Published on December 19th, 2013 | by Daniel Sherman Fernandez
0Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – 2014 Provisional Calendar
With a fleet of brand new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) racing cars, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia powers towards its 12th season as the undisputed leader in regional sportscar competition with its most prestigious calendar to date.
The provisional line-up for the 2014 season includes races at three rounds of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, with the opening race of the 11-round championship at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March following the official test three weeks earlier at the Sepang International Circuit. Round 2 will be part of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, with the series supporting the pinnacle of world motorsport for a third time on Singapore’s Marina Bay street circuit in September.
Following a double header at the China GT Championship at China’s Zhuhai International Circuit in May, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will make its debut in Japan, with Rounds 5 and 6 at the famed Fuji International Circuit.
The championship returns to Malaysia in August for two races at the Asian Festival of Speed, with the season finale inked as part of the Shanghai round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in October.
New for the 2014 season is the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991), which will make its debut in Asia with the championship. The more powerful 3.8-litre flat six engine produces 460 horsepower, 10 more than previously, and the six-speed automatic gearbox is operated by pneumatic paddle shift system, a first for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. Other enhancements include an upgraded break system, new one-piece racing wheels, a newly-developed roll cage, a new Recaro drivers’ seat, everything homologated to latest FIA requirements.
The driver line-up for the 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season will be announced in the new year.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2014
Provisional Race Calendar
Date | Circuit, Country | Event | |
March 07 – 09 | Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia | Test Days | – |
March 28 – 30 | Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia | Formula 1 Support Race | Round 1 |
April 18 – 20 | Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China | Formula 1 Support Race | Round 2 |
May 09 – 11 | Zhuhai Intl. Circuit, China | China GT Championship* | Rounds 3&4 |
June 06 – 08 | Fuji Intl. Circuit, Japan | One Make Series Festival* | Rounds 5&6 |
August 15 – 17 | Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia | Asian Festival of Speed* | Rounds 7&8 |
September 19 – 21 | Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore | Formula 1 Support Race | Round 9 |
Oct 31 – Nov 02 | Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China | World Endurance Championship* | Rounds 10&11 |
* subject to confirmation of commercial agreement
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2014
Series Partners
Supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport. The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is organised and promoted by Malaysian based Motorsport Asia Ltd.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991)
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsport version of the new 911 GT3 (Type 991). The near-standard race car, based on the seventh generation of the 911, makes its debut in Asia in 2014, having previously run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre, six cylinder boxer engine which, due to the weight optimized modular race exhaust system, generates 460hp (338 KW) at 7,500 revs per minute, ten horsepower more than its predecessor. Power is delivered to the rear axle via a race clutch and a Porsche Motorsport designed six-speed dog-type gearbox with a mechanical limited slip differential. For the first time in a Porsche makes cup race car, gear shifting is activated with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport. The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.
Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has grown by 100 millimetres, improving handling at the limit, while Porsche Motorsport newly designed the forged single-piece 18 inch race rims with central locking. The new racing brake system improves the endurance qualities of the 911 GT3 Cup, and the internally vented and slotted steel brake discs are operated by aluminium six-piston racing calipers in the front, and four-piston units at the rear.
Safety features have also been further enhanced, and drivers are protected by a newly calculated safety cage and newly designed race seat, while a rescue hatch in the roof enables easy access and extrication.
Like the road going version, the body of the new 911 GT3 Cup combines maximum rigidity with low weight thanks to its aluminium-steel construction, and weighs in at just 1,175 kilograms.