Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Concludes Tenth Season
Shanghai. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, concluded a tenth season at a spectacular finale in Shanghai last weekend. The series this year has its most prestigious entries ever, with more teams and drivers joining the series, and a calendar of races which spanned the region. The 2012 season was hailed as the best yet.
On hand to mark the electrifying season finale, and in recognition of the importance of the fast-growing Chinese and Asian markets within Porsche’s global strategy, were Porsche AG executives: Mr. Matthias Mueller, President and Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board – Sales and Marketing; and Mr. Lutz Meschke, Member of the Executive Board – Finances and IT.
Commented Mr. Mueller: “When Porsche China took over the organisation of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2010, we were pleased to welcome a new era for the series, and we are committing all available resources to building a strong racing culture across China.” Evidence of this pledge, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia delivered an outstanding 2012 season, with superb on-track competition ultimately producing two new champions.
The season roared to life in fitting style as a support race to the prestigious 2012 FIA FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX in Shanghai in April, followed by two exciting races at the Zhuhai International Circuit in June. In July, the series traveled to the challenging Inner Mongolian Ordos circuit, before racing in support of Malaysia’s Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race for the first time a month later. In September, the series raced in support of the FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX at the Marina Bay street circuit, before November’s season finale in Shanghai.
The 2012 season saw a 28-strong field of race-prepared Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, the finest line-up of GT specialists ever assembled in Asia. A record eight Porsche China dealer teams entered, with three new teams joining regulars: Team Jebsen, who once again fielded Macau driver Rodolfo Avila; Team StarChase with a two-car entry, the PICC Team StarChase car for 2012 champion Alexandre Imperatori and the Budweiser Team StarChase entry for series and GT racing newcomer, Tung Ho-Pin of China; Team Kangshun with veteran Singapore racer Ringo Chong; the series’ only lady driver returning with Team C&D; and Team Betterlife with reigning Class B champion Wang Jian Wei of China. The newcomers were Team Eagle – Jiejun & Junbaojie with Porsche specialist Martin Ragginger of Austria, Team Yongda Dongfang with Frenchman Benjamin Rouget, and Team Basetex with exciting young Chinese talent Zhang Da Sheng.
The battle for both the overall and Class B championship titles went right down to the wire at the final race meeting of the season in Shanghai, with Imperatori taking the title after the qualifying session for the penultimate round. Second was defending champion Keita Sawa of LKM Racing Team, with Ragginger third. Modena Motorsports’ Wayne Shen had to wait until the final round before taking a well-deserved Class B title.
With a field packed with emerging and established talent, the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season has been widely acclaimed as the most competitive yet, but plans are already well advanced to ensure the championship further strengthens its richly-deserved reputation as the series for pure racing drivers.
Porsche China Chief Executive Officer Mr. Helmut Broeker announced the 2013 provisional calendar during the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia gala prize giving: “As we mark a decade as Asian motorsports pioneers in 2013, we can look forward to field of outstanding drivers and a prestigious calendar to match. I am delighted to announce that we have three Formula 1 support races on the provisional calendar: Here in Shanghai, in Malaysia, and at the glittering Singapore Grand Prix. In addition, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will support two rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series, including a round at a new race track in South Korea, and a round of the China Touring Car Champion before ending the season here at the Shanghai Sportscar Champions Festival 2013. ”
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2013, and as it embarks upon its second decade leading the way for Asia sports car competition, a new chapter will be written. Organisers are preparing to scale new heights, raising the bar yet again on Asian motorsport as the series has done each year since its launch in 2003. With a new circuit to expand the series’ reach and supporting three rounds of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, its loyal supporters can look forward to more thrills, more excitement and more superb motorsport as the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia prepares to go one better.
2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Final Points Standings (top 10)
Overall
Pos Comp
No Driver Entrant Points
1 99 Alexandre IMPERATORI PICC Team StarChase 199
2 1 Keita SAWA LKM Racing Team 155
3 20 Rodolfo AVILA Team Jebsen 137
4 86 Martin RAGGINGER Team Eagle-Jiejun & Junbaojie 133
5 98 TUNG Ho-Pin Budweiser Team StarChase 130
6 8 Benjamin ROUGET Team Yongda Dongfang 103
7
37 David RIZZO BBT 77
78 ZHANG Da Sheng Team Basetex 77
9 9 WANG Jian Wei Team Betterlife 71
10 88 Egidio PERFETTI Seminole Racing Team 61
Class B
Pos Comp
No Driver Entrant Points
1 16 Wayne SHEN Modena Motorsports 178
2 21 Francis TJIA OpenRoad Racing 152
3 88 Egidio PERFETTI Seminole Racing Team 146
4 81 HUANG Chu Han Asia Racing Team 139
5 5 Yuey TAN Dorr McElrea Racing 107
6 6 ZHENG Ting BBT 100
7 25 Christian CHIA OpenRoad by ART Motorsports 84
8 27 Adrian Henry D’SILVA Nexus Racing 72
9 23 Pail TRESIDDER Hewlett Motorsport 70
10 28 John SHEN Modena Motorsports 69
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2013
Provisional Race Calendar
Date Circuit, Country Event Round(s)
March 02 – 03 Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia Test Days –
March 22 – 24 Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia Formula 1 Support Race Round 1
April 12 – 14 Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China Formula 1 Support Race Round 2
May 03 – 05 Zhuhai Intl. Circuit, China China Touring Car Championship* Round 3 & 4
July 05 – 07 Ordos Intl. Circuit, China Asian Le Mans Series* Round 5 & 6
August 02 – 04 Autopia Intl. Circuit, Korea Asian Le Mans Series* Round 7 & 8
September 20 – 22 Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore Formula 1 Support Race Round 9
October 25 – 27 Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China Shanghai Sports Car Champions Festival* Round 10 & 11
* subject to confirmation of commercial agreement.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2012
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.
