Rounds seven and eight of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland will be held in Monza, Italy, this weekend (18-20 June). The one-make cup has good reason to celebrate: the 350th race of the German Carrera Cup will be contested at the DTM event on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.
The first event of the series was held in 1990. Since the debut season, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – the racing version of the 911 – has been campaigned as the turn-key racing vehicle. Twenty-nine drivers will tackle the anniversary race at Monza in the newest Cup car.
A major milestone
“The 350th race is a major milestone in the history of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. Since the first race in 1990, our series has exemplified action-packed racing in a professional environment. The greatest contributing factor to the success of the Carrera Cup has been the talented drivers, professional teams and committed partners – the one-make cup is very popular mainly thanks to their great passion for motor racing,” says Alexander Pollich, CEO of Porsche Deutschland GmbH.
Recipe for success
Identical cars, control tyres and restricted setup options – since the debut season, the recipe for success of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland has been based firmly on equal chances for all. Drivers pit themselves against each other in the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Over the years, the world’s best-selling racing car has become faster and more spectacular. Olaf Manthey took home the first Carrera Cup championship title in 1990 at the wheel of the 260-PS Cup car based on the 964-generation. The latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the racing version based on the 992 generation and puts out 510 PS.
A milestone for many careers
For many racing drivers, winning the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland title proved to be a milestone in their careers. The previous champions and today’s Porsche brand ambassadors Jörg Bergmeister and Timo Bernhard are now among the world’s most successful sports cars drivers.
Carrera Cup champions like Kévin Estre (France) and Thomas Preining (Austria) today compete as Porsche works drivers. Porsche Young Professional Julien Andlauer (France) was also crowned champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.
For 28 drivers, the one-make cup has served as a springboard into Porsche’s circle of works drivers. Matteo Cairoli (Italy) and Michael Christensen (Denmark), who recently won the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring with Estre, once underlined their ability in the German Carrera Cup.
With the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Talent Pool, the one-make cup has provided support to talented youngsters for the last three years. This year, eight young drivers receive professional coaching from the former Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler.
Michael Ammermüller’s name was added to the record books of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2019. With 17 races wins, the reigning champion of the ADAC GT Masters is the most successful driver in the history of the one-make cup.
Thomas Preining also holds a record: to date, the 2018 champion is the youngest driver in the history of the racing series to have clinched the overall title. When he won the title, Preining was exactly 20 years and 63 days old. Wolfgang Land, however, used his years of experience to secure overall victory. The German took home the trophy in 1995 at the age of 51.
Carlos Rivas (Luxembourg/Black Falcon Team Textar) is on the threshold of setting a new record at the doubleheader event in Monza. The current points’ leader in the ProAm class has won a total of 34 races in his division. On the high-speed circuit at Monza, Rivas could surpass the record held by Rolf Ineichen.
The Swiss racer also notched up 34 victories in the ProAm category. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing) travels with confidence to the storied racetrack northeast of Milan. The 19-year-old currently ranks first in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.
Live coverage of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in Monza
Both races at Monza get underway at 4.15 p.m. local time on Saturday and Sunday. The two races are streamed live on the Facebook account @CarreraCupDeutschland, as well as the official YouTube channel of the one-make cup and on the Porsche Motorsport Hub. Moreover, the German TV channel Sport1 broadcasts the anniversary race live on free TV.
Edited Porsche factory press release.
Pictures courtesy Porsche AG.
