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Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world.
French GT Championship: Beltoise and Pasquali are the champions
Pro-GT by Almeras: Laurent Pasquali, Anthony Beltoise
French GT-Championship
Anthony Beltoise and Laurent Pasquali brought their campaign to a successful end with their fifth win of the season at the 13th of 14 races during the final meeting in Le Castellet (29/30 October).
Pro-GT by Almeras: Laurent Pasquali, Anthony Beltoise
French GT-Championship
With this, the pair secured the French GT Championship title with the Porsche 911 GT3 R of the proven Pro-GT by Almeras squad.
Pro-GT by Almeras
French GT-Championship
At the last race of the year, the freshly-crowned champions clinched second. Patrick Bornhauser and Laurent Groppi wrapped up the season as third overall in a Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Larbre Compétition.
Larbre Compétition: Patrick Bornhauser, Laurent Groppi
French GT-Championship
Spanish GT Championship: Strong finish earns title for Manuel Giao
Drivex-Team: Manuel Giao, Miguel Angel de Castro
Spanish GT-Championship
Victory and second place at the final round of the Spanish GT Championship on the Circuit de Cataluña near Barcelona (29/30 October) was enough for Portugal’s Manuel Giao to take out the title. Giao shared the cockpit of the 911 GT3 RSR run by the Drivex team (Madrid) with Spaniard Miguel Angel de Castro. Two wins at the penultimate race weekend in Jerez catapulted Giao (15/16 October) to the top of the points’ table.
British GT Championship: Trackspeed defends team championship
After Gregor Fisken and Tim Bridgman’s win in June with the Porsche 911 GT3 R of Trackspeed in Brands Hatch, fourth place at the final round of the British GT Championship in Silverstone (8 October) was enough for their British squad to retain the team title. The best Porsche pilot in the 2011 drivers’ classification is last year’s champion and owner of the Trackspeed team, David Ashburn, in third place.
US GT Championships: Porsche pilots net two titles
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Brumos Racing:
(l.-r.) Hurley Haywood, Leh Keen, Andrew Davis, Dan Davis.
Grand-Am GT, Lexington/Ohio
Andrew Davis and Leh Keen won the Grand-Am GT Championship with a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the famed Brumos Racing team.
And another perfect result in the American World Challenge:
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Patrick Long
World Challenge, Laguna Seca
Works driver Patrick Long won the GT Championship title driving TruSpeed’s 911 GT3 Cup, which handed the squad the team championship.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Patrick Long
World Challenge, Laguna Seca
Porsche took home the manufacturers’ title.
Belcar Endurance Championship: Goossens and Soulet celebrate title with win at final
After 72 gripping laps, Marc Goossens and Maxime Soulet came out on top by a nail-biting five hundredths of a second over a Ferrari at the last race of the Belcar Endurance Championship in Spa (23 October). The Belgians had already taken the championship title early with a victory in Prospeed Competition’s Porsche 911 GT3 R on the first weekend in October at the penultimate round in Zolder.
International GT Open: Gianluca Roda crowned vice-champion
Autorlando Sport: G. L. Roda
International GT Open
Clinching vice-championship honours in the GTS class for GT3 race vehicles, the 2011 season ended successfully for Gianluca Roda.
Autorlando Sport: G. L. Roda, P. Ruberti
International GT Open
At the wheel of Autorlando Sport’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, Roda had won both races at the penultimate weekend in Monza.
P2, Autorlando Sport: (l.-r.) P. Ruberti, G. L. Roda
International GT Open
One point shy of the leader in second, he travelled to the finale on the Circuit de Cataluña near Barcelona (29/30 October), but his retirement from the second race after finishing the first in fourth robbed him of his title chance. Autorlando Sport ranks second in the team championship.
Japanese Super GT: Porsche 911 GT3 R on third
P3, Team Hankook KTR: (l. – r.)Masami Kageyama, Keiichi Suzuki, Tomonodu Fujii
Japan Super GT
Tomonodu Fujii and Masami Kageyama secured second place from the eighth and final event on the Twin Ring Motegi (15/16 October).
Team Hankook KTR: Masami Kageyama, Tomonodu Fujii
Japan Super GT
The pair took up the race from the pit lane after their Hankook KTR Porsche 911 GT3 R underwent repairs shortly before the start.
Team Hankook KTR: Masami Kageyama, Tomonodu Fujii
Japan Super GT
The squad and its drivers brought their first year of competition to a successful conclusion with an impressive third place in the championship.
Carrera Cup Asia: Keita Sawa champion after heart-stopping finale
LKM Racing: Keita Sawa
Carrera Cup Asia
Definitely not for the faint-hearted: At the twelfth and final race on the Shanghai International Circuit (23 September), 26-year-old Keita Sawa from Japan snatched third place and the championship title in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of LKM Racing with a difference of just one-point over Rodolfo Avila (Team Jebsen) from Macao.
R. Avila, A. Imperatori, K. Sawa
Carrera Cup Asia
Third overall in the fiercely-competitive Cup went to Alexandre Imperatori.
Carrera Cup Deutschland: Nick Tandy champion at second attempt
Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 09 Hockenheimring 2011
With three wins, four other podium results, a fifth place and just one retirement, last year’s runner-up Nick Tandy from Great Britain (26) claimed the championship title in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Konrad Motorsport.
Team: Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland 2011
Tandy is the first British driver to take home the title in the 22-year history of the German Carrera Cup.
René Rast (D), Sean Edwards (GB), Nick Tandy (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 09 Hockenheimring 2011
Vice-championship honours went to his compatriot Sean Edwards, whose performance contributed to his Deutsche Post by tolimit crew securing the team championship.
Sean Edwards (GB)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 09 Hockenheimring 2011
Carrera Cup France
Carrera Cup France: Ten straight wins earn Kévin Estre the championship title
AS Events: Kévin Estre
Carrera Cup France
From the guest appearance of the Carrera Cup France in Nogaro in the southwest of France late April to the final race in Le Castellet at the end of October (29 October), Kévin Estre pocketed ten consecutive wins in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by AS Events.
AS Events: Kévin Estre
Carrera Cup France
AS Events: Kévin Estre
Carrera Cup France
After this string of successes, the 23-year-old new champion from Lyon ranks 113 points ahead of second-placed Sylvain Noël. A total of twelve races made up the 2011 calendar.
Carrera Cup Great Britain: James Sutton reclaims the title
SAS/Redline: James Sutton
Carrera Cup Great Britain
After 19 races and second place at the final round in Silverstone (16 October), James Sutton (26) once again walked away with the championship.
The SAS/Redline pilot, who was also the champion of the Carrera Cup Great Britain in 2007, wrapped up a thrilling year with a seven-point lead over his teammate Michael Meadows, who was forced to pit with a faulty tyre during the decisive final round. SAS/Redline won the team title, Nick Tandy won the last race.
Carrera Cup Italia: Alessandro Balzan defends his title
EbimotorsAlessandro Balzan
Carrera Cup Italia
At the penultimate race weekend in Vallelunga (16/18 September), Ebimotors pilot Alessandro Balzan picked up an early title win.
EbimotorsAlessandro Balzan
Carrera Cup Italia
Still, with the second straight championship title under his belt, this didn’t prevent the 31-year-old from keeping up the pressure.
EbimotorsAlessandro Balzan
Carrera Cup Italia
Balzan pocketed victory number seven and eight at the final meeting in Monza (15/16 October). Marco Mapelli was crowned vice-champion.
Ebimotors: Alessandro Balzan
Carrera Cup Italia
Carrera Cup Japan
Carrera Cup Japan: Hideto Yasuoka wins all races to become champion
Garmin Porsche: Hideto Yasuoka
Carrera Cup Japan
Eleven wins from eleven races: With this immaculate balance, 28-year-old Hideto Yasuoka concluded the season on the Twin Ring Motegi (23 October) as the undisputed champion.
P1, Garmin Porsche: Hideto Yasuoka (m.)
Carrera Cup Japan
Garmin Porsche: Hideto Yasuoka
Carrera Cup Japan
Runner-up behind the Garmin-Porsche pilot, who took up the final round as poleman, was Akira Fujita. Fujita snatched the vice-championship trophy from Kazuyoshi Takamizawa in a last ditch battle at the final race.
Garmin Porsche: Hideto Yasuoka
Carrera Cup Japan
GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East: Abdulaziz Al Faisal leads after first race
GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East
Abdulaziz Al Faisal (m.)
An Austrian kicked off the new season of the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East with a win on the Dubai Autodrome on the first weekend in November: Clemens Schmid won race one from pole position.
GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East
The two-time champion, Prince Abdulaziz al Faisal, came second, but nailed the points’ lead of the drivers’ classification after winning race two of the weekend. Next meeting: at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi (11/13 November).
Race notes:
Driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR for the Turin-based Victor Racing team, Victor and Giovanni Coggiola win the GT2 title of the Italian GT Championship after seven race weekends.
Victory for Lucas Luhr and Arno Klasen in Manthey Racing’s 911 GT3 R at round nine of the Nuerburgring Long Distance Championship (15 October).
With three wins from a total of ten races, Porsche draws level with Audi on the list of the very best. No other race car has turned the fastest race lap more than the 911 with four lap records.
The fight for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup title is decided at the double-header finale on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi as part of the Formula 1 weekend (12/13 November). Aside from points’ leader René Rast, title contenders are Kuba Giermaziak, Norbert Siedler and three other drivers.
Things go down to the wire as well in the Carrera Cup Australia, where New Zealander Craig Baird travels to the final in Sydney (2/4 December) holding a healthy points’ lead after three wins in Surfers Paradise (22/23 October) ahead of his second-placed compatriot Daniel Gaunt.
Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world.
Development of an LMP1 sports prototype: Porsche returns to Le Mans Porsche returns to Le Mans with a works-run LMP1 sports prototype. The first outing of the race car developed from scratch is planned for 2014.
With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans. The last overall victory went to the Porsche 911 GT1 in the year 1998.
Porsche 911 GT1
Nürburgring 24 Hours: Porsche triumphs and sets new distance record Dramatic 24 hour sprint:
At the 39th running of the classic on the Nuerburgring-Nordschleife (25/26 June), works drivers Marc Lieb, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas as well as Lucas Luhr took the lead with a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR after 7:25 hours ahead of strong competition from Audi, BMW und Mercedes.
(l. – r.): Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
P1, 24h Nürburgring
Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
P1, 24h Nürburgring
The quartet fended off rivals to the flag and set a distance record of 3,958.968 kilometres. For Porsche and the Manthey Racing squad, this marked the fifth victory at the “Ring” in the last six years – the same for Timo Bernhard.
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
For the innovative Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid the weekend ran less smoothly. Works drivers Joerg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer and Patrick Long led the field after four hours in front of 220,000 spectators, but spent a lot of time in the pits with a broken flange on the differential to finish 23rd.
Le Mans Series/Intercontinental Le Mans Cup: Fourth after tough struggle Works drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz brought the 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton home in fourth as the best Porsche at the third round of the LMS (3 July, 4th ILMC race) in Imola.
Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR , Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz
After being the innocent victims of two accidents in the first two races, this result was the best for the title defenders in the GTE Pro category.
Nicolas Armindo (l), Raymond Narac (r)
P1, GTE-Am, Le Mans Series Imola
Nicolas Armindo and Raymond Narac were delighted with victory number two in the GTE Am class with their 911 GT3 RSR fielded by IMSA Performance Matmut.
IMSA Performance Matmut, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
Porsche Carrera World Cup: René Rast wins the greatest Porsche race of all time Rain, the world’s most difficult circuit and a field hailing from 25 countries: The Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nordschleife, contested prior to the 24 hour race, was not for the faint-hearted.
René Rast (D)
Porsche Carrera World Cup – Nürburgring 2011
After six hours and about 150 kilometres, René Rast celebrated overall victory at the greatest Porsche race in history. In the class for 911 GT3 Cup vehicles from 2007 to 2009, Timo Rumpfkeil won.
For the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and many national Carrera Cups the race counted towards their respective championships. René Rast took home maximum points for the Supercup.
Former champion Tim Harvey was the quickest in the Carrera Cup Great Britain (13th overall). Kévin Estre won the Carrera Cup France (6th overall), Alessandro Balzan was the best Italian (12th overall) and Johan Kristoffersson the best driver from the Carrera Cup Scandinavia (25th overall).
Grand-Am: Andrew Davis and Leh Keen at the front at half-way mark After the seventh of twelve Grand-Am races, Andrew Davis and Leh Keen rank second in the GT driver’s classification. At the six hour race in Watkins Glen (4 June) the duo won their class in a Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with none other than racing legend Hurley Haywood calling the tactical shots. On the last June weekend (27 June), Davis and Keen clinched sixth in Road America.
French GT Championship: Dream weekend for Porsche teams With a double win for Patrick Bornhauser/Laurent Groppi in Larbre Compétition’s 911 GT3 R ahead of Anthony Beltoise/Laurent Pasquali in the GT3 R of Pro GT by Almeras, the fourth race weekend took off in Val de Vienne (25/26 June).
Porsche 911 GT3 R: Anthony Beltoise, Laurent Pasquali
GT Championship France, Val de Vienne
A one-two-three at race two with Beltoise/Pasquali in front of Bornhauser/Groppi and Laurent Cazenave/Jean-Claude Police in the sister Almeras-Porsche made the weekend perfect for Porsche.
Italian GT Championship: Autorlando pilot battles for points’ lead After a win and a second place at the third race weekend at the Autodromo dell Umbria near Magione (19 June), Autorlando pilot Ruberti lies a close second in the GT drivers’ classification. Ruberti shared the cockpit in Magione with his regular teammate Mario Cordoni.
Belcar Endurance Championship: Tactical brilliance yields win for Prospeed A courageous tyre choice and a perfect performance from drivers Marc Goossens and Maxime Soulet yielded the Prospeed Competition team their second win of the season at round three in Spa (18 June).
The squad sent the 911 GT3 R into the three-hour race on slicks, whilst the competition opted for rain tyres. With ten laps to go, Prospeed again made the right choice with slicks and won by more than a minute. Goossens/Soulet currently lead the driver’s classification.
British GT Championship: Victory for Trackspeed-Porsche at Brands Hatch Tim Bridgman and Gregor Fisken are the victors of the spectacular third race in Brands Hatch (19 June). A rain shower after the first half hour provided thrills and spills amongst the 30-strong field.
Bridgman and Fisken brought their Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Trackspeed home in first after two hours. Reigning champion David Ashburn was forced into retirement with a fire in the rear left wheel arch of his Porsche.
Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds: Jeff Zwart clocks record time in 911 GT2 RS At the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, American Jeff Zwart set a record time for street homologated sports cars at the famous Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds in Colorado (26 June).
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
Pikes Peak Race, Colorado
In the 620 hp 911, he broke the old record on the 20 kilometre track which leads over 156 corners from an altitude of 2,860 up to 4,600 metres, by 24 seconds.
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
Pikes Peak Race, Colorado
Zwart had collected the 911 GT3 RS himself from Porsche Motorsport in California and drove the 1,770 kilometres to the start.
Carrera Cup Deutschland: Six races, six different winners Sean Edwards from Great Britain won the sixth round of the season on the rain-soaked, extremely difficult Norisring in Nuremberg (3 July) to extend his points’ lead ahead of Jeroen Bleekemolen.
Round five of the series run at the Porsche Carrera World Cup (25 June) went to Nicolas Armindo, with the Frenchman finishing fifth out of 98 starters.
Carrera Cup Japan: Hideto Yasuoka unstoppable At the fourth and fifth race of the Carrera Cup Japan on the extremely demanding Fuji International Speedway (11/12 June), Hideto Yasuoka again proved unbeatable in his class with two pole-to-flag wins.
(l.-r.): Akira Fujita, Hideto Yasuoka, Michael Green
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan, Fuji International Speedway
The talented youngster driving for the Garmin Porsche team has yet to be beaten in 2011. Akira Fujita secured second place twice.
IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama: Macneil and Cisneros win in Montreal Cooper Macneil (Alex Job Racing) celebrated his first victory in the Platinum Cup class after a rainy fifth round on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve run as support to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal (11 June), with points’ leader Henrique Cisneros retiring after a journey off the track. Gold Cup class honours went to Eduardo Cisneros after a hefty duel with the 15-year-old front-runner Madison Snow.
GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil: Rosset and Junior continue on-going duel With fading brakes, points’ leader Ricardo Rosset managed to salvage his victory at the first race in Interlagos (18 June), fending off an attack from second-placed Constantino Junior. Victory at the second race on the same day went to Junior, who had taken up the race from seventh on the grid as per the regulations. In the drivers’ classification, Rosset sits ten points ahead of Junior. The Challenge race for older 911 GT3 Cup was won by Fernando Barci.
Race notes: Pole-sitters Manuel Giao and Miguel Angel de Castro win round three of the Spanish GT Championship (19 June) on the Circuito de Albacete in the 911 GT3 RSR of the Drivex squad. +++ Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini defend their GTS class lead at the fifth and sixth race of the International GT Open in Spa (25/26 June) with a Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Autorlando Sport.
Porsche 911 GT1
(l. – r.): Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
Timo Bernhard, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, Porsche Team Manthey: Jörg Bergmeister, Richard Lietz, Marco Holzer, Patrick Long
Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR , Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz
Nicolas Armindo (l), Raymond Narac (r)
IMSA Performance Matmut, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Raymond Narac, Nicolas Armindo
René Rast (D)
Porsche 911 GT3 R: Anthony Beltoise, Laurent Pasquali
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
Porsche 911 GT2 RS: Jeff Zwart
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