Porsche
PAC: Series Shanghai preview
Record Field Raring To Go As the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia revs up for its eighth season, the record field of 23 drivers and their new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars is raring to go. The curtain will rise on the 11-round season next week, with two races ...
Edited: Apr 9, 2010, 2:49 AM
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Record Field Raring To Go
As the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia revs up for its eighth season, the record field of 23 drivers and their new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars is raring to go. The curtain will rise on the 11-round season next week, with two races held as part of the 2010 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix weekend in Shanghai.
Further strengthening its position as the region's premier sportscar championship, the series will see its strongest field to date - an exciting mix of Asian and European GT professionals and keen amateur racing drivers - roar off the grid for the start of the 2010 season from April 16-18.
The much-heralded new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is stronger, wider, and quicker than ever before and, for the first time, is based on the street-legal 2010 GT3 RS version.
A new innovation for this season sees the series open to private teams for the first time.
Back to defend his Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title is Team StarChase driver Christian Menzel. The German sportscar specialist won his first-ever Asian title in 2009, and in 2010, hopes to become the first driver to win back-to-back titles.
Hot on his heels, however, is the 23-year old Macau racer Rodolfo Avila who, after finishing fourth in his debut Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season last year, will drive for two-time title winner Team Jebsen. Another strong contender is former Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion Craig Baird of New Zealand. Baird competes full time in the Asian series in 2010 with Team PCS Racing having been runner-up in a one off race in Singapore last year.
Red Bull China Racing's Marchy Lee is another force to be reckoned with, as the Hong Kong driver returns to the series after finishing fifth in 2008. Jeffrey Lee of Chinese Taipei rounds out the professional Class A entries, as the Team Pauian Archiland driver returns to the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, having made the transition from single-seater racing in 2008.
The bumper Class B, for non-professional racers, features the return of several competitors from 2009, mixed with a host of newcomers. Singaporean hotshot Yuey Tan returns to the series in 2010 with Wimobilize McElrea Racing, having finished third in the category in his debut sportscar season last year. Hong Kong driver Mak Hing Tak returns with OMAK Team, as do Singapore's Ringo Chong with China's Team Kangshun and Team PCS Racing driver Mok Weng Sun of Malaysia.
Canadian Philip Briandet, who made his debut with the series for a one-off race in Malaysia last year, is entered for the full season with Shift2neutral Racing, while LKM Racing's Siu Tit Lung of Hong Kong is back in the field after a three year absence.
With nine drivers making their Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Class B debuts in Shanghai, the opening rounds will undoubtedly be full of drama and excitement. The newcomers include Dyna Ten Motorsport's Kenneth Lau and Michael Choi, both of Hong Kong; OpenRoad Racing's team of brothers, Christian Chia of Canada and Marcel and Francis Tjia of The Netherlands; and Modena Motorsports teammates and brothers Wayne and John Shen, both of Hong Kong. Frenchman Jean-Marc Merlin will compete with Team J2M Racing, while Hong Kong drivers Jacky Yeung and Morris Ku with Team DAYCRAFT, round out the list of newcomers.
Asia Pacific Motorsports driver Ross Lau of Canada and Jacob & Co Racing driver Max Chen of Chinese Taipei are guest drivers in Shanghai.
Since its debut in 2003, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has established itself as the region's leading one-make sportscar series and, year after year, continues to raise the bar for Asian motorsport. This season is no exception, with a record number of entries, a new car and an exciting 11-round calendar.
The season debut in support of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix is the first of two race weekends in support the FIA Formula One World Championship. Following the opening two rounds in Shanghai, the series will travel to the Chinese capital for two races at the Goldenport International Circuit as part of the exclusive Fascination Porsche weekend, before moving to Zhuhai in China's southern Pearl River Delta Region for a further two races.
In August, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is scheduled to make its debut on the brand new Korean International Circuit which will host the country's maiden Formula 1 Grand Prix later in the year. Next, the series travels to Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit for the 2010 Porsche SC Global Carrera Cup Asia - Singapore at the 2010 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.
For the 2010 season finale, the series will return to Shanghai as part of the China Touring Car Championship fixture.
-source: pcc pac
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