PRESS RELEASE: VAN DER DRIFT AND TAN TO REPRESENT ASIA’S FINEST IN SPA PORSCHE SPECTACULAR
SHANGHAI. As a truly sensational reward for leading the overall and Class B Porsche Carrera Cup Asia standings mid-way through the 2015 season, Kamlung Racing’s Chris van der Drift of New Zealand and Singaporean Yuey Tan of Team Jebsen will next month head to Belgium’s fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit to fly the flag for the region in the Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015, which will run in support of the 24 Hours of Spa.
van der Drift, who is making his Porsche racing debut this season, is looking forward to the chance to see how he measures up to drivers from the other Carrera Cups across the world: “I know Spa very well, I’ve done many races there before. It’ll be a big field so will be good to see where I fit in there – plus it means more time in the car, which is great. I’d like to thank the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia for this awesome opportunity.”
Tan, who has watched all the great Spa races time and time again, the chance to actually compete there is very much a dream come true: “I’m quite lost for words. I feel a little emotional today. I want to get a result there, so I’m going to study and learn the track as much as I can on simulators. I’m going to approach this race the same way I do any race – I need to prepare, go racing and as be fast as I can.” The race has been organised jointly by the Porsche Carrera Cups of France and Italy with guest drivers from sister series across the world, and the invitations to make up the Team Carrera Cup Asia entry were extended on Sunday to van der Drift and Tan by Manfred Braeunl, Vice President Marketing, Porsche China following Round 6, held at Japan’s Fuji International Speedway.
In an exciting update, series organisers have announced that the entry, which is fully supported by Porsche China and its partners, will be run by successful Porsche Carrera Cup France team and regular Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup entrant, Sébastien Loeb Racing. Established in 2012 by the worlds’ most successful-ever rally driver, nine-time FIA World Rally Champion Loeb is no stranger to the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia having joined the series in 2013 for a special invitational at the Macau Grand Prix, where he put in a brilliant drive to finish runner-up to current Porsche LMP1 Le Mans driver, Earl Bamber. Said Loeb: “Our aim is to establish the team at an international level and we are therefore pleased to work with the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia during the Spa race. On a demanding circuit, it will be an interesting experience for the team – for the engineers and mechanics – to run two new drivers: van der Drift and Tan. I had the opportunity to personally compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in Macau in 2013, and I know how high the level is. Each of these drivers leads his respective classification and therefore has ambitions at Spa, so we must meet expectations. It’s what makes things exciting.” Commented Alexandre Gibot, Motorsport Manager, Porsche China: “The 2015 Porsche Carrera Cup season has been an intense battle for points since opening race, and Chris van der Drift and Yuey Tan have fought hard every lap of the way amongst our superb international field to lead the overall and Class B championships after Round 6, more than earning their invitations to compete at Spa. We congratulate our drivers, and thank Sébastien Loeb Racing for ensuring our Team Carrera Cup Asia will have two perfect cars for the race.” With an international grid of 55 entries expected, the Porsche Carrera Cup 24 Hours of Spa 2015 promises to be a race of epic proportions, and the Team Carrera Cup Asia will carry the hopes of their fellow drivers – and Asian motorsport – with them as they tackle one of the world’s greatest race tracks. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2015 Series Partners Supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport. The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is organised and promoted by Malaysian based Motorsport Asia Ltd. Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsport version of the new 911 GT3 (Type 991). The near-standard race car, based on the seventh generation of the 911, made its debut in Asia in 2014, having previously run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre, six cylinder boxer engine which, due to the weight optimized modular race exhaust system, generates 460hp (338 KW) at 7,500 revs per minute, ten horsepower more than its predecessor. Power is delivered to the rear axle via a race clutch and a Porsche Motorsport designed six-speed dog-type gearbox with a mechanical limited slip differential. For the first time in a Porsche makes cup race car, gear shifting is activated with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport. The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres. Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has grown by 100 millimetres, improving handling at the limit, while Porsche Motorsport newly designed the forged single-piece 18 inch race rims with central locking. The new racing brake system improves the endurance qualities of the 911 GT3 Cup, and the internally vented and slotted steel brake discs are operated by aluminium six-piston racing calipers in the front, and four-piston units at the rear. Safety features have also been further enhanced, and drivers are protected by a newly calculated safety cage and newly designed race seat, while a rescue hatch in the roof enables easy access and extrication.
Like the road going version, the body of the new 911 GT3 Cup combines maximum rigidity with low weight thanks to its aluminium-steel construction, and weighs in at just 1,175 kilograms. About Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Preparing for its 13th season in 2015, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia blasted off the starting grid in 2003 and has never looked back. Joining the family of hugely successful Porsche “one make” series, it is now firmly established as the Number One racing series in Asia. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia offers sporting competition at the highest level across the region and is truly international, with competitors from all over Asia as well as Europe and the Pacific. The field is made up of a combination of professional racing drivers and ambitious and talented gentlemen drivers. About Porsche China Porsche was founded by Prof. Ferdinand Porsche in Stuttgart, Germany in 1931 and was then transformed into a sports car manufacturer by Ferry Porsche in 1948. Porsche has been known as one of the most prestigious automobile brands in the world for decades. Under the guiding credo of “Intelligent Performance”, Porsche leads the way in providing a new generation of sports cars that prove performance and efficiency can be perfectly combined. Since entering the Chinese market in 2001, Porsche China has been dedicated to bringing the sporty genes and innovative spirit of the marque to Porsche enthusiasts in this dynamic market. In Porsche’s network in China, customers can experience the unlimited appeal of Porsche’s iconic sports cars: the legendary 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the luxurious Cayenne premium SUV, the dynamic and pioneering Macan SUV, the sleek four-door Panamera Gran Turismo and the futuristic 918 Spyder super sports car. Each demonstrates excellence in performance, exquisite design, and consistent commitment to perfect quality that Porsche embodies. Across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, there are now 80 Porsche Centres in operation, ensuring that Porsche customers across the country receive the hallmark personalised care that sets Porsche apart around the world. In 2014, Porsche has delivered a spectacular sales record of 46,931 deliveries across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. In 2015, Porsche China expects to continue another year of outstanding performance in the Chinese market.
