PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA RACING SERIES
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Racing Series is off to a rousing start with the first event to be run in the Sepang F1 circuit as a support race to the Formula 1 race this weekend. In all a total of 18 participants have signed up for what is considered to be the first ‘true’ one make racing event in Asia. Among the top names signed up for this event includes Charles Kwan (Hong Kong), Nigel Alborn (United Kingdom), Nattavude (Thailand), Kevin Wong (Hong Kong), Toby Venter (Republic of South Africa), Tommy Lee (Malaysia and sponsored by Jaseri Racing Sdn Bhd) and Tunku Hammam (Malaysia).
The format of the Carrera Cup race is that, all the participants will be driving identical cars, the 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup(specifications of the car can be seen in the following pages). No modifications are allowed on the engine and body while only limited ‘adjustments’ are allowed on the suspension settings. This is what makes Carrera Cup racing so unique, focussing on driving skill rather than on machinery (which by the way is only considered as one of the top production race cars in the world) to eke out faster times.
There have been in total 6 test sessions, 2 conducted immediately after the launch on 6th February 2003 and the remaining 4 on 7th February 2003. The first 2 sessions were actually more of familiarisation sessions but it was no surprise to see that most of the drivers were already ‘gunning’ their cars. Times were down to around the 2’20” level from the likes of Charles Kwan and Nigel Alborn but still quite far off from current champion Marc Lieb’s time of 2’16.
Tommy Lee used the first 2 test sessions primarily to run in the engine, having considered that all the cars are brand new with only 20km on the meter. There were clearly different schools of thought on this matter, some believing that race engines are meant for racing immediately while others taking more traditional approaches of running in the engines, for reliability throughout the season.
From the 3rd session onwards (7th February 2003), the testing took on a different attitude. All the participants were now ‘gunning’ their cars, wing settings were being changed, adjustments to suspension settings were being done and some even fitted new slick tyres on their cars. Times undoubtedly started dropping. In the 3rd session, Charles Kwan and Nigel Alborn set their fastest times at the 2’17” level. Nattavude brought his times down to the 2’17” level in the last session of the day. There was an overall improvement of around 2 seconds from the previous day.
Tommy’s approach was again slightly different to the other drivers. His aim for the day was still to improve on driving skills, especially for adaptation to the GT3. The focus for the entire day was on gearing, braking ‘style’ and also corner speed. He kept the standard settings on the car so that he could benchmark the ‘driving’. Overall there was a circa 1 second improvement on Tommy’s time from the 2’21” level to around the 2’20” level, putting him 6th fastest on the timesheets. Although he is about 2-3 seconds off the pace from the front runners, he is confident that his times will start to drop, especially when he starts to play with the settings of the car. The next test session will be during the Malaysian F1 race where the Porsche Carrera Cup will feature as a support race. Tommy Lee is confident that he will be mixing it up with the front runners during the race.
(1) Charles Kwan 2.17.203
(2) Nigel Alborn 2.17.470
(3) Nattavude 2.17.786
(4) Toby Venter 2.18.415
(5) V. Inthraphuvassak 2.19.923
(6) Tommy Lee 2.20.230
(7) Tunku Hammam 2.20.628
(8) Kevin Wong 2.20.931
(9) C Asavahame 2.22.178
(10) Alex Yan 2.22.203
(11) Siu Yuk Lung 2.22.887
(12) Siu Tit Lung 2.23.074
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Technical Description
Engine:
– flat 6 cylinder boxer engine
– 3598 cc 287 kW (390 BHP)
– max torque: 390 Nm at 6300rpm
– max rpm: 8000rpm
– water cooled / dry sump lubrication
– racing exhaust system with catalytic converters and lambda sensors
Power Train:
– 6 speed manual
– rear wheel drive
– single mass flywheel with racing clutch
– limited slip differential 40:60 per cent
Bodywork:
– 996 coupe
– rear fibreglass wing
– welded in roll cage
– fiberglass doors
– racing seat (driver’s side) with 6 point seat belt
– 4kg fire extinguisher
– 3 point airjack
– vehicle weight approx: 1150kg
Suspension:
– power steering
– McPherson front axle
– Multi link rear axle
– Dual springs with racing setup
– Front and rear Bilstein shock absorbers with adjustable ride height
– 3 piece 18” BBS wheels with magnesium center piece and central locking system
– front and rear anti-roll bars
– front Michelin 245/645/18 slicks
– rear Michelin 305/645/18 slicks
Brake System:
– vacuum reinforced brake system
– six-piston fixed brake caliper with internally vented disc
– front brake disc diameter : 350mm
– rear brake disc diameter : 330mm
– ABS modified to race condition
