Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Concludes Tenth Season at the Top
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, the region’s premier one-make racing series, concluded a triumphant tenth season at a spectacular finale in Shanghai last weekend. The series scaled new heights this year with its most prestigious entry ever, the addition of series partner Budweiser, more teams and drivers joining the series, and a calendar of races which spanned the region. The 2012 season was hailed as the best yet.
On hand to mark the electrifying season finale, and in recognition of the importance of the fast-growing Chinese and Asian markets within Porsche’s global strategy, were Porsche AG executives: Mr. Matthias Mueller, President and Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board – Sales and Marketing; and Mr. Lutz Meschke, Member of the Executive Board – Finances and IT.
Commented Mr. Mueller: “When Porsche China took over the organisation of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2010, we were pleased to welcome a new era for the series, and we are committing all available resources to building a strong racing culture across China.” Evidence of this pledge, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia delivered an outstanding 2012 season, with superb on-track competition ultimately producing two new champions.
The season roared to life in fitting style supporting the prestigious 2012 FIA FORMULA 1 UBS CHINESE GRAND PRIX in Shanghai in April, followed by two exciting races at the Zhuhai International Circuit in June. In July, the series traveled to the challenging Inner Mongolian Ordos circuit, before racing in support of Malaysia’s Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race for the first time a month later. In September, the series raced in support of the FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX at the Marina Bay street circuit, before November’s season finale in Shanghai.
The 2012 season saw a 28-strong field of race-prepared Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, the finest line-up of GT specialists ever assembled in Asia. A record eight Porsche China dealer teams entered, with three new teams joining regulars: Team Jebsen, who once again fielded Macau driver Rodolfo Avila; Team StarChase with a two-car entry, the PICC Team StarChase car for 2012 champion Alexandre Imperatori and the Budweiser Team StarChase entry for series and GT racing newcomer, Tung Ho-Pin of China; Team Kangshun with veteran Singapore racer Ringo Chong; the series’ only lady driver returning with Team C&D; and Team Betterlife with reigning Class B champion Wang Jian Wei of China. The newcomers were Team Eagle – Jiejun & Junbaojie with Porsche specialist Martin Ragginger of Austria, Team Yongda Dongfang with Frenchman Benjamin Rouget, and Team Basetex with exciting young Chinese talent Zhang Da Sheng.
The battle for both the overall and Class B championship titles went right down to the wire at the final race meeting of the season in Shanghai, with Imperatori taking the title after the qualifying session for the penultimate round. Second was defending champion Keita Sawa of LKM Racing Team, with Ragginger third. Modena Motorsports’ Wayne Shen had to wait until the final round before taking a well-deserved Class B title.
With a field packed with emerging and established talent, the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season has been widely acclaimed as the most competitive yet, but plans are already well advanced to ensure the championship further strengthens its richly-deserved reputation as the series for pure racing drivers.
Porsche China Chief Executive Officer Mr. Helmut Broeker announced the 2013 provisional calendar during the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia gala prize giving: “As we mark a decade as Asian motorsports pioneers in 2013, we can look forward to field of outstanding drivers and a prestigious calendar to match. I am delighted to announce that we have three Formula 1 support races on the provisional calendar: Here in Shanghai, in Malaysia, and at the glittering Singapore Grand Prix. In addition, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will support two rounds of the Asian Le Mans Series, including a round at a new race track in South Korea, and a round of the China Touring Car Champion before ending the season here at the Shanghai Sportscar Champions Festival 2013. ”
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2013, and as it embarks upon its second decade leading the way for Asia sports car competition, a new chapter will be written. Organisers are preparing to scale new heights, raising the bar yet again on Asian motorsport as the series has done each year since its launch in 2003. With a new circuit to expand the series’ reach and supporting three rounds of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, its loyal supporters can look
forward to more thrills, more excitement and more superb motorsport as the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia prepares to go one better.
2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Final Points Standings (top 10)
Overall
Pos
Comp
No
Driver
Entrant
Points
1
99
Alexandre IMPERATORI
PICC Team StarChase
199
2
1
Keita SAWA
LKM Racing Team
155
3
20
Rodolfo AVILA
Team Jebsen
137
4
86
Martin RAGGINGER
Team Eagle-Jiejun & Junbaojie
133
5
98
TUNG Ho-Pin
Budweiser Team StarChase
130
6
8
Benjamin ROUGET
Team Yongda Dongfang
103
7
37
David RIZZO
BBT
77
78
ZHANG Da Sheng
Team Basetex
77
9
9
WANG Jian Wei
Team Betterlife
71
10
88
Egidio PERFETTI
Seminole Racing Team
61
Class B
Pos
Comp
No
Driver
Entrant
Points
1
16
Wayne SHEN
Modena Motorsports
178
2
21
Francis TJIA
OpenRoad Racing
152
3
88
Egidio PERFETTI
Seminole Racing Team
146
4
81
HUANG Chu Han
Asia Racing Team
139
5
5
Yuey TAN
Dorr McElrea Racing
107
6
6
ZHENG Ting
BBT
100
7
25
Christian CHIA
OpenRoad by ART Motorsports
84
8
27
Adrian Henry D’SILVA
Nexus Racing
72
9
23
Pail TRESIDDER
Hewlett Motorsport
70
10
28
John SHEN
Modena Motorsports
69
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2013
Provisional Race Calendar
Date
Circuit, Country
Event
Round(s)
March 02 – 03
Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia
Test Days
–
March 22 – 24
Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia
Formula 1 Support Race
Round 1
April 12 – 14
Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China
Formula 1 Support Race
Round 2
May 03 – 05
Zhuhai Intl. Circuit, China
China Touring Car Championship*
Round 3 & 4
July 05 – 07
Ordos Intl. Circuit, China
Asian Le Mans Series*
Round 5 & 6
August 02 – 04
Autopia Intl. Circuit, Korea
Asian Le Mans Series*
Round 7 & 8
September 20 – 22
Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore
Formula 1 Support Race
Round 9
October 25 – 27
Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China
Shanghai Sports Car Champions Festival*
Round 10 & 11
* subject to confirmation of commercial agreement.
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