After the season opener on the Formula 1 circuit at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, a trio has formed at the top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland standings. Dutchman Loek Hartog (Team GP Elite) heads to round two in Hockenheim as the overall leader, closely followed by his fellow countryman and teammate Larry ten Voorde and UK driver Harry King (Allied-Racing).
“Competing at the ‘Festival of Dreams’ in Hockenheim is super cool. A whole weekend dedicated to Porsche – I’m looking forward to a great atmosphere with masses of fans,” says front-runner Loek Hartog, who won his first cup race at Spa-Francorchamps. “Of course, another win would be great but I also have to keep my situation in the championship in mind and I won’t take too many risks. My goal is to earn as many points as possible from both races.”
Like Hartog, Harry King stood on top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland podium for the first time at the season opener in Belgium. “Of course, pole position and victory in Spa raised expectations. I’m keen to build on this success in Hockenheim. My goal is to close the gap to the top of the table,” said the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. Larry ten Voorde, currently second in the standings, has fond memories of Hockenheim: “I like the track. I won two races there last season. It’d be great if I could do something similar now.”
The 4.574-kilometre Hockenheimring, on which Formula 1 raced until 2019, requires compromises from the drivers when setting up their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “Half of the track needs high speed with little aerodynamic downforce. The other half is slower with tighter corners, so we set the rear wing angle steeper,” describes Porsche Junior Bastian Buus. The 19-year-old Dane drives for the Allied Racing team and currently ranks fourth overall.
“We’re expecting a lot of spectators at the ‘Festival of Dreams’. This promises to be a great anniversary party for the large Porsche community and a unique setting for the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. I’m delighted to have the ADAC GT Masters as one of our guests. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the Porsche drivers competing in Hockenheim and the Porsche teams contesting the 24-hour race in Le Mans this weekend. I’m also excited about the premiere of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic,” says Alexander Pollich, Managing Director of Porsche Deutschland GmbH.
Premiere for the Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic
Races three and four of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland are contested as part of the “Festival of Dreams” to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars. A 32-strong field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has registered for both races, each contested over roughly 35 minutes. The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, ADAC GT Masters and Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic are also part of the race weekend action. The Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic is a new racing series reserved for classic 911 cup cars of the 964 and 993 generations.
Visitors can also look forward to an action-packed programme away from the racetrack. In addition to the “Dream Talks” with fascinating personalities from the world of Porsche and a concert by Alvaro Soler (“Solo Para Ti”), the attractions also include a live broadcast of the 24-hour race in Le Mans, where Porsche as the record-holder competes for the first time with the new 963 hybrid racing car. High-speed ‘taxi’ rides organised by the Porsche Experience Center and a wide range of entertainment for children round off the “Festival of Dreams” programme.
Detailed information about the “Festival of Dreams” on the internet:
https://www.porsche.com/germany/aboutporsche/75years/festivalofdreams/
Separate Rookies and ProAm classification, support for drivers from Talent Pool
In addition to the drivers’ overall standings, points are awarded in three other categories in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. In the Teams’ championship, the Dutch squad GP Elite holds the lead after two races. In the Rookies class, ten talented youngsters from six nations pit themselves against each other. Harri Jones (Scherer Sport PHX), the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, currently leads this class.
Drivers without a professional background in motor racing can score points in the ProAm ranking. Bulgaria’s Georgi Donchev from the ProfilDoors by Huber Racing team currently ranks first. Moreover, Porsche Germany supports eight young drivers who are no older than 23 years through its Talent Pool initiative.
TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
The German TV broadcaster ProSieben is onboard as the media partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The programme “ran racing: Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland” will be televised immediately before each DTM race. In this five-minute magazine, viewers get a glimpse behind the scenes of the series and can witness the race highlights. All 16 races will be aired live on www.ran.de and on the Porsche Motorsport Hub. Moreover, the news channel ntv will continue to broadcast the programme “PS – Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland”.
Schedule Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland “Festival of Dreams” Hockenheim
Saturday, 10 June: 2:55 – 3:30 pm, Race 3
Sunday, 11 June: 2:55 – 3:30 pm, Race 4
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland standings (after 2 races)
1. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 41 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 40 points
3. Harry King (United Kingdom/Allied-Racing), 38 points
4. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (Denmark/Allied-Racing), 24 points
5. Harri Jones (Australia/Scherer Sport PHX), 20 points
Full points standings including rookie, ProAm and team categories
2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland calendar
27-29 April: Spa-Francorchamps (B)
9-11 June: Hockenheimring (D)
23-25 June: Zandvoort (NL)
4-6 August: Nürburgring (D)
18-20 August: Lausitzring (D)
8-10 September: Sachsenring (D)
22-24 September: Red-Bull-Ring (A)
20-22 October: Hockenheimring (D)