SERIES INTRODUCTION

Introduction

With the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia firmly established as Asia’s premier one-make sports car racing series, 2023 sees a formidable international field of brilliant professionals competing wheel-to-wheel with dedicated privateers. A proven testing ground for fledgling talent and a showcase for the world’s leading GT competitors, today the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is the number one choice for the region’s finest drivers.

Over the past 20 years, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has become renowned as a series that ignites passion and enthusiasm for motorsport across the region. Each of this year’s entries will pilot an identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992). This impressive machine represents the latest generation of Porsche’s iconic race car, bringing faster lap times, slicker technology and improved control.

Piloting the 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992), several fresh faces will join series returnees as 21 drivers enter into the 2023 season, with a balanced mix of Pro, Pro-Am and Am racers creating a multi-level competition among the region’s most talented contestants. Also returning in 2023 is the Porsche Dealer Trophy, which will see series’ dealer teams compete head-to-head as they are awarded points based on the top performing dealer team driver.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will also continue its critical role developing Asian motorsport talent in 2023. Our focus on motoring youth continues with the Porsche Talent Pool Programme. Extended to all drivers under the age of 26, this programme gives young talent access to star coaches and training while offering the life-changing opportunity to compete in the global Porsche Junior Programme Shootout in Germany for the best performing driver.

Celebrating 20 years on the track in 2023, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has spent the past two decades proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is the premier one-make series on the continent. From the first ever race at Sepang International circuit in 2003, the series has been on a journey that has seen it take in 231 races and host over 198 competitors from 21 countries and regions. With a return to international racing in 2023, this 20th anniversary year is shaping up to be the most exciting Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season yet.

Services

Impeccable services of the highest standards are centrally managed and provided to all teams and drivers, including:

• Transportation of cars, parts and tools from race to race
• Centrally-managed parts, meaning teams do not need to invest in inventory
• Superb track hospitality at each race
• Accommodation and transfer packages
• Pit set-up and equipment

Arrive and Drive Option

While individual teams are welcome, competitors have the option of availing themselves of the unique ‘Arrive and Drive’ concept, which provides drivers with professional support services of the highest calibre.

The Technical Service Package includes highly-trained mechanics and supervisors at each race to service and maintain the car, a pre-season check and pre-event service, pit set-up at each event, and packing, loading and unloading of containers.

This option, provided by professional partner EKS Motorsports, represents savings in both time and expense and means drivers need simply to arrive at the track where the fully-prepared cars await them, making for an exciting and hassle-free race weekend.

Pro-Am Class

Privateer drivers who believe the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is the exclusive domain of full-time professionals could not be more mistaken. The creation of the Pro-Am Class within the series, designed specifically for those very drivers, affords the opportunity to race against the professionals – a unique chance to learn from the best in the business.

Am Class

As the quality of the Carrera Cup Asia’s dedicated privateers has consistently risen year-on-year, it has become necessary to introduce a new class in order to keep every spot in the race competitive. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia introduced the Am class in 2021, and it has returned every season since with its own podiums, points tables and prizes.

Porsche Dealer Trophy

In 2023, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will continue the Porsche Dealer Trophy, which gives dealer teams a chance to compete as they are awarded points each round based on the best performing dealer driver. With huge success in 2022, the trophy further solidifies the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as one of the most inclusive, exciting racing series in Asia.

Drivers are welcome

With a truly international field, competitors come from as far afield as Europe and Australia, and as close to home as China, to test their racing mettle in the series. Both young and young-at-heart compete wheel-to-wheel each season, and the friendly off-track camaraderie has become a signature of the championship.

In order to take part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, competitors need to:

• Own a Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992)
• Hold a valid “C” international racing license
• Purchase the Participation Package
• Purchase the Technical Service Package

The Participation Package includes all registration and entry fees, all costs for logistics, and hospitality access for three at each event. It does not include wear-and-tear, tyres, spare parts, and individual travel and on-track insurance.

Guests are welcome

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia provides thrilling motorsport competition across the region, and at each stop offers an exclusive hospitality experience for guests, be they sponsors, business associates, friends or family.

Individual guest packages are offered by the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia organisation.

SEASON 2015

Pioneering the development of professional motorsport competition in Southeast Asia, the 2015 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season was one of the most fascinating in the championship’s 13-year history, buoyed further by former champion Earl Bamber’s victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

In March, the 28-strong field gathered for the first time for a pre-season test at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit where they welcomed some new faces, among them Menzel and van der Drift, who had received a last-minute call-up from Clearwater Racing.

Round 1, at the Chinese F1 Grand Prix, saw a familiar face take the opening win of the season, with Baird beating fellow countryman van der Drift, and Team Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger taking the final podium place. The New Zealanders would not have it all their own way though. van der Drift retired in race two and Baird was beaten to the podium by Budweiser Team Absolute Racing’s Ho-Pin Tung from Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila, with Ragginger taking his second podium of the weekend.

Korea’s International Circuit welcomed the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia for the first time in 2015, and it proved a happy hunting ground for van der Drift who, bouncing back from his DNF in Round 2, took pole position and wins in both races. Baird proved the fight would last all season with a brace of second places, while Myung Gil Choi more than repaid his call-up from Team Porsche Korea to join the series for the first time since 2013, by taking the final podium spot after both races.

June saw the Porsche Carrera Cups of Asia and Japan share the spectacular Fuji International Speedway. There, van der Drift continued his run of form with another double victory, but this time it was Ragginger who stood on the second step of the podium after both races. Baird took third in Race 1, but lost his grip on the championship after an uncharacteristic performance in Round 6.

Returning to the Land of Smiles after a ten-year absence, the championship made its debut at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, and van der Drift continued to extend his winning streak, taking pole and yet another double victory. Menzel continued his impressive debut season, taking his debut podium with a second place finish in Round 7, and repeating his success in Race 2. Baird and Ragginger shared third place honours.

At Sepang in Malaysia, Menzel went one better and took his first Porsche victory with PICC Team StarChase in Race 1, and a third place in Round 10 adding to his podium tally. van der Drift’s run of wins suffered a blip in Malaysia with a fourth place in the opening race, but he was back to his winning ways in Round 10, taking his seventh victory of the season. Second place in both races was Ragginger, who took his second pole of the season.

As the field headed to Singapore and the Lion City’s Marina Bay street circuit, van der Drift had a healthy 19-point lead from title rival Baird, while Menzel’s increasing pace put him third on the overall leaderboard. The double header saw Baird strike back, taking pole, a win and a second place, while van der Drift could only manage a third place podium in Round 12. Tung was second in Round 11, ahead of Menzel who took his fifth consecutive podium.

The Singapore F1 Grand Prix had set the stage for what was to be a thrilling season finale as the Porsche motorsport family came together at the 6 Hours of Shanghai FIA World Endurance Championship round, where Porsche was gunning for the 2015 Manufacturers’ title.

van der Drift arrived in Shanghai with an eight-point lead from championship rival Baird, while four drivers remained in contention for the Class B title. van der Drift got the job done, giving his China Porsche dealership team Kamlung Racing its maiden Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title. Second at the end of the season was Clearwater Racing’s Craig Baird, like van der Drift and Bamber one of a number of hugely-successful New Zealand drivers. Seventeen-year-old Nico Menzel, the series youngest-ever competitor and son of two-time champion Christian, was third after an impressive debut season of Porsche competition with PICC Team StarChase.

Four Class B drivers remained in title contention as the lights went out for the last time in 2015, but it was Tan who eventually won the championship by a single point from Thailand’s Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak after a spin by OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia put him back into contention. Modena Motorsport’s Wayne Shen, Class B champion in 2012, finished the season in third.

As the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia teams and drivers gathered to witness their Porsche counterparts in the FIA WEC win the Manufacturers’ title with one round in hand, the nine Porsche China Junior Programme finalists met their heroes ahead of the shootout to decide the 2016 Porsche China Junior, eventually won by Andrew Tang. Two worthy Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champions, a major FIA title, and a new chapter about to begin with Asia’s next exciting young talent represented more than just a good day in the office for Porsche motorsport in China.

PORSCHE MOTORSPORT

With 75 years of racing history and more than 30,000 victories to date, Porsche is the biggest manufacturer in the world to specialise in high performance cars and is the most successful marque in motorsport. We are passionate about this and uphold these ideals as the entire philosophy underpinning Porsche Motorsports: Spirit. Principle. Vision.

The global Porsche Motorsport programme includes both works and customer racing. At the pinnacle of the Porsche Motorsport pyramid is the LMP Sport programme, which returns to Hypercar racing this year with the Porsche 963, which will be competing in the 100th anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In the GT category, Porsche also competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship as well as the IMSA Championship (which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring), and the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours. The Porsche onemake Cups include the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the international Carrera Cups and the Cup Challenges, while the global programme also features the Cayman GT4 Challenge alongside a myriad of track experience opportunities such as the Porsche Sport Driving School, the Porsche Sports Cup Series and Porsche Club Sports Events.