Porsche Cup for van Overbeek – Westbrook new Works Driver

Johannes van Overbeek (USA) is the winner of the 2007 Porsche Cup. This is the trophy Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has been awarding each year since 1970 to the most successful driver of a private Porsche racing car. On the occasion of the Porsche Motorsports Night in Weissach Executive Vice-President for Development Wolfgang Dürheimer presented the prize and Euro 37,000 prize money to van Overbeek.

As the driver, co-founder and co-owner of the Flying Lizard Motorsports Team, Johannes van Overbeek was the runner-up in the LMGT2 class of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in a Porsche GT3 RSR. Winning the races in Lime Rock, Mid Ohio and the Ten Hours of Atlanta, 34-year-old van Overbeek from San Francisco, together with his team-mate Porsche works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Langenfeld, Germany), remained within striking distance of the title all the way until the last race. Places two and three also went to successful Porsche drivers in the ALMS: Darren Law (USA) received prize money of Euro 23,000 and Wolf Henzler (Nürtingen, Germany), took home a cheque for Euro 18,000.

On the occasion of the Motorsports Night Porsche also announced the recruitment of a new driver: British professional driver Richard Westbrook (32) will be joining the Works Team in 2008. Among other outstanding achievements, Westbrook has proved his merits by bringing home the Championship in the Porsche-Mobil1-Supercup in both 2006 and 2007. And finishing as the runner-up in the Carrera Cup Germany 2007, winning the Carrera Cup Great Britain in 2004, and coming home second in Britain in both 2003 and 2005, this fast driver from London has already confirmed his outstanding skill at the wheel of a Porsche 911 racing car. In the 2008 season Westbrook will be reinforcing some selected customer teams in international Gran Turismo races.

US driver Patrick Long has been a member of the Porsche Works Team since 2004. In 2008 this fast man from California, now 26 years old, will be sitting for the first time in the cockpit of a Porsche RS Spyder entered by Penske Racing in all races for the American Le Mans Series. Long has already proved his skills impressively at the wheel of a 911 GT3 RSR in Gran Turismo events, winning the LMGT2 Driver’s Championship in the American Le Mans Series in 2005 after clinching five races and finishing as the runner-up a year later in 2006. In 2004 and 2007 Long won the 24 Hours of Le Mans (France) in a GT3 RSR, and in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) the Porsche Works Driver now based in Las Vegas was No 2 on the winner’ podium.

In 2007 Australian driver Ryan Briscoe showed his qualities right from the start in his first year as a Porsche Works Driver. At the wheel of an RS Spyder entered by Penske Racing, 26-year-old Briscoe, together with his team-mate Sascha Maassen (Aachen, Germany), apart from other successes, scored two overall wins in the American le Mans Series, finishing his first year in the ALMS as the runner-up at the wheel of the fastest sports car and prototype in the world. Since Briscoe will be taking the wheel of a formula car for Penske Racing in 2008 in the American IndyCar Series, this likeable professional driver from Sydney will be leaving the Works Team at the end of the year.