Maybe you’re not able to, or put more simply, you don’t want to read each little news blurb about Porsche Motorsports. If that’s the case, there is no better way to stay up to date than by reviewing the monthly Porsche Motorsport Newsletter here on PorschePurist.
There’s always a lot going on and this month is no different. Filled with interesting facts and figures about past and upcoming races, along with changes to team and crew, the Porsche Motorsport Newsletter is an easy way to keep on top of this year’s racing activities within the Porsche community.
Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid to race in the USA and China
Following the impressive performance at the Nürburgring 24 hour race where the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid led the overall classification for more than eight hours, the Hybrid-911 will now compete in the USA and Asia. Porsche has received an invitation to contest the season final of the American Le Mans Series at the 1,000 mile ‘Petit Le Mans’ race on 2 October. For November 7, Porsche plans to contest the season final of the new Le Mans Intercontinental Cup in Zhuhai, China. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid will not be eligible for points, as hybrid technology is not yet included in the GT regulations.
Spa 24 Hours: Works drivers reinforce customer teams
With seven factory drivers, Porsche supports various customer teams at the prestigious 24 hour race in Spa (BEL, 31.7/1.8). Joerg Bergmeister, Romain Dumas, Wolf Henzler and the former Porsche Junior Martin Ragginger pilot a 911 GT3 RSR for BMS Scuderia Italia. Works drivers Richard Lietz, Patrick Long and Patrick Pilet take up the race with Raymond Narac in the 911 GT3 RSR fielded by IMSA Performance Matmut. Marc Lieb shares the cockpit of a Prospeed Competition 911 GT3 RSR with Porsche Junior Marco Holzer as well as Marc Goossens and Richard Westbrook.
ALMS: Double victory entering second half of season
Claiming a double win at the fifth round, Porsche guns into the second half of the American Le Mans Series season. In Lime Rock (24 July), Porsche factory pilots Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long snatched back the GT class points’ lead with their third victory of the season in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Flying Lizard Motorsports. In the Porsche RS Spyder fielded by Muscle Milk Team Cytosport, Klaus Graf and Greg Pickett secured their best result of the season with first overall. At round four in Salt Lake City (10 July), Bergmeister and Long saw the flag as fifth in the GT class after two punctures. Klaus Graf and Greg Picket in the RS Spyder finished third overall.
Le Mans Series: Lietz and Lieb defend points’ lead after troubled start
Richard Lietz and Marc Lieb pocketed third at round three of the Le Mans Series in Portugal’s Portimao (17 July) in a Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to defend their GT2 class points’ lead. Repairs early on cost the duo more than a lap – at the finish line just one second separated them from the second-placed Ferrari.
Marcel Tiemann: Race driver surprises doctors with rapid recovery
Race driver Marcel Tiemann is recovering quicker than expected. In the Bad Aibling Clinic in Bavaria, the 36-year-old was up and about long ago and is now working hard on his recovery. On 23 May in Imola, Tiemann was hit by a competitor and crashed with his Audi. From the accident he sustained serious head injuries. Driving for the Manthey team, Marcel Tiemann won the Nürburgring 24 hour race four times in a Porsche.
Pikes Peak: Jeff Zwart sets new record time at famous ‘Race to the Clouds’
America’s Jeff Zwart won the class for two-wheel drive, production-based race cars at the 88th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado (27 June) at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Shattering the old record by 38 seconds, Zwart was clearly the fastest production car pilot, bringing home sixth overall behind specially-designed race cars. The surface of the almost 20 kilometre route up to the 4.301 metre summit of Pikes Peak consists of half asphalt and half gravel.
International GT Open: Double win for Porsche customer teams
Porsche customer teams celebrated two wins at the ninth and tenth round of the International GT Open (10/11 July) in Magny-Cours, France. Raymond Narac and Patrick Pilet won Saturday’s race in the 911 GT3 RSR of IMSA Performance Matmut. On Sunday, Richard Lietz and Gianluca Roda secured first with Autorlando Sport’s 911 GT3 RSR.
Porsche Mobil1 Supercup: Important guests in Hockenheim – Armindo wins
High ranking guests underlined the importance of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup for Porsche AG at the seventh round which was held as support to the German Grand Prix on the Hockenheimring (25 July). Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, presented the winner’s trophy to the French guest driver Nicolas Armindo, Michael Macht, as Chairman of the Board of Management and Wolfgang Dürheimer as Member of the Board for Research and Development handed Jan Seyffarth and Christian Engelhart the trophies for second and third. Porsche Board Member for Sales and Marketing Bernhard Maier as well as Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen also didn’t want to miss a visit to the flagship of Porsche brand trophy race series.
Patrón GT3 Challenge by Yokohama: Smith brothers dominate in Utah
Points’ leader Ross Smith won the Platinum class at races 7 and 8 in the Miller Motorsports Park at Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah (9/10 July). His older brother Kendall made the weekend perfect with two victories in the Gold class. Both compete at the wheel of 911 GT3 Cup racers fielded by Maxwell Paper Racing.
Carrera Cup Great Britain: Tim Harvey writes history
Notching up his eighth and ninth victory this season in Croft (19/20 June), Tim Harvey is the new record winner of the Carrera Cup Great Britain. The 2008 champion has secured 33 overall wins. At the halfway mark after ten races, Harvey (Red Line Racing) holds a healthy points’ lead in the drivers’ classification.
Race notes:
- With a win and fifth place in Mugello (25 July), Gianluca Roda defends his points’ lead in the Italian GT Championship with the Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by Autorlando Sport. Works driver Richard Lietz shares driving duties with Roda.
- Two wins in Rockingham (18 July) put Trackspeed pilot David Ashburn into the lead of the British GT Championship.
- James Koundouris wins the first two rounds of the Australia GT on Phillip Island (11 July) in a Supabarn Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S.
- Porsche remains unbeaten in the VLN Nürburgring Long Distance Championship: Lance David Arnold and Christian Menzel claim victory at the sixth round (17 July) in Manthey Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R.
- Carrera Cup Deutschland: Frenchman Nicolas Armindo snatched the points’ lead from Britain’s Nick Tandy with his second win of the season at round four on the Norisring (4 July).
- Carrera Cup Scandinavia: Fredrik Larsson wins both home races in Falkenberg (SWE, 9/10 July) and heads the championship over Robin Rudholm.
- In Imola at the Carrera Cup Italia, Alessandro Balzan and Stefano Comandini win races 7 and 8 respectively. Vito Postiglione retains the points’ lead.
Related Porsche Posts
Porsche Motorsport Newsletter: 2010 Volume 6
Porsche Products
Porsche News
[Source: Porsche Motorsports]