racing.

Rallye Monte-Carlo, 1965: Porsche Race Driver Herbert Linge (right) and Peter Falk (left) with the Porsche 911 2.0 Coupé.

From 1973 to 1981 Peter Falk was the head of road testing for series development of the 911, 924 and 928 models. His special areas of expertise were bodywork and transmissions as well as track testing and endurance tests.

As the head of racing development and racing director, starting in 1982 Peter Falk was responsible for the highly successful era of Group C 956 and 962 sports-prototype racing cars. With seven overall Le Mans wins and eleven world championship titles, this racing car project proved to be the most successful in company history. Two overall victories at the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1984 and 1986 were additional high points in his career.

Peter Falk, 1968.

As the head of chassis development, from 1989 until his retirement in 1993 Peter Falk was responsible for many successful vehicle projects. He thus had a key role in the development of the 911 derivative 993 as well as advance development of the 911 derivative 996 and Porsche Boxster. Peter Falk also remained very active in the motoring world after his retirement. In addition to his work as a participant in and organizer of classic car rallies, Peter Falk is high in demand as an interview partner on automotive topics.

SOURCE: Porsche AG Media Database

Communication Porsche AG
Porsche Museum

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Posted by dedeporsche on November 27, 2012 in Former Porsche engineer and race manager Peter Falk, Motorsport News, Motorsport Newsletter, Peter Falk, Porsche, Porsche Museum

Tags: Auto racing, Former Porsche engineer and race manager Peter Falk, Herbert Linge, Le Mans, Peter Falk, Porsche, Porsche Boxster, PORSCHE MUSEUM, Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Sports car, Stuttgart

Porsche Art of Speed… end of 2012 ALMS season is marked with 10 hours of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta

26 Oct

~Porsche Art of Speed~

The end of the 2012 ALMS season is marked with the ten hours of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. To celebrate the close of the season, Porsche shows the Art of Speed – the racing moments you may have missed from the historic event.

American Le Mans Series, rd 10 in Braselton, USA..Porsche pilots confident for season finale (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)
RACE REPORT: Porsche pilots narrowly miss podium at season final ALMS rd 10 Braselton, USA (dedeporsche.wordpress.com)

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Posted by dedeporsche on October 26, 2012 in ALMS, American Le Mans Series, Autos & Vehicles, Motorsport News, Petit Le Mans, Porsche, Road Atlanta, Track Events

Tags: American Le Mans Series, Autos & Vehicles, FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS, Motorsport News, Motorsport Newsletter, Petit Le Mans, Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Porsche Motorsport, Road Atlanta, Track Events

RACE REPORT: Porsche pilots narrowly miss podium at season final ALMS rd 10 Braselton, USA

20 Oct

American Le Mans Series, round 10 in Braselton, USA

Porsche pilots narrowly miss podium at season final

Stuttgart. At the Petit Le Mans, the final round of the American Le Mans Series season on the storied Road Atlanta circuit, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and Patrick Pilet (France) narrowly missed out on a podium placing after becoming faultlessly entangled in an accident.

But despite an additional stop-and-go penalty, they finished the 1,000 mile race on the challenging course in the U.S. state of Georgia fifth in the GT class at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports.

“I tried to overtake a Ferrari and was right up next to him when he suddenly turned in and forced me onto the grass,” said Joerg Bergmeister.

“I don’t understand why it should have been my fault and why I was punished for it. But the race director decided it should be so and therefore ruined our race.”

“To lose the vice-championship in this manner is of course bitter,” said Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “The teams and drivers battled hard but it simply wasn’t enough.”

Patrick Pilet added, “We put in a super fight for the podium but toward the end the car became very difficult to drive.”

Patrick Long, who won in Lime Rock this season and came second at three races with Joerg Bergmeister, is now looking ahead to the next season.

“At the last six races we earned the most points of anyone. That makes me very optimistic for the future. We could easily have brought home a podium result today. The penalty handed to Joerg cost us the victory. The whole team then tried everything and used a great strategy to keep us in contention, but after the accident the car was no longer fast enough. Still, it was a good season for us.”

In the 911 GT3 RSR entry of Falken Tire, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany)

and his teammates Bryan Sellers (USA)

and Martin Ragginger (Austria) scored sixth place.

“We can be pleased with this result today,” said Henzler. “Our pit stops were good, we came in at exactly the right time, but we just couldn’t hold the pace of the front-runner. Falken will now use the winter break to develop the tyres further and I’m certain that we will have made great strides forward at the season-opener in Sebring next year.”

Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), who drove the second Flying Lizard Porsche

with Seth Neiman (USA)

and Nick Tandy (Great Britain), took the flag in seventh and said,

“Our pace was good in the race, much better than in qualifying. After an off which cost us a lot of time we managed to fight our way up again. My first full season in the American Le Mans Series was a great experience, not least because of the pole position in Elkhart Lake.”

Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) supported regular pilots Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA) in the cockpit of Paul Miller Racing’s 911 GT3 RSR. He commented on the team’s tenth position,

“Several times we had to pit earlier to change the tyres and that cost us time. So for us it was all about getting the car to the finish line in one piece. The work with the team was a really interesting experience for me.”

At his debut in the American Le Mans Series, Kuba Giermaziak (Poland), who normally contests the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, clinched victory in the GTC class. He won withHenrique Cisneros (Mexico) and Mario Farnbacher (Germany) at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The Petit Le Mans was also the season final of the European Le Mans Series.

In the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the IMSA Performance Matmut squad, Frenchmen Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons won the GTE Am class and secured overall victory in the European counterpart to the American Le Mans Series.

Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen commented,

“To contest a ten hour race without making any mistakes in the fight for the title is no easy feat. You can only congratulate the team on this performance.”

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Result
GT class
1. Sharp/van Overbeek/Vilander (USA/USA/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, 375 laps
2. Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor (DK/E/USA), Chevrolet Corvette, 375
3. J. Müller/Auberlen/Summerton (D/USA/USA), BMW E92 M3, 374
4. D. Müller/Alzen/Summerton (D/D/USA), BMW E92 M3, 373
5. Bergmeister/Long/Pilet (D/USA/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 373
6. Henzler/Sellers/Ragginger (D/USA/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 372
7. Holzer/Neiman/Tandy (D/USA/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 369
10. Maassen/Miller/Lietz (D/USA/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 367

GTC class
1. Giermaziak/Farnbacher/Cisneros (PL/D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 356
2. di Gulda/Pumpelly/Canache (VEN/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 351
3. Collard/Gutierrez/Hedlund (F/MEX/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 351

Points’ standings
GT class
Drivers
1. Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Chevrolet, 146 points
2. Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek, Ferrari, 123
3. Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, Chevrolet, 121
4. Dirk Müller, BMW, 112
5. Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Porsche, 111
6. Bill Auberlen, Jörg Müller, BMW, 107
7. Joey Hand, BMW, 91
8. Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers, Porsche, 81
9. Sascha Maassen, Bryce Miller, Porsche, 55
10. Seth Neiman, Porsche, 53
12. Marco Holzer, Porsche, 46

Manufacturers
1. Chevrolet, 187 points
2. BMW, 155
3. Porsche, 153
4. Ferrari, 149

Teams
1. Corvette Racing, Chevrolet, 187 points
2. BMW Team RLL, BMW, 150
3. Extreme Speed Motorsports, Ferrari, 125
4. Flying Lizard Motorsports, Porsche, 122
5. Team Falken Tire, Porsche, 81
6. Paul Miller Racing, Porsche, 55

The 2013 ALMS calendar

The 2013 race calendar of the American Le Mans Series which was announced on Friday includes the following races:

16 March: Sebring/Florida

20 April: Long Beach/California

18 May: Laguna Seca/ California

06 July: Lime Rock/Connecticut

21 July: Bowmanville/Canada

11 August: Road America/Wisconsin

31 August: Baltimore/Maryland

21 September: Austin/Texas

05 October: Alton/Virginia

19 October: Road Atlanta/Georgia

This is the American Le Mans Series

The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The field is divided into five classes that start together but are classified separately:
GT class:

American Le Mans Series (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This most popular class among car manufacturers traditionally receives the most support: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).

GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and a 900 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

SOURCE: American Le Mans Series Porsche AG Media Press Database

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

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Posted by dedeporsche on October 20, 2012 in ALMS, American Le Mans Series, Autos & Vehicles, Bryan Sellers, FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS, Joerg Bergmeister, Lucas Luhr, Marco Holzer, Motorsport News, Motorsport Newsletter, Paul Miller Racing, Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Porsche Motorsport, Seth Neiman, Track Events, TRG

Tags: 12 Hours of Sebring, ALMS, American Le Mans Series, falken tire, FLYING LIZARD MOTORSPORTS, Grand tourer, Jörg Bergmeister, July, Patrick Long, Patrick Pilet, Porsche, porsche 911 gt3, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, United States, Wolf Henzler

Latest Porsche photos of free practice World Endurance Championship, rd 6 Sakhir,Bahrain International Circuit

28 Sep

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti

Stuttgart. The World Endurance Championship showcases the world’s fastest sports cars in the Gulf region on 29 September. At round six of the new long distance championship in Bahrain, the Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) und Richard Lietz (Austria) are keen to score their second win of the season with their Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Latest photos from free practice 1 and 3 on the Bahrain International Circuit, on which round six of the World Endurance Championship is contested on Saturday.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti

More reports from qualifying and the race over the course of the weekend.

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Porsche pilots set sights on second win of season

The race
The six hour race is contested on the Bahrain International Circuit close to Sakhir. On the 5.407 kilometre track, two Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup races are held each year as support to the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Porsche drivers
Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz, the winners of the race in Spa-Francorchamps, share the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the hotly-contested GTE Pro class against strong opposition from Ferrari and Aston Martin. Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti, the winners of the season-opener in Sebring, contest the GTE Am class the 2011 model year Porsche fielded by Felbermayr-Proton.

The vehicle
The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR is the top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles. For the 2012 racing season, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR received extensive modifications. Additionally, the race car was fitted with a new front splitter and an adapted rear wing after Le Mans.

The schedule
The six hour race starts on Saturday, 29 September, at 16.00 hrs local time (17.00 CEST). Eurosport 1 shows highlights on 2 October at 00.15 hrs.

Quotes before the race

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “Motorsport fans in Bahrain already know and love the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup from the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East. At the World Endurance Championship, we are now looking forward to showing them some racing action with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR – our top model of customer racing vehicles – and to win them over with its performance.”

Marc Lieb: “The track is very flowing and huge fun. The decisive factor will be how well we can set-up the car for the track and the very high temperatures. Our performance in Sao Paulo was very good in the second half of the race. In Bahrain we now have to try to maintain that pace over the entire distance.”

Richard Lietz: “I competed on this circuit in 2006 with the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. It suits our car very well. In the many fast corners our aerodynamics could turn out to be a decisive advantage. I think we have the speed to win. Our minimum goal is to finish on the podium.”

The World Endurance Championship
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles race in four different classes in the World Endurance Championship: LMGTE Pro, LMGTE Am, LMP1 and the LMP2. They start together but are classified separately.

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz

Richard Lietz, Team Felbermayr-ProtonChristian Ried, Team Felbermayr-Proton

Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Team JWA-Avila: Paul Daniels, Joel Camathias, Markus Palttala

Source: Porsche AG Media Database

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press

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Posted by dedeporsche on September 28, 2012 in Autos & Vehicles, Bahrain International Circuit, Marc Lieb, Motorsport News, Porsche, Porsche Motorsport, Richard Lietz, Track Events, World Endurance Championship, World Sportscar Championship

Tags: Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit, Benny Simonsen, Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Joel Camathias, Marc Lieb, Marc Lieb (Germany), Middle East, Paolo Ruberti, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Porsche Motorsport, Richard Lietz, Richard Lietz (A), Saturday, Stuttgart, Team Felbermayr-Proton, Team Felbermayr-Proton: Christian Ried, Team JWA-Avila: Paul Daniels, world endurance championship, World Sportscar Championship

Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype Successful Testing / lap time 7 mins 14 secs on the “Nürburgring-Nordschleife”

20 Sep