Porsche Motorsport around the world

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: 214 vehicles ready to race - It is the most popular racing vehicle in the world: No other thoroughbred race car is built in such numbers as the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Since September 2008, 214 units of the 420bhp racer for Porsche trophy series worldwide and the GT3 Cup S (for long distance racing following the FIA GT3 regulations) were built in the production plant at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Absolutely unique: Three race cars per day are assembled alongside the road-homologated Porsche 911 vehicles by the same employees on the production line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. In the Porsche Motorsport Centre at Weissach, all competition vehicles are aligned prior to customer delivery, receive a basic set-up for the race circuit and are given a shake-down by professional drivers on the test track next to the Motorsport Centre.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship
Two of the UK’s most promising young racing drivers will step up to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship in 2009 after being selected for the special Carrera Cup Scholarship. Nineteen year-olds Tom Bradshaw (Blackburn) and Lewis Hopkins (Winchester), who will each race a 420 bhp 911 Cup, were selected from more than 50 eager applicants following an intensive two-day evaluation process, based at the Porsche Driving Experience Centre, Silverstone. Each received £50,000 towards their Carrera Cup budget as well as mentoring from two-time Porsche Supercup Champion Richard Westbrook. The 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship begins at Brands Hatch, Kent, on April 4/5, and visits Thruxton, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Croft, Snetterton, Knockhill, Silverstone and Rockingham in support of the British Touring Car Championship. Acclaimed as the fastest single marque championship in the UK, a TV package will enable fans to keep up with the Carrera Cup action from their living rooms.

International GT Open: Top customer teams return
Even stronger Porsche representation in the International GT Open: Factory driver Richard Lietz and Italy’s Gianluca Roda return as reigning vice-champions to bid for the 2009 title at the wheel of a 911 GT3 RSR entered by Autorlando Sport. The successful French team, IMSA Performance Matmut, the winners, amongst other titles, of the 2008 French GT Championship, debuts with at least three examples of the 911 GT3 RSR. Works pilot Patrick Pilet joins forces with the French squad. Season-opener: 18-19 April in Imola, Italy.

Le Mans Series: Three works drivers in 911 GT3 RSR
Three factory drivers lend their support to customer teams in the race for the LM GT2 title of the Le Mans Series. Reigning LM GT2 vice-champion Marc Lieb and his colleague Richard Lietz pilot one of two 911 GT3 RSR cars fielded by Felbermayr Proton. Patrick Pilet shares the wheel of an IMSA Performance Matmut 911 GT3 RSR with his compatriot Raymond Narac.

Included on the entry list are 17 LMGT2 race vehicles. Five races, each over 1,000 kilometres, make up the calendar. New to the series is the night race on the Portimao circuit on the Algarve. Round one: 3 to 5 April, Barcelona.

Porsche RS Spyder: Returns to Le Mans 24 Hours
The successful Porsche RS Spyder customer project heads into the next phase. Two teams will again field a Porsche RS Spyder each at the Le Mans 24 hour race (13-14 June). The NAVI Team Goh from Japan and the Essex squad from Denmark are eager to repeat the double victory of the RS Spyder in the LMP2 class last year. Porsche works drivers Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Emmanuel Collard (France) support the teams in their campaign.

SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT: Porsche title defender – eight manufacturers start
With 24 race cars from eight manufacturers, the SCCA Pro Racing Speed GT Championship in the USA enjoys a full grid. To date, four Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars are entered. Porsche is back as the reigning champion of the manufacturers, and in the last two seasons, the drivers’ champions sat in sports cars from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. The first of ten rounds takes off as part of the ALMS Sebring weekend from 18 to 20 March.

Farewell to top race engineer: Pit stop for Roland Kussmaul
Engineer, race driver, technician, team leader and test pilot: Roland Kussmaul contributed to Porsche history over four decades. Now the Stuttgart-based man has turned 65 and was given an official farewell at the annual Porsche Motorsports Night in Weissach in December 2008. The farewell, however, is only a pit stop and not a chequered flag. In the future, the former head of the Performance Department at Porsche will be available as a consultant.

Kussmaul is not only regarded as a top engineer and race strategist, but also as an excellent test pilot, at home in all types of motorsport. In 1984 and 1986 he led the Porsche works team – himself in a 911 as “swift service man” – to overall victory at the Dakar Rally. As driver and co-driver, Kussmaul successfully contested the World Rally Championship as well as circuit racing events. On the other side of the pit wall, he was responsible, as team leader, for many Porsche successes at all major long distance events.