Porsche Carrera Cup GB racers rev up for Nürburgring debut
Drivers from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB have completed two days of intensive training ahead of the Porsche Carrera World Cup on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife race circuit in Germany on June 25.
The Nordschleife, or ‘Northern Loop’, measures over 15 miles in length and is widely regarded as the most challenging track in the world. It is steeped in racing history and sits high in the Eifel Mountains, where unpredictable weather simply adds to the mighty challenge faced by the drivers and has helped inspire it to become known as the ‘Green Hell’.
As part of their pre-race preparations, the participating drivers from the UK spent a day at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone learning about the challenge of the legendary track from 2006 Nürburgring 24 Hours winner, Lucas Luhr. The group then switched to The Race Centre, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, to spend time learning more about the track’s 120 corners on specialist computer simulators.
“The Nordschleife is a very special track and it is very quick,” said Luhr as he talked around a lap of the circuit. “It is not like any other race track and you have to find a fluent, easy rhythm. One of the most important things is to know where the changes of surface are. It is challenging, and it is the best circuit in the world. But never underestimate the Nordschleife!”
Current Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship leader James Sutton, who before this year has never visited the Nurburgring, said it was a very useful two days. “It is a lot to take in, but it should be an incredible experience,” he said. “The experience that Lucas Luhr has of the track has been really useful for us to learn from.”
2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB race winners Euan Hankey and Stephen Jelly both recently visited the Nürburgring for the first time. “It is the most incredible track I’ve ever seen, and I just wish I’d gone there earlier. I can’t wait for the race,” said Hankey.
“I think it is a fantastic opportunity,” said Jelley. “It’s going to be very hard, but it is great to have the chance to race there.”
This is the first time that the Porsche Carrera Cup GB has featured a race outside of the UK and Eire, and the Nürburgring event is the ninth round of the Championship. Twenty-two competitors from the Carrera Cup GB and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge will contest the race, which runs prior to the start of the 39th ADAC 24-hour race. It will run over a distance of six laps, approximately 95 miles, and more than 250,000 spectators are expected to watch the race.
The Porsche Carrera World Cup forms the season highlight of the 18 Porsche brand trophy series worldwide. This race counts as a round of several other national Carrera Cups, including Germany and Scandinavia. The entry for the race will be divided into two classes: the 911 GT3 Cup with 3.6-litre engines from 2007 to 2009 model years (400 to 420 hp) and the 3.8-litre versions of the 2010 and 2011 model years (450 hp).
