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It takes fans on an interactive journey through 60 years of Porsche Motorsport history showcasing previously unreleased films, photo galleries and stories. Phase one of the three-stage Web Special highlights the legendary venues of Porsche’s racing history and brings the greatest moments of motorsport back to life.
Each week, new content is added, outlining why Porsche and motorsport are inseparably connected. In addition to historical film documentaries, interviews with drivers, engineers and former race directors allow a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes.
Stuttgart. In the qualifying for the six hour race of Spa-Francorchamps, round two of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for sports cars on the storied circuit in the Ardennes,
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
Porsche works pilots Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France) planted their Porsche 911 RSR on the sixth grid spot in the GTE-Pro class. For Saturday’s race, they share the cockpit of the number 91 car with Timo Bernhard (Germany).
Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Richard Lietz, Porsche AG Team Manthey
Their works driver colleagues Marc Lieb (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) take up the race one position behind them. The third driver in the 470 hp # 92 GT racer is Richard Lietz (Austria). Porsche AG Team Manthey field both Porsche 911 RSR.
From this season on, the qualifying in the WEC is conducted following a new format: For the first time, two drivers must qualify one car. The grid positions for the race are determined by the average of the two fastest timed laps of each of these drivers.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
Joerg Bergmeister (#91)
“I made a small mistake in my second lap. Otherwise I could have gone a little faster. But I still pitted so that I didn’t wear the tyres too much for Patrick.”
Patrick Pilet (#91):
“The car ran very steadily and that’s good for the race. We’re not too far back and I hope that we can do even better tomorrow.”
Romain Dumas (#92):
“That qualifying wasn’t perfect. But I’m sure we’ll look better in the race.”
Marc Lieb (#92):
“Our car performed better than in practice so that’s a small step in the right direction. Let’s see what tomorrow’s race brings.”
Porsche AG Team Manthey
Qualifying result GTE-Pro class
1. Makowiecki/Bell/Senna (F/GB/BRA), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:19.811 minutes
2. Bruni/Fisichella (I/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.042 seconds
3. Kobayashi/Vilander (J/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.278
4. Turner/Mücke/Dumbreck (GB/D/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.296
5. DallaLana/Stanaway/Lamy (CAN/NZ/P), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.430
6. Bergmeister/Pilet/Bernhard (D/F/D), Porsche 911 RSR, + 0.432
7. Lieb/Lietz/Dumas (D/A/F), Porsche 911 RSR, + 1.049
GTE-Am class
1. Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen (DK/DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:21.265 minutes
2. Potolicchio/Aguas/Malucelli (I/P/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.030 seconds
3. Goethe/Hall/Campbell-Walter (D/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.284
4. Bornhauser/Canal/Rees (F/F/BRA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.480
5. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.425
7. Narac/Vernay (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.156
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The World Endurance Championship
In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.
Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 RSR narrowly missed out on a podium spot at its first race outing.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
At the six hour race in Silverstone, the season-opener of the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC), Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Romain Dumas (France) occupied fourth in the GTE-Pro class with the 470 hp race car from Weissach.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
At the wheel of the second 911 RSR, also fielded by the newly-formed Porsche AG Team Manthey, their works driver colleagues Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Pilet (France) and Timo Bernhard (Germany) took the flag in sixth.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
On the storied British race track, the Porsche 911 RSR, based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, took up the race after a good qualifying result from the second row of the grid and could match the pace of its strongest opponents for some time.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
At times, Patrick Pilet was running third with the #91 car, before an unscheduled pit stop cost him more than two laps and pushed him down the field.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
Halfway through the race, Romain Dumas was also on track for a podium place in third with the #92 car. Later, his teammate Richard Lietz even moved into second place – but at the end of the day it was not enough for a top three placing.
Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board – Research and Development:
Wolfgang Hatz, Vorstand Forschung und Entwicklung Porsche AG, Porsche 911 RSR
“That was the first race for the new car and the new team. The organization of the squad worked well. Of course, there are areas where we have room for improvement, but it’s like a football team, we first have to get everything running smoothly.Technically, everything worked on the 911 RSR apart from a one small thing which we will have fixed by the next race.
As far as the performance is concerned, we still have room for improvement. Naturally we also have to work on the car, it has a little too much oversteer.
But all in all I regard it as a positive weekend. It wouldn’t have been good if the car had experienced lots of problems, but that was not the case. We saw that the 911 RSR can turn consistently quick lap times over the race distance. Now if we do our homework, I think we’ll finish further up the field at the next races.”
Hartmut Kristen, Porsche Head of Motorsport:
“Both new 911 RSR reached the flag at their race debut, and there were no major technical problems. With a new team, of course there is still some fine-tuning to be done, that’s normal. We are looking forward to the next race and hope that the car will make another step forward there.”
Marc Lieb (#92):
Marc Lieb, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“We gained many important insights in the race. The car underlined its potential. Now we just need to work a little more on that.”
Richard Lietz (#92):
Richard Lietz, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“We were looking good in the fast corners, but we need to sort out the oversteer exiting the slow corners. But our engineers should be able to correct this by the next race. If so, the podium is within reach.”
Romain Dumas (#92):
“An interesting race. We learned a lot. On the straights we are a little slower than our opponents which makes overtaking very difficult. Still, there are many positives things we can take from this race.”
Joerg Bergmeister (#91):
Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“That wasn’t our dream result. But we’ve learned a lot this weekend. The conditions were not the easiest, because we had no time to practice on the dry track for setting up the car.”
Patrick Pilet, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“It’s bad luck that we lost more than two laps, but the mechanics did a good job. In any case, we’ve found a good basis to work on and we are optimistic for the rest of the season.”
Timo Bernhard (#91):
“Heading towards Le Mans that was a very valuable race for us. Our performance wasn’t too bad. Without the front axle problem a podium place would have been within reach.”
Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Proton Competition, Christian Ried, Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti
In the GTE-Am class, Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti scored fifth place in last year’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the customer team Felbermayr-Proton.
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Round two of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) takes place on 4 May in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium).
Race result GTE-Pro class
1. Turner/Mücke/Senna (GB/D/BRA), Aston Martin Vantage, 171 laps
2. Kobayashi/Vilander (J/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, 170
3. Dalla Lana/Macowiecki/Lamy (CAN/F/P), Aston Martin Vantage, 170
4. Lieb/Lietz/Dumas (D/A/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 170
5. Bruni/Fisichella (I/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 170
6. Bergmeister/Pilet/Bernhard (D/F/D), Porsche 911 RSR, 168
GTE-Am class
1. Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen (DEN/DEN/DEN), Aston Martin Vantage, 169 laps
2. Bornhauser/Canal/Rees (FRA/FRA/BRA), Chevrolet Corvette, 166
3. Potolicchio/Aguas/Peter (I/VEN/A), Ferrari F458 Italia, 165
4. Goethe/Hall/Campbell-Walter (D/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 165
5. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165
7. Narac/Bourret/Tandy (F/F/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 163
The World Endurance Championship
In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
Stuttgart. The new Porsche 911 RSR heads into its race debut from the second grid row of the GTE-Pro class.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
In qualifying for the six hour race on the tradition-steeped British race circuit, on which the World Endurance Championship (WEC) kicks off the new season on Sunday, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France) posted the third quickest average time.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
Sharing the number 91 cockpit for the race is their works driver colleague Timo Bernhard (Germany). The 470 hp 911 RSR is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and is fielded by the Porsche AG Team Manthey squad.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
From this season on, the qualifying in the WEC is conducted following a new format: For the first time, two drivers must qualify one car.
The grid positions for the race are determined by the average of the two fastest timed laps of each of these drivers.
Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“As far as the set-up is concerned we have found some potential because prior to this qualifying we had very little time in the dry,” said Joerg Bergmeister.
“So we had to take a bit of a risk and almost found the right point. I think we’ll get it under control in time for the race.” Patrick Pilet commented: “In a six hour race, the qualifying times are not everything. I’m looking forward to Sunday and can’t wait for the first race with the new 911 RSR.”
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
In the second Porsche 911 RSR with the starting number 92, the factory pilots Richard Lietz (Austria) and Romain Dumas (France) achieved the fourth quickest average time. For the race, the pair receives support from Marc Lieb (Germany).
Romain Dumas, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“That was the first time that I drove the car on the dry track this weekend,” stated Richard Lietz. “We knew it would be difficult. But much more important than the result was that I got a good feel for dry conditions with new slicks. I was very happy with my laps.”
Romain Dumas, Porsche AG Team Manthey
His teammate Romain Dumas said: “That was an interesting qualifying. We are going well with our new car, but we’re still certain to learn a great deal over the season.”
Romain Dumas, Porsche AG Team Manthey
“The qualifying went quite well so far. We were lucky that it stayed dry,” said Porsche’s Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “The whole team is now raring to tackle the first race with the 911 RSR.”
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey- Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
Qualifying result
GTE-Pro class
1. Turner/Mücke/Senna (GB/D/BRA), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:00.556 minutes
2. DallaLana/Macowiecki/Lamy (CAN/F/P), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.216 seconds
3. Bergmeister/Pilet/Bernhard (D/F/D), Porsche 911 RSR, + 0.742
4. Lieb/Lietz/Dumas (D/A/F), Porsche 911 RSR, + 0.886
5. Bruni/Fisichella (I/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.946
6. Kobayashi/Vilander (J/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 1.237
GTE-Am class
1. Goethe/Hall/Campbell-Walter (D/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:01.158 minutes
2. Nygaard/Poulsen/Simonsen (DEN/DEN/DEN), Aston Martin V., + 0.382 seconds
3. Gerber/Griffin/Cioci (ZAF/IRL/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 1.238
6. Narac/Bourret/Tandy (F/F/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.860
The World Endurance Championship
In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.
Stuttgart. Latest photos from free practice on the Silverstone Circuit, on which the first round of the World Endurance Championship WEC is contested on Sunday.
World Endurance Championship, round 1 in Silverstone, Great Britain
Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey
Stuttgart. At the six hour race on the Silverstone Circuit, which signals the start of the 2013 World Endurance Championship (WEC) season on 14th April, the Porsche 911 RSR celebrates its race debut. Running the campaign on the storied 5.981 kilometre circuit in the British Midlands is the Porsche AG Team Manthey works team with Olaf Manthey at the helm.
Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey
The Porsche drivers
Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Pilet (France) and Timo Bernhard (Germany) take up the GTE-Pro class in the 911 RSR with starting number 91.
Porsche 911 RSR , Porsche AG Team Manthey: Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Patrick Pilet
Sharing driving duties in the cockpit of the number 92 vehicle are their factory driver colleagues Marc Lieb (Germany), Richard Lietz (Austria) and Romain Dumas (France).
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
Two customer teams tackle the GTE-Am class with last year’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR: Driving the Proton Competition entry is Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda, with an all-French line-up of Raymond Narac, Christophe Bourret and Jean-Karl Vernay competing for IMSA Performance Matmut.
The Porsche 911 RSR
The Porsche 911 RSR delivers 460 hp and is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car.
Timo Bernhard, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey
As the successor to the winning 911 GT3 RSR, with which Porsche customers scored many victories and title wins since 2004, it is characterized by consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics.
Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey: Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Romain Dumas
Joerg Bergmeister, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey
The look of the new 911 RSR is dominated by the flared mudguards and the deep cooling air intakes at the front. The exceptional vehicle styling honours the anniversary “50 years of the 911”.
Timo Bernhard, Porsche 911 RSR, Porsche AG Team Manthey
The schedule
The six hour race takes off on Sunday, 14 April, at midday local time (13.00 hrs CET). Eurosport 2 televises the start of the race live at 13.00 hours (30 minutes) and returns to a live broadcast at 15.00 hours (30 minutes). The final hour is aired live from 18.00 hours on Eurosport 1. The race can be viewed live on the internet under http://www.fiawec.com.
Comments before the race
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “The whole team is ready and raring to tackle the first race with the 911 RSR. Our squad has worked extremely hard over the last months to make our new car competitive right from the start.”
Jörg Bergmeister
Joerg Bergmeister (# 91): “I’m looking forward to my premiere in the WEC – in the most beautiful and spectacular 911 ever.”
Patrick Pilet
Patrick Pilet (# 91): “To share the cockpit with such successful Porsche pilots like Joerg and Timo is a great and exciting challenge.”
Timo Bernhard
Timo Bernhard (# 91): “I felt great at the tests in the 911 RSR. We have a good chance to win our class with this car.”
Marc Lieb
Marc Lieb (# 92): “The new 911 RSR is a significant step forward. I hope that the good test results can be confirmed at the first race.”
Richard Lietz
Richard Lietz (# 92): “We face very strong opposition from the works teams from Ferrari and Aston Martin. In Silverstone we’ll see where we stand.”
Romain Dumas
Romain Dumas (# 92): “I’m looking forward to racing the new 911 RSR with Marc and Richard and I’m confident that we’ll make a good start into the season.”
In the World Endurance Championship, sports prototypes and GT vehicles start in four different classes: LMGTE-Pro, LMGTE-Am, LMP1 and LMP2. They all compete together in one race but are classified separately.
Stuttgart. Porsche has developed a new GT race car for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The new 911 RSR is characterised by consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics. The exceptional vehicle styling honours a very special anniversary:
Porsche 911 RSR
From a bird’s eye perspective, the numbers 50 and 911 are visible. These stand for 50 years of the Porsche 911. The Porsche AG Team Manthey works squad exclusively fields two Porsche 911 RSR in the 2013 season.
Porsche 911 RSR
The new 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, follows in the footsteps of its successful predecessor, the 911 GT3 RSR. As with the production vehicle, the wheelbase grew by about ten centimetres. A new wishbone front suspension replaces the previously used McPherson struts. Another new development from Porsche Motorsport is the particularly lightweight racing gearbox. The six gears are selected via paddles on the steering wheel. The 460 hp, 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine was taken from the predecessor and optimised in detail.
Porsche 911 RSR
One of the priorities in the development of the new 911 RSR was the more evenly balanced weight distribution. The centre of gravity is also significantly lower than that of its predecessor. Carbon fibre played a crucial role in the new design. The front and rear mudguards, front and rear lids, doors, underbody, wheel arches, rear wing, dashboard and centre console are constructed from the very light and strong material. Moreover, all windows are made of particularly thin and light polycarbonate. Also contributing to the weight reduction is the lithium-ion battery known from the GT road-legal models.
Porsche 911 RSR
The look of the new 911 RSR is dominated by the flared mudguards and the deep cooling air intakes at the front. With the new air ducting, the radiator is now centrally-located in the front and even more effective than in the previous model. At the same time, the cockpit air conditioning became more efficient. The quick-change concept of the body parts was specially adapted for endurance racing, allowing for easier maintenance and shorter repair times. The front end, front lid and rear panel are fitted with quick release systems and can be replaced within seconds.
Porsche 911 RSR
Competing in the Porsche 911 RSR with starting number 92 are Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria), who already shared a cockpit in the 2012 WEC. At the first two races of the season in Silverstone (14.4) and Spa (4.5) as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (22.6), they receive support from their works driver colleague Romain Dumas (France).
Richard Leitz
Marc Lieb
Romain Dumas
Factory pilots also drive the #91 sister car, with Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (FR) making up a team. In Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans, the duo is joined by Timo Bernhard (Germany).
As a pilot of historic racecars, Hans Herrmann still takes part in many vintage car events for the Porsche Museum.
Stuttgart. Hans Herrmann, one of the most successful and best known works racing drivers at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, will celebrate his 85th birthday on 23 February 2013. Born in Stuttgart in 1928, this long-distance specialist was considered one of the most successful and dependable racing drivers of his era.
His motorsports career lasted from 1952 to 1970, during which Hans Herrmann won over 80 overall and class victories.
Hans Herrmann 1961 test driving the Porsche 787 in Hockenheim.
Hans Herrmann started his racing career in early 1952, piloting a privately-owned Porsche 356 1500 in mountain races, rallies, and endurance races. A year later he and Richard von Frankenberg took overall fifth place in the Lyon-Charbonnieres rally.
Porsche works driver Hans Herrmann turns 85.
Porsche racing chief Huschke von Hanstein thereupon hired him for the Porsche Works team. Herrmann drove the 550 Spyder at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, and together with Helmut Glöckler came in first in the 1.5 litre displacement category right off the bat.
Sebring 1956: Hans Herrmann with Porsche Typ 550 Spyder.
In 1953, at the age of 26 Herrmann won the title of German Sportscar Champion and got the attention of legendary Mercedes-Benz racing chief Alfred Neubauer, who hired him for his works team. Hans Herrmann piloted the Mercedes W 196 Silver Arrow in the premier category of motorsports, teaming with top drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio and Karl Kling. Parallel to that, in 1954 he continued to drive for Porsche in the smaller displacement categories. In the 550 Spyder he won widely noted class victories in the Mille Miglia and Carrera Panamericana.
1.000 km Nürburgring, Porsche 718 RSK: Porsche employee Huschke von Hanstein in conversation with Hans Herrmann, 1959.
When Daimler-Benz pulled out of racing in 1955, Herrmann went on to drive Formula 1 races for Maserati and BRM, as well as other races as a Borgward works driver. In 1957 he became European Vice “Bergmeister” – Mountan Champion – before returning to the Porsche works team in 1959. Together with Joakim Bonnier, in 1960 Herrmann took the overall victory at the Targa Florio in a Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder, and the Formula 2 championship in a Porsche 718/2. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring with Olivier Gendebien. In 1963 he left Porsche KG and joined Carlo Abarth’s racing team.
Hans Herrmann 1970 at 1.000 km Nürburgring with Porsche 908/03 Spyder.
In 1966 Herrmann returned to the Porsche works team, not only driving in all the major long-distance races and European Mountain Championship races, but also doing countless test drives in Weissach. With pilots Hans Herrmann, Jo Siffert, Vic Elford and Rolf Stommelen, in 1969 the team took the World Sports Prototype Championship for the first time. In 1970, at his eleventh Le Mans race Herrmann capped off his career with a bang, winning the first overall victory for Zuffenhausen in a Porsche 917 KH.
He took this motorsports achievement as a suitable time to retire from active racing, after 42 years on the track. Since then Hans Herrmann has lived with his wife Magdalena near Stuttgart, successfully operating his company “Hans Herrmann Autotechnik.” As a pilot of historic racecars, he also takes part in many vintage car events for the Porsche Museum.
Major Porsche racing victories by Hans Herrmann
1952 ADAC-Deutschlandfahrt 356 1st place (class)
1953 24 Hours of Le Mans 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1953 Grand Prix Germany, Nürburgring 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1954 Mille Miglia 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1954 Carrera Panamericana 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1956 12 Hours of Sebring 550 A Spyder 1st place (class)
1956 Grand Prix Germany, Nürburgring 550 Spyder 1st place (class)
1960 Targa Florio 718 RS 60 1st place (overall)
1960 12 Hours of Sebring 718 RS 60 1st place (overall)
1966 Grand Prix Zeltweg 906 Carrera 6 1st place (overall)
1967 1000 km of Spa 910 2nd place (overall)
1968 24 Hours of Daytona 907 1st place (overall)
1968 1000 km of Nürburgring 907 2nd place (overall)
1968 12 Hours of Sebring 907 1st place (overall)
1968 1000 km of Paris 908 1st place (overall)
1969 1000 km of Nürburgring 908 2nd place (overall)
1969 24 Hours of Le Mans 908 2nd place (overall)
1969 1000 km of Monza 908 2nd place (overall)
1970 1000 km of Nürburgring 917 2nd place (overall)
1970 24 Hours of Le Mans 917 1st place (overall)
Stuttgart.Porsche AG fields two new 911 RSR based on the 991 model generation at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and in the World Endurance Championship.
Entry for the newly developed vehicles sporting the starting numbers 91 and 92 was confirmed for the GTE class by the organisers ACO and FIA today in Paris.
The factory squad “Porsche AG Team Manthey” will run both 911 RSR race cars.
Contesting the event in the #92 Porsche 911 RSR are Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria).
Marc Lieb
Richard Lietz
The pair has already shared a cockpit in last year’s WEC. At the first two rounds of the season in Silverstone (14 April) and Spa (4 May) as well as at the Le Mans 24 hour race (22 June) they will receive reinforcement from their works driver colleague Romain Dumas (France).
Works drivers also pilot the number 91 sister car:Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) teams up with Patrick Pilet (France). In Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans the duo are joined by Timo Bernhard (Germany).
Jörg Bergmeister
Patrick Pilet
Timo Bernhard
Additionally, the customer teams IMSA Performance Matmut and Felbermayr Proton have received a starting place in the WEC and at Le Mans, fielding the predecessor model Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the GTE-Am category.
At the wheel of the IMSA Matmut 911, Raymond Narac (France) shares driving duties with Jean-Karl Vernay (France) who contests the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with backing from Porsche AG this year. Vernay is the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France.
Jean-Karl Vernay
The customer team Dempsey Racing-Proton is also delighted with its acceptance to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Patrick Dempsey
Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey, who is known especially for his role as “McDreamy” in the hit television series Grey’s Anatomy, already contested the Le Mans race in 2009 and now climbs back into the cockpit.
“We are very much looking forward to returning to Le Mans with a works team from Porsche for the first time since 1998,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen.
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
“The new 911 RSR performed well in earlier tests and is already proving extremely reliable on the track. Between them, our six pilots have scored eight class wins in Le Mans and have a great deal of experience with different 911 race cars.
And our customer teams in the GTE-Am class are also well prepared for the 2013 season.”
Stuttgart. The sprint to the finish of the Daytona 24 hour race turned into a gripping game of fuel poker in the fiercely contested GT class.
(l.-r.): Nick Tandy, Marco Holzer, Patrick Pilet, Romain Dumas, Patrick Long, Jörg Bergmeister, Michael Christensen, Richard Lietz, Klaus Bachler, Marc Lieb
In the last laps, the teams put all their eggs in one basket with their strategies, waived an additional time-consuming fuel stop so that they had a winning chance at the prestigious sports car classic in Florida.
Richard Lietz
For Porsche works driver Richard Lietz this did not work out: Last year’s winner from Austria, who had held the lead position over long stretches in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and was on course for a podium result in the final laps, had to save fuel and was hence unable to utilize the full potential of the car.
(l.-r.): Richard Lietz, Nicolas Armindo, Andy Lally, John Potter
With his Magnus Racing teammates Nicolas Armindo (France), Andy Lally (USA) and John Potter (USA) he finally finished in fifth – ahead of his works driver colleague Marco Holzer (Germany) who shared driving duties in the Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Damien Faulkner (Ireland) and Cooper MacNeil (USA).
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Magnus Racing: Richard Lietz, Nicolas Armindo, Andy Lally, John Potter
The six best placed of the 34 GT vehicles crossed the finish line inside one lap.
“As title defender we had anticipated a better result than fifth of course, still we can be satisfied with our performance,” said Richard Lietz. “Right up until fifteen minutes before the flag everything was running to plan, unfortunately our strategy didn’t quite work. But we didn’t have a choice.
We did everything we could but it wasn’t quite enough.” He led the field with his number 44 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup over a total of 43 laps – far more than any of his opponents. Marco Holzer said: “It was a tough race for us.
We managed the distance well despite some problems but had to ease off the throttle in the last laps to save fuel. We took the gamble and didn’t want to refuel at the end. Sadly this plan didn’t quite succeed.”
Daytona 24 Hours
“That was certainly one of the most exciting 24 hour races,” said Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport.
“Our customer teams were right up there in the fight for victory. Last year we came home with a triple victory, this time others climbed the podium.”
At his debut race as a Porsche works driver, the Briton from Konrad Motorsport/Orbit snatched the lead from pole position. His perfect start, however, was not a good omen: After about eight laps and many incidents, he had to park his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup trackside with suspension damage.
Michael Christensen
This also proved to be a bitter experience for his teammate Michael Christensen, the Porsche junior from Denmark who contested his first ever 24 hour race.
Klaus Bachler
For the second Porsche junior, however, Daytona yielded success: Austria’s Klaus Bachler, who contests the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup this year with Michael Christensen, finished eleventh in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports after putting in a commendable performance.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports: Madison Snow, Melanie Snow, Sascha Maassen Marco Seefried, Klaus Bachler
“We had a few problems during the night but all in all everything went well,” he commented. “That was my first 24 hour race and I learned a great deal.”
At the wheel of his Porsche Cayman, the 2009 overall winner from America David Donohue won the GX class with his compatriots Nelson Canache, Shane Lewis and Jim Norman.
With this, he earned Porsche, the most successful manufacturer in the history of the race, the 75th class victory in Daytona.
(l.-r.): Richard Lietz, Klaus Bachler, Nick Tandy, Marco Holzer, Patrick Pilet, Patrick Long, Michael Christensen, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb, Jörg Bergmeister
During this year’s Rolex 24 At DaytonaPorsche will launch Daytona Live, an exciting online destination for following race updates.
Porsche at 24 Hours of Daytona
Daytona Live will capture behind-the-scenes stories from drivers and race teams as well as the conversations from fans at home and at the track as well.
For a chance to have your posts displayed on Daytona Live, include hashtags #Rolex24, #Porsche, or @Porsche when posting to Twitter or Instagram.
The best Tweets, pictures and videos from drivers, fans and the Porsche Motorsport teams will be compiled into one stream at www.porsche.com/daytona so that fans can easily view race updates from any web-enabled device.
Daytona 24 Hours – Press Release – 24/01/2013 Four Porsche on the first four grid spots
Stuttgart. Good starting position for Porsche at the Daytona 24 hour race: In qualifying for the sports car classic in Florida, Porsche pilots locked out the first four grid spots in a field of 36 vehicles entered in the GT class.
Nick Tandy
Pole position went to Nick Tandy in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Konrad Motorsport/Orbit. Daytona marks the first race for the Briton as a Porsche works driver.
Michael Christensen
One of his teammates is Porsche Junior Michael Christensen (Denmark), who contests his first 24 hour race on Saturday.
“Pole position in Daytona shouldn’t be underestimated, even if the race runs over 24 hours,” said Nick Tandy.
“Starting from the front allows you to avoid getting caught up in any skirmishes and that’s certainly an advantage. Our car ran perfectly and that gives us a good feeling for the race.”
In last year’s winning car with the starting number 44, Andy Lally (USA) set the second quickest qualifying time.
Sharing the cockpit of the Magnus Racing 911 GT3 Cup is Porsche works driver Richard Lietz from Austria.
Richard Lietz
Third in qualifying in the fiercely competitive qualifying session on the Daytona International Speedway, in which the eleven top placed cars are all within just one second, went to Sean Edwards (MOMO/NGT) from Great Britain ahead Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long (USA) competing for the Park Place Motorsports squad.
“We won the race last year. Second on the grid is an excellent starting position to repeat this success,” said Richard Lietz.
Patrick Pilet
Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet (France), one of Sean Edwards’ teammates, was also feeling optimistic.
“Sean did an excellent job. After this great qualifying result we are all looking forward to the race. Our goal is to finish on the podium.”
The Daytona 24 Hours starts on Saturday at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 hrs CET).
Result GT qualifying
1. Nick Tandy (GB), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 1:47.631 minutes
2. Andy Lally (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.197 seconds
3. Sean Edwards (GB), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.376
4. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.506
5. Alessandro Balzan (I), Ferrari 458, + 0.629
6. Felipe Albuquerque (MEX), Audi R8, + 0.651
7. Marco Seefried (D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.688
8. Robin Liddell (GB), Camaro GT.R, + 0.699
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SOURCE: Daytona 24 Hours – Porsche Media Press Database
Communication Porsche AG
Motorsport Press
In North America, the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race sets the standard for sports car performance and longevity. Traditionally, the 24 hour race on the Daytona International Speedway is the first highlight of the motorsport season and year after year attracts the best pilots from all kinds of race series worldwide to the ‘Sunshine State’ of the USA.
Porsche has collected 72 class and 22 overall wins in the race’s 49-year history, making Porsche the most successful manufacturer in the history of the race. In recent years, Porsche cars have made up almost one-half of the overall entry list at Daytona.
The race
The endurance classic, which kicks off the Grand-Am Series season, started out in 1962 as a three-hour race. At 1,250 miles in 1964, the race grew to double the distance of the classic 1,000 kilometer races of Spa, Monza and the Nürburgring. The maiden 24-hour event in Daytona took place in 1966. Taking their places on the winner’s list are Formula 1 champions like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti as well as legendary Porsche pilots like Hans Herrmann, Rolf Stommelen, Hurley Haywood and Bob Wollek.
The circuit
The Daytona International Speedway is one of the world’s most famous racetracks. The 24-hour race is contested on the 3.56-mile track combination of oval with banked corner and the infield. The circuit is also the venue for the famed NASCAR Daytona 500 race with more than 250,000 spectators annually.
Driver Line-up Includes Race’s First Mother-Son Duo
BATAVIA, Ohio, Jan. 12 — Wright Motorsports of Batavia, Ohio and Snow Racing of Pleasant Grove, Utah, have combined forces for a history-making entry in the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., Jan. 24-27.
The entry marks the first time a mother and son will compete in this storied race, as Melanie Snow and her 17-year-old son Madison are two of five drivers of the Wright Motorsports/Snow Racing Porsche GT3 Cup No. 62 sponsored by Universal Industrial Sales (UIS) and Bilstein Shocks. Headquartered in Lindon, Utah, UIS is among the largest suppliers of overhead sign structures and fabricated highway products in the country.
Melanie Snow
The other three drivers in the very strong line-up are Porsche veteran Sascha Maassen, 43, of Lontzen, Belgium; Porsche junior driver Klaus Bachler, 21, of Unzmarkt, Austria, who has been competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup; and top Porsche driver and instructor Marco Seefried of Wemding, Germany, 36. He’ll compete in two 24-hour races this month, as he is driving a Porsche 911 in the 24 Hours at Dubai Autodrome at press time.
Grand-Am Rolex Series photos by Brian Cleary
Wright Motorsports/Snow Racing’s white, red and black Porsche is currently one of 36 entries in the Grand Touring (GT) class for the Rolex 24.
Both Melanie and Madison Snow are making their first Rolex 24 starts, although they have extensive experience in other series. Along with her husband, Martin Snow, and another driver, Patrick Huisman, Melanie Snow was part of the winning GTS entry at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1999 in a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Madison and Melanie Snow Professional racing drivers Photo source: autoblog.com
Madison Snow, of Lehi, Utah, started racing at the age of 4 in karts.
He finished second overall last year in the top class of the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama with three victories in a car prepped by Wright Motorsports. When he clinched that series’ Gold Cup championship in 2011 when he was 15 he became the youngest Porsche one-make Cup champion in history.
Although he won’t be the youngest driver ever to compete in the Rolex 24, at press time he’s the youngest driver entered in this year’s race, according to Grand-Am officials.
Maassen has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice and both the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans four times. He was the ALMS GT champion twice and he has also won the ALMS LMP2 championship and the FIA GT championship. He is also an instructor for Porsche, and one of his students is Bachler.
All five drivers participated in the official test for the event Jan. 4-6 at Daytona, where they logged 279 laps around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course that also incorporates most of the oval. They were in the top five in half of the eight test sessions, they were only out of the top 10 once, and they topped the charts in Practice 3.
“There were 12 hours of testing available, and we put 11 hours on the car,” said Wright Motorsports owner John Wright, who is participating in this race for the 19th time. He has been on the podium at this event many times in various roles, most recently in 2009 when he was the team owner/manager of the car that finished third in the GT division. Maassen was one of the drivers in that effort.
“The car was strong; we were fast at the test,” Wright said. “All the drivers showed good pace; there isn’t a weak link in our driver line-up, and the team is gelling nicely.
“In addition to UIS and Bilstein, we’d like to thank Porsche Motorsports North America for all their help, especially the guys who work in the engine and parts departments, and the phenomenal track support that they supply,” Wright added. “Running a 24-hour race is a big undertaking, but they make it a lot easier.”
Wright also stressed that it’s a pleasure to work with Martin Snow. “He brings so much experience to the program,” Wright said. “I don’t have to explain how endurance racing works to him. We get right down to business. I hope together we can make this Rolex 24 a winning performance.”
Wright Motorsports is coming off a sensational season in which its drivers finished first, second and third in the driver point standings and it won the team championship and Rookie of the Year award in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama. The team won 11 of the 15 races and had 27 podium finishes and 12 poles in that series last year with a driver line-up that included both rookies and veterans, just like it will have at the Rolex 24.
“We enjoy combining veterans with rookies,” Wright noted. “We pride ourselves on our driver development program. It fits our business model well, and it’s a way for us to help mold the sport’s future.”
The No. 62 will be on the track for the first practice session of the event at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 24. Another practice session at 1:15 that day precedes qualifying at 4:10 p.m. and a night practice session at 6 p.m. There is a final practice session at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 25 before the 24-hour enduro begins at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26.
SPEED will provide live coverage of the Rolex 24 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, Jan. 26 and continuing at 9 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, Jan. 27.
Live timing and scoring will be offered on the series’ website at grand-am.com. Additional information on Wright Motorsports can be found on the team’s website at wrightmotorsports.com, its Facebook page and through Twitter. Snow Racing’s website is at snow-ahead.com.
Driver pre-race quotes, in alphabetical order, follow:
Klaus Bachler:
“I am really looking forward to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. It is my first 24-hour race and my first race in the United States. Last week we had three good test days, and I think we will have a good car for the race. I feel good about the team and my teammates. Wright Motorsports is really professional. I can’t wait for the race!”
Porsche junior driver Klaus Bachler, 21, of Unzmarkt, Austria
Sascha Maassen:
“I am looking forward to the start of the 2013 racing season. John Wright and I have already had some success at the Rolex 24, finishing on the podium. And I’m also looking forward to working with the Snow family. I raced with Martin a few years ago at Daytona and I coached Melanie and Madison in 2011 at some IMSA Cup events. Another thing I’m looking forward to is racing with Klaus Bachler, the Porsche junior driver, whom I am normally coaching in Europe. Together with Marco Seefried, we have a very strong line-up.”
Porsche veteran Sascha Maassen, 43, of Lontzen, Belgium
Marco Seefried:
(Quote translated from his website, as he was racing in Dubai at press time): “The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the world’s most important endurance races. The first time I drove at Daytona was during the test. We reeled off a comprehensive program with our Porsche 911 GT3 at the test. Our driver line-up is very balanced, which in a long-distance race is a great advantage. During the night practice I was able to set the third-fastest lap in the GT class. It was a great result against very strong competition. I’m happy to be racing after the long winter break, and I’m looking forward to competing at Daytona very much.”
Top Porsche driver and instructor Marco Seefried of Wemding, Germany, 36
Madison Snow:
“The test went much better than I expected. I had assumed we would have a few fast people, but I didn’t think that everyone on our team would be this fast.
“The thing that surprises me is how well we all get along together. After the sessions when we went over the car and how it felt, I was surprised that we all felt the same thing. I’ve heard stories of teams when drivers all have different styles and so it is hard to set up the car for everyone, but we all get along and drive so similarly that it makes it much easier.
“I can’t wait for the race because I know we have such a good driver line-up and that we can win the race. I feel like we are the best team there because we get along so well with each other — drivers and crew. That is the difference from us to everyone else out there. This race will be really good for all of us. It’s the first 24-hour race for my mom and me so I really hope we are able to come out on top together.”
Melanie Snow:
“Wow, what a fun test at Daytona! I am really excited to be racing there. This will be my first 24 Hours of Daytona race. Having been there many times before, supporting Martin, I know the feeling of excitement that is spread throughout the track. I was never able to race at Daytona before, as when I had other opportunities I was pregnant or had a baby with me.
Finally, I get to race it, and what makes it so special is that I get to race it with Madison. My first time at Daytona with Martin, Madison was with me and he was just 6 weeks old. Now he is racing it with me; how time flies!
“Sascha, Marco and Klaus are such a great asset to our team. We have a wonderful dynamic and work so well together. Wright Motorsports has prepared our UIS Porsche and they have done an amazing job. The car was flawless at the test and we had some really good times. Between our drivers and our hard-working crew we have the best team! I can’t wait to get back to the track and get the race started!”
About Wright Motorsports:
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche tuning facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, near Cincinnati, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief Wright has played a key role in winning seven driver and six team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series.
John Wright, owner & director of Wright Motorsports, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician
In 2013 Wright Motorsports will defend its 2012 driver and team championship and field multiple entries in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge; service its customers who compete in other series and club-racing events, and provide race car-quality preparation for its customers’ high-performance street cars. For more information see WrightMotorsports.com on the Internet and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.
Stuttgart. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car in the world. Since 1998, 2,395 units of the near standard vehicle for customer sport were produced.
The new edition of the 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsports version of the future 911 GT3 and as such is the first race car that is based on the seventh generation of the sports car icon from Zuffenhausen.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
The 911 GT3 Cup will be run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2013.
The car for one-make racing made its debut on the occasion of the end of motorsport season “Night of Champions” celebration at the R&D Centre in Weissach.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre six-cylinder flat engine. It generates 460 hp (338 kW) at 7,500 revs, surpassing the predecessor by 10 hp.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
A six-speed dog-type gearbox developed by Porsche Motorsport which is operated via shift paddles at the steering wheel for the first time in a Porsche brand trophy race car transmits the power to the rear axle.
The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
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.
A newly developed race braking system further improves the excellent endurance qualities compared to its successful predecessor. The 380 millimetre slotted and inner-vented steel brake rotors at the front axle are decelerated by six-piston aluminium fixed callipers. The rear axle features a four-piston version.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
During the development of the new car a particular emphasis was put on the driver safety. A newly designed safety cage protects the pilot in case of a roll or a collision as does a newly developed race seat which is distinctively shaped around the head and shoulders and can be adjusted individually with the help of padding. A rescue hatch in the roof provides easy access for primary medical attention and for the extrication of the driver.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
“The new 911 GT3 Cup is much easier to drive at the limit,” says Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard, who was significantly involved in the development of the new vehicle.
“The car is excellently balanced. The new axle geometry is enormously positive for the handling. Apart from that the new Cup 911 is great fun to drive.”
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
Like its predecessor the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is produced in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on the same assembly line as the road legal models.
At the Motorsport Centre in Weissach it receives a general set-up for the circuit and is tested by a professional race driver before delivery to the customers. The basic price for the vehicle, which is available exclusively in white, is 181,200 Euro plus the country-specific value added tax.
At the Weissach Motorsport Centre, preparations for the running of the new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship are progressing at high revs. For this feat the infrastructure was considerably expanded.
A new workshop building and an office complex have been completed. “The first rollout of our new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013,”announced Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of season “Night of Championscelebration”.
“The car will be run by our own works team based here at Weissach.” The LMP1 project was realised by a new department headed by Fritz Enzinger.
With his well-established organisational structure, Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen continues to be responsibilityfor all other motorsport programmes worldwide. The customer sport model 911 GT3 R celebrated 41 wins from 131 starts in a range of GT3 racing series worldwide. For the 2013 season Porsche offers teams an upgrade package which will position the GT3 R even better in the performance window as defined by the FIA.
In his speech, Hatz underlined the importance of GT racing for Porsche and pleaded for two different GT categories for works-supported professional sport and for customer sport:
“In factory sport the regulations must be based on technology while in customer racing a stronger alignment of the relative strength by Balance of Performance measures is legitimate.”
In addition to the promotion of four Porsche Juniors, one pilot from the international makes cups will enjoy comprehensive support for the 2013 season. Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay (25) who won the Carrera Cup France at his first attempt last season receives funding to the value of 200,000 Euro towards his 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign. At a test session in Vallelunga, Vernay won over eight other top drivers from the Carrera Cups France, Asia, Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Australia, Great Britain and from the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada. Vernay has already made a name for himself in international motor racing.
In 2005 he claimed the championship in the French feeder series Formula Renault Campus and went on to finish second in a Formula 3 single-seater at the Macau Grand Prix in 2009. In 2010 Vernay went to the USA and promptly clinched overall victory in the Indy Lights Series’ in his first season. Peugeot contracted the Frenchman as a test and reserve pilot for their LMP1 project in 2011. At the same time Vernay competed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and was crowned LMP2 champion.
“The support from Porsche is a great opportunity for me,” says Vernay. “In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup all drivers have to adjust to a new vehicle.
As a newcomer, this means I’ll have a good chance to be competitive right from the beginning.
The Supercup is the pinnacle of the Porsche one-brandcups and has a great reputation as a launching platform to enter professional GT sport.”
With its well-established works drivers, Porsche is relying on continuity.
All nine drivers still have a valid contract for the 2013 season or their contract was extended.For six of the nine drivers, the 24-hour race at Daytona on 26 January marks the start of the new season.
Joerg Bergmeister drives a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for The Racers Group. With Kevin Buckler’s squad, Bergmeister scored a sensational overall victory at Daytona in 2003 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Marco Holzer competes for Alex Job Racing, Marc Lieb again joins forces with Brumos Racing and Richard Lietz drives for last year’s winner Magnus Racing
Patrick Long goes racing for Park Place Motorsports and Patrick Pilet competes for the NGT team.
For the Porsche JuniorsMichael Christensen and Klaus Bachler the race in Daytona marks the first time in their career that they contest a 24 hour race. Christensen receives support in his campaign from Christian Engelhart and Porsche Cup winner Nick Tandy for the Konrad Motorsport team with whom he contested the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2012. Bachler is competing for Snow Racing.
SOURCE: Porsche Motorsport Porsche Press Database
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board – Research and Development
Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board
Michael Christensen (DK)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1
Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Timo Bernhard, Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet, Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas, Marco Holzer, Wolf Henzler, Porsche works drivers
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
Jean-Karl Vernay – Winner International Scholarship
24h Le Mans
Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa, International Scholarship, Vallelunga
Alexandre Imperatori, Michael Meadows, Edoardo Piscopo, Johan Kristoffersson, Côme Ledogar, Jean-Karl Vernay, Kyle Marcelli, André Heimgartner, Ryo Hirakawa (l. – r.), International Scholarship, Vallelunga
René Rast (D)
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Italien 2012
Klaus Bachler (A)
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – 01 Hockenheimring 2012
Stuttgart. For the 2013 racing season, Porsche AG will field two new GT racecars based on the newest generation of the Porsche 911 at the Le Mans 24 hour race and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the first time since the overall victory in 1998, a factory team from Porsche will tackle the famed long distance classic in France.
While having halted development of its 997-model 911 GT3 RSR and pulled factory support from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche announced Friday that it will field a team of its own in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship with its new-generation GTE contender.
The German manufacturer will team up with longtime partner Manthey Racing to campaign two new 991-model Porsche 911 RSRs in the global sports car championship, including a full attack at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The effort, to be run under the Porsche AG Team Manthey banner, will mark the first factory entry in the twice-around-the-clock marathon by Porsche since its overall victory in the famed race in 1998.
Porsche 911
The two new Porsche 911 RSR, which race in the GTE category, will be run by the Porsche AG Team Manthey.
Porsche 911
The role of team manager goes to the experienced endurance specialist Olaf Manthey, who has celebrated five overall wins with Porsche at the Nürburgring 24 hour race and recently fielded a 911 GT3 RSR in the International GT Open.
Porsche 911
“The new 911 RSR is currently being developed by our engineers and tested by our works drivers,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “What better time could there be to introduce the new car than the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary.”
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport
Full details of Porsche’s factory program, including drivers, are unclear at this point. However, it would seem logical for both cars to be filled with its usual crop of factory pilots, with Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long all appearing to be potential candidates. Additionally, fellow factory driver Marco Holzer and Nick Tandy, who both drove for Manthey’s works-supported squad in International GT Open this year, could be in contention as well.
Videos from the shootout from the Porsche Motorsport International Scholarship process on the Autodromo di Vallelunga. Which is contested this week and for the next couple of weeks. Porsche will make a decision on who will get the scholarship for the next years Supercup 2013.
Stay tuned here for the latest updates as they come in.
Video Shootout #2 on the Autodromo di Vallelunga …”9 Drivers – 1 Goal”
PORSCHE MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP #1 Video at Autodromo di Vallelunga
Video Shootout #1 on the Autodromo di Vallelunga.. “Dancing in the Rain”
PORSCHE MOTORSPORT INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP #2 Video at Autodromo di Vallelunga
The end of the 2012 ALMS season is marked with the ten hours of Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. To celebrate the close of the season, Porsche shows the Art of Speed – the racing moments you may have missed from the historic event.
Porsche pilots narrowly miss podium at season final
Stuttgart. At the Petit Le Mans, the final round of the American Le Mans Series season on the storied Road Atlanta circuit, Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany), Patrick Long (USA) and Patrick Pilet (France) narrowly missed out on a podium placing after becoming faultlessly entangled in an accident.
But despite an additional stop-and-go penalty, they finished the 1,000 mile race on the challenging course in the U.S. state of Georgia fifth in the GT class at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports.
“I tried to overtake a Ferrari and was right up next to him when he suddenly turned in and forced me onto the grass,” said Joerg Bergmeister.
“I don’t understand why it should have been my fault and why I was punished for it. But the race director decided it should be so and therefore ruined our race.”
“To lose the vice-championship in this manner is of course bitter,” said Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “The teams and drivers battled hard but it simply wasn’t enough.”
Patrick Pilet added, “We put in a super fight for the podium but toward the end the car became very difficult to drive.”
Patrick Long, who won in Lime Rock this season and came second at three races with Joerg Bergmeister, is now looking ahead to the next season.
“At the last six races we earned the most points of anyone. That makes me very optimistic for the future. We could easily have brought home a podium result today. The penalty handed to Joerg cost us the victory. The whole team then tried everything and used a great strategy to keep us in contention, but after the accident the car was no longer fast enough. Still, it was a good season for us.”
In the 911 GT3 RSR entry of Falken Tire, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany)
and his teammates Bryan Sellers (USA)
and Martin Ragginger (Austria) scored sixth place.
“We can be pleased with this result today,” said Henzler. “Our pit stops were good, we came in at exactly the right time, but we just couldn’t hold the pace of the front-runner. Falken will now use the winter break to develop the tyres further and I’m certain that we will have made great strides forward at the season-opener in Sebring next year.”
Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany), who drove the second Flying Lizard Porsche
with Seth Neiman (USA)
and Nick Tandy (Great Britain), took the flag in seventh and said,
“Our pace was good in the race, much better than in qualifying. After an off which cost us a lot of time we managed to fight our way up again. My first full season in the American Le Mans Series was a great experience, not least because of the pole position in Elkhart Lake.”
Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) supported regular pilots Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA) in the cockpit of Paul Miller Racing’s 911 GT3 RSR. He commented on the team’s tenth position,
“Several times we had to pit earlier to change the tyres and that cost us time. So for us it was all about getting the car to the finish line in one piece. The work with the team was a really interesting experience for me.”
At his debut in the American Le Mans Series, Kuba Giermaziak (Poland), who normally contests the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, clinched victory in the GTC class. He won withHenrique Cisneros (Mexico) and Mario Farnbacher (Germany) at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The Petit Le Mans was also the season final of the European Le Mans Series.
In the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the IMSA Performance Matmut squad, Frenchmen Nicolas Armindo, Raymond Narac and Anthony Pons won the GTE Am class and secured overall victory in the European counterpart to the American Le Mans Series.
Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen commented,
“To contest a ten hour race without making any mistakes in the fight for the title is no easy feat. You can only congratulate the team on this performance.”
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Result
GT class
1. Sharp/van Overbeek/Vilander (USA/USA/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, 375 laps
2. Magnussen/Garcia/Taylor (DK/E/USA), Chevrolet Corvette, 375
3. J. Müller/Auberlen/Summerton (D/USA/USA), BMW E92 M3, 374
4. D. Müller/Alzen/Summerton (D/D/USA), BMW E92 M3, 373
5. Bergmeister/Long/Pilet (D/USA/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 373
6. Henzler/Sellers/Ragginger (D/USA/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 372
7. Holzer/Neiman/Tandy (D/USA/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 369
10. Maassen/Miller/Lietz (D/USA/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 367
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The field is divided into five classes that start together but are classified separately:
GT class:
American Le Mans Series (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This most popular class among car manufacturers traditionally receives the most support: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms. LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and a 900 kg minimum weight. LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECAFLM 09.
