Murray dominates Round 3 of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup

Cooper Murray extends Virtual Championship lead in a dominant performance at Monza

Following two split-second photo finishes in Round 2 in Daytona, the close racing continued between the country’s best Porsche drivers in Monza for Round 3 of the Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Virtual Cup.

Championship leader, Cooper Murray claimed his sixth victory in a row, and by doing so, extends his Mobil Pro Championship lead to 72 points over Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans in second.

As in Daytona, the slipstreaming effect among the field’s front runners in the Mobil Pro class was again a factor in the lead changes on the long straights and sweeping turns which characterize the famous Grand Prix Circuit at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Murray signalled his intentions early, topping the practice timesheets, 0.3 seconds clear of young go-karter, Matthew Payne and Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell. The Phase 8 McElrea Racing driver would start Race 1 in second behind young, Formula Ford star Cody Burcher.

The field’s usual suspects in Payne and Campbell rounded out the top four positions respectively, with the quartet promising to resume the tight, on track tussle they displayed in Daytona.

Burcher made the best of his pole position off-the-line to lead Murray and Evans (who started from fifth) on the first lap. Harri Jones and Campbell lost touch with leading trio midway through the first lap, after the front pack was split avoiding a spinning Aaron Love.

With Murray, Burcher and Evans swopping positions lap-after-lap, it would be Murray who would take the lead a final time and defend the position to the flag. The Pro-Am field, by contrast, was more spread out by the end of the first 20-minute sprint race, with Matthew Belford coming home over 20 seconds ahead of Graham Williams and John Goodacre.

Belford was able to repeat his winning performance in Race 2, coming home four seconds ahead of the Porsche Team entry of McElrea Racing’s Jamie Ross on that occasion, with Sergio Pires in third.

In the Mobil Pro field, Evans would make the best from the front row but out-brake himself into turn 1, handing the lead and advantage to Murray, Jones and Burcher. Campbell and Payne would also clash in the early laps dropping the pair down the 40-car field and out of contention for the remainder of the round.

As the race progressed, both Murray and Burcher would overtake Jones, while Evans would lose ground after making contact with a lapped backmarker.

The race was settled when Murray and Burcher made contact in the final stages, with Burcher running wide as a result. Evans meanwhile, would recover to second position after Jones spun on the final lap.

The final race of the evening would again see Evans lead off-the-line from and run wide into the first turn. The Porsche Junior would then clash with another backmarker mid-race dropping him to fourth behind Murray, Burcher and Jones.

Unlike the first two races, Murray was never challenged and by the end of the race crossed the line over four seconds ahead of Burcher.

After a huge start-line pile-up at the rear of the field, Pro-Am Championship leader, Dean Cook would emerge unscathed to take the class win from Marcel Zalloua and Emanual Palyaris. Cook now holds a 37-point lead over Graham Williams heading into Round 4. Round 4 of the Porsche PAYCE & MICHELIN Virtual Cup will take place on the 15 June at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst.

All three races from Round 3 in Monza will be shown on both the @PorscheMotorsportAU Youtube channel and Facebook page at 20:00 (Melbourne time) on Friday evening.

Results: Round 3, Monza  

Race 1

Mobil Pro

1. Cooper Murray
2. Jaxon Evans
3. Cody Burcher

Pro-Am

1. Matthew Belford
2. Graham Williams
3. John Goodacre

Race 2

Mobil Pro

1. Cooper Murray
2. Jaxon Evans
3. Cody Burcher

Pro-Am

1. Matthew Belford
2. Jamie Ross
3. Sergio Pires

Race 3

Mobil Pro

1. Cooper Murray
2. Cody Burcher
3. Harri Jones

Pro-Am

1. Dean Cook
2. Marcel Zalloua
3. Emanuel Palyaris

Porsche announces dates and details for 2020 Junior Shootout

Porsche confirms details and Michelin Juniors in contention for the 2020 Junior Shootout nomination

Following a two month break in global motorsport – due the unprecedented steps implemented across the globe to stop the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – Porsche Motorsport has announced the dates for the Porsche Junior Shootout in 2020 after global restrictions start to ease.

The announcement also reaffirms that the Porsche Michelin Junior Programme will again resume, once the country’s premier one-make Championship returns to race tracks in the coming months.

The scheduled dates for Porsche Junior Shootout are 01 to the 04 December and as in 2019, will again take place at an undisclosed European race track. Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion, Jordan Love, attended the 2019 Shootout at the Portimao circuit in Portugal which opened the door for the West Australian to join the Fach Auto Tech team for the 2020 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season.

The main goal for all Michelin Junior drivers in Australia is an opportunity to be nominated to attend the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout. The Shootout continues to play a crucial role in the development of the best emerging talent globally and is seen as the benchmark pathway for talented drivers to progress to the highest level, following in the footsteps of Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans.

The driver who wins the Michelin Junior competition in the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship will be nominated to attend the Porsche Junior Shootout at the end of the 2020 season.

Earlier this year five of the most talented young drivers in Australia were selected as Michelin Juniors for the 2020 season. That list included current both Mobil Pro Championship leader, Cooper Murray, and Albert Park Round winner, Cameron Hill together with Sonic Motor Racing teammates Aaron Love and Max Vidau, as well as 2019 Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones.

Porsche Cars Australia will also include three young drivers from the Michelin Sprint Challenge field in the Junior Program for 2020. This includes McElrea Racing teammates Christian Pancione and Ryan Suhle as well as Sonic Motor Racing’s young Formula Ford graduate, Courtney Prince.

To be eligible as a Michelin Junior in 2020, Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers must be aged under 23 as of January 01, 2020, while Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup drivers must be aged under 25 as of January 01, 2020.

All Michelin Juniors in each series must commit to a full season and carry additional Michelin Junior branding on their racing apparel and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. All eligible young drivers across both Michelin Sprint Challenge and Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup, will have access to a significant prize pool for the 2020 season, which they earn through their overall round results achieved throughout the season.

Further details regarding the revised 2020 calendar and start date for both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship and the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge series will be announced in the coming weeks.

VIDEO LINK: Porsche Michelin Junior Programme 2019 review: https://youtu.be/CB1OHplS3jI

VIDEO LINK: Porsche Michelin Junior Training Days 2019:  https://youtu.be/cquPduF6iqw

David Reynolds to make Porsche return in Round 3 of Virtual Cup

Former Carrera Cup champion to take on the best local and international Porsche drivers in Monza

2007 Porsche Carrera Cup Champion, David Reynolds will get behind the wheel of a virtual Porsche 911 Cup car on Monday evening when the Penrite Racing Supercar driver lines up against the best local and international Porsche drivers in the Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Virtual Cup.

Round 3 of the online championship takes place on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza Grand Prix circuit on the iRacing platform over three scheduled 20-minute sprint races. The fixed set-up races will all be held on clear sunny conditions, in contrast to the series’ first night races in Daytona last time out.

So far the race action has been intense with multiple lead changes and photo finishes characterizing the last two Porsche Virtual Cup races. Round 3 should be no different with the slipstreaming effect down Monza’s long straights sure to provide plenty of action in both the Mobil Pro and Pro-Am classes.

At the sharp end of the field, the Phase 8 McElrea Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Cooper Murray leads the Mobil Pro Championship after showing blistering pace and consistency at every round. The young Melbourne driver is expected to resume his lap-by-lap battle with young NZ karting star, Matthew Payne, as well as international Porsche stars, Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans.

Harri Jones, Callum Hedge and Christian Pancione have all shown they have the pace too, to take line honours with strong performances in each of the first two rounds.

Pro-Am class leader, Dean Cook will have a good opportunity to increase his class lead over Graham Williams and John Goodacre in Monza, with second-placed Rob Woods unfortunately not available. Woods was just five points adrift of Cook heading into the Italian round.

The Virtual Cup Team entry for Round 3 – which affords nominated crew members of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup teams to compete – will be entrusted to Jamie Ross from McElrea Racing. Timothy McReynolds of Wall Racing impressed all in the Team entry, taking two Pro-Am victories in the last round.

Other debutants joining the 39-car field for the first time in Monza include Formula Ford rising star, Cody Burcher and NZ V8 Super Touring car driver, Alexandra Whitley.

Post-race highlights of each event will be broadcast on Porsche Motorsport Australia social channels, with all three races broadcast on the @PorscheMotorsportAU Facebook and Youtube channels at 20:00 (Melbourne time) on Friday evening.

Follow Porsche Motorsport Australia on Facebook and Instagram @PorscheMotorsportAU to keep up-to-date with information about the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia Championship.

Entry list: Round 3  – Monza

Podium result for Van Gisbergen and Porsche in IMSA iRacing Pro Series

Podium result for Porsche at the virtual Virginia International Raceway

Porsche has notched up another success at round five of the IMSA iRacing Pro Series on the virtual Virginia International Raceway in Alton (USA). The New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen concluded the 90-minute race on second place at the wheel of the No. 97 Porsche 911 RSR. Works driver Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium was stymied by bad luck. After a strong qualifying performance, the reigning champion of the real IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was thrown far down the field after touching another car in lap one. The American Shinya Mishimi put in another impressive drive to finish fourth at the wheel of his No. 86 Porsche 911 RSR.

Van Gisbergen, who stars in the Australian Supercars Championship, had taken up the virtual race from fifth on the grid with the Porsche 911 RSR entered by the AIM Vasser Sullivan team. Over the race distance, the experienced touring car driver kept out of trouble and, with patience and oversight, held a steady course for the podium. Shortly before the end of the penultimate round of the IMSA iRacing Pro Series, the 31-year-old from Auckland profited from several incidents among the frontrunners to ultimately take the flag in second after 50 laps, just 4.957 seconds behind the winner.

For the Porsche works driver Vanthoor, the dream of scoring a top result in the sim racing competition on the tradition-steep 5.26-kilometre circuit was shattered early on. Starting from the fourth grid spot, the Belgium became entangled in an incident in the first lap and dropped back to 34th place. Putting in a spirited charge, Vanthoor worked his way back up to twelfth place by the mid-way mark, only to have a pit stop and subsequent damage repairs undo his good work. The 29-year-old Belgian, who lives in the German town of Waiblingen, finished his race on P38.

The sixth and final race on the IMSA iRacing Pro Series calendar takes place on 11 June at the virtual and venerable track of Watkins Glen (USA).

<strong>Comments on the race</strong>
<strong>Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 RSR #912):</strong> “I was extremely unlucky in this race. My qualifying result was strong; position four was great progress for me compared to the previous sim racing competitions. I deliberately tried to keep out of any trouble in the starting phase. I kept well clear of the other drivers, but then a typical phenomenon of online racing threw everything into disarray. Some driver close to me apparently had a poor internet connection. The iRacing platform then assesses some situations as contact, when in fact there was none. In the replay, you can see that I didn’t touch anyone. I suddenly spun like crazy and was hit by several cars. That was the end of that.”

<strong>Results Porsche participants</strong>
2. Shane van Gisbergen (NZ), Porsche 911 RSR #97, 50 laps
4. Shinya Michimi (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #86, 50 laps
11. Corey Lewis (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #48, 50 laps
12. Benjamin Waddell (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #98, 50 laps
20. Kyle Masson (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #38, 50 laps
27. Michael de Quesada (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #014, 48 laps
29. Scott Hargrove (CDN), Porsche 911 RSR #92, 47 laps
33. Robert Wickens (CDN), Porsche 911 RSR #9, 41 laps
34. AJ Allmendinger (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #60, 36 laps
35. James Vance (CDN), Porsche 911 RSR #32, 33 laps
38. Laurens Vanthoor (B), Porsche 911 RSR #912, 29 laps
39. Riley Dickinson (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #53, 28 laps
41. Parker Chase (USA), Porsche 911 RSR #19, 27 laps

Porsche names Campbell and Evans in Virtual Le Mans 24 Hour Esports team

Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans Preview - Porsche drivers join forces with sim racers

Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans have been named as part of the newly-established Porsche Esports team which will tackle the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans on 13/14 June. Porsche will field four 2017-spec Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE class, the same class they contest in the real world.

At the digital race on the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures in the French department of Sarthe, Porsche works drivers, juniors and young professionals will also share driving duties with seasoned sim racers – these professionals from the online and offline worlds will join forces to fight for honours.

A total of 16 drivers make up the Porsche Esports squad. The debut of the ultimate sim racing endurance event involving the works drivers is partnered by the online simulation platform rFactor2.

“Under the current circumstances, the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans offers an excellent opportunity to reach many fans around the world,” says Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport at Porsche. “Le Mans is considered the most traditional long-distance race and the digital version can now attract a completely new target group to professional motor racing. I’m curious to see how the combination of works drivers and elite sim racers will work.”

The virtual 24-hour race on the 13.626-kilometre circuit at Le Mans promises to be a lifelike and entertaining competition on a high racing niveau. Long before the coronavirus pandemic, Porsche had set its sights on the professionalization of online motorsport and last year expanded its motorsport activities to include sim racing. For the digital 24-hour event, the marque now combines its expertise from real and virtual motorsport for the first time. Marco Ujhasi, Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport: “With the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, two worlds converge. The passion for racing now builds the bridge between the real and virtual worlds. The know-how from the racetracks and the skills required on simulation platforms come together in the newly-founded Porsche Esports team. This unique synergy opens up new possibilities for everyone involved. Just like in real-life racing, the virtual motorsport marathon
requires not only a perfect setup and decent pace but also a little bit of luck.”

Last year, Porsche took home all four GT titles and a class win from Le Mans with the ca. 510 hp 911 RSR as part of the real FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). With 108 class wins and 19 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the almost 100-year history of the Le Mans endurance event. The first virtual edition of the classic marks the start of a new chapter.

 Drivers for the Porsche Esports team (all Porsche 911 RSR)

No. 91:

André Lotterer (DE) / Neel Jani (CH) / Mitchell Dejong (USA) / Martti Pietilä (FIN)

No. 92:

Jaxon Evans (NZ) / Matt Campbell (AUS) / Mack Bakkum (NED) / Jeremy Bouteloup (FRA)

No. 93:

Nick Tandy (GB) / Ayhancan Güven (TR) / Josh Rogers (AUS) / Tommy Ostgaard (NOR)

No. 94:

Patrick Pilet (F) / Simona DeSilvestro (CH) / Martin Krönke (DE) / David Williams (GB)

The schedule (all times CEST)

The virtual Le Mans 24-hour race will start on Saturday, 13 June 2020, at 3 pm local time. Prior to this, a free practice will be held on Wednesday (10 June) and Thursday (11 June) from 10 am to 10 pm each day. Friday (12 June) offers an additional free practice session from 10 am to 5 pm. The 15-minute qualifying session for the GTE class begins on Friday at 6.15 pm.

Murray takes clean sweep of victories in Round 2 of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup

Barcelona and Daytona deliver three nail-biting finishes and plenty of action

From the very first lap of practice on the Grand Prix Circuit at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya on Monday evening, Porsche factory driver, Matt Campbell made his intentions clear to the rest of the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers in the virtual field.

The Bathurst 12-Hour winner was clearly not here to play, he was here to win, topping the timesheets ahead of Michelin Junior, Cooper Murray, and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans. The prospect of seeing Porsche’s international superstars go head-to-head with the best young drivers from Australia’s premier one-make championships was mouth-watering for all and the ensuing races didn’t disappoint.

As the drivers lined up for Race 1 of the Virtual Cup, Campbell started on pole with young New Zealand karting ace, Matthew Payne in second followed by Murray, Evans, and reigning Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones.

In the Pro-Am class, it was Wall Racing’s Tim McReynolds who narrowly edged out Dean Cook for 13^th position on the start grid – six places ahead of nearest rival Brett Boulton.

Payne made a good start off the line and marginally headed Campbell and the charging Mobil Pro field into Turn 1. Three-wide, with Payne and Murray on his inside, Campbell was squeezed onto the dirty line, resulting in him spinning the rear of the 911 GT3 Cup Car to the outside of the corner.

As the dust settled, it was Payne leading Murray, Jones, Christian Pancione, and Evans, with Campbell rejoining way down the field in twelfth. By Lap 5, Payne and Murray had pulled a slight gap on the rest of the field, while Campbell had already recovered to eighth.

McReynolds and Cook were never headed in the Pro-Am class and would go onto claim the top two class positions from John Goodacre and Rob Woods – the latter pairing split in the overall timesheets by none other than Bathurst winner Jono Webb, such was the quality of the field.

Murray would eventually overtake Payne for the Mobil Pro race lead into turn 1 on Lap 8 and hold that advantage to the line. Evans, Jones, Pancione would round out the top five with Campbell recovering to sixth by the time the flag fell.

Race 2 would mark the first night race of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Championship and take place on the Daytona International Speedway. Murray, Payne, and Evans would again set the early pace with Campbell moving up to fifth.

Daytona’s long banked oval saw the front drivers slipstreaming one another lap-after-lap before jostling for position into the first turn. With Payne and Evans in close attendance, Murray managed to defend his lead for six successive laps by holding the inside line and forcing the following pair to try to overtake around the outside.

Payne eventually made the move stick on lap 8, but unluckily got caught up behind a backmarker two laps later, handing the lead back to Murray and Evans. Despite the 2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Champion taking the lead from Murray in the final stages, Murray timed his final move to perfection, coming out of Evans slipstream to cross the line just 0.024secs ahead of the highly-rated Kiwi. Jones would take the final podium spot followed by Payne, with Will Bamber and Cameron Hill filling the top six.

Tim McReynolds would again impress with a convincing Pro-Am win for the Wall Racing Team entry, followed by Graham Williams, Matthew Belford, and Dean Cook.

The third and final race of the night again proved to be a titanic race-long battle between Murray, Campbell and Payne. The race lead would change more than seven times and climax on the last straight with the trio crossing the line three abreast in a photo finish. The timesheets showed Murray first, a mere 0.034secs ahead of Campbell and 0.06secs ahead of Payne, with Evans edging out Supercup counterpart Joey Mawson for fourth overall.

After a brilliant debut, Tim McReynold’s luck would run out retiring on Lap 5 of the last race. That left Rob Woods to take the Pro-Am Race 3 win from Sergio Pires and David Ryan. Woods is now only five points behind Cook in the Pro-Am championship, while Murray’s hard-fought victories see him as the new leader in the Mobil Pro class ahead of Evans and Jones.

All three races will be shown on both the @PorscheMotorsportAU Youtube channel and Facebook page at 20:00 (Melbourne time) on Friday evening.

The third round of the Porsche PAYCE and Virtual Cup will take place on the 1^st June at the Grand Prix Circuit of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, in Italy.

Results: Round 2

Race 1 – Barcelona

1. Cooper Murray
2. Matthew Payne
3. Jaxon Evans
4. Harri Jones
5. Christian Pancione

Race 2 – Daytona

1. Cooper Murray
2. Jaxon Evans
3. Harri Jones
4. Matthew Payne
5. Will Bamber

Race 3 – Daytona

1. Cooper Murray
2. Matt Campbell
3. Matthew Payne
4. Jaxon Evans
5. Joey Mawson

Jones and Murray to go head-to-head with Evans and Campbell in Round 2

International Porsche stars take on the best local drivers in Barcelona and Daytona

After an action-packed Round 1 of the Porsche PAYCE & Michelin Virtual Cup in Phillip Island, both past and present Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers will do battle this evening on the first of two international circuits featured on the six-round virtual championship.

Porsche factory driver, Matt Campbell makes his debut in the championship and will go head-to-head not only with best friend and Porsche Junior driver, Jaxon Evans but also the best Mobil Pro drivers from Australia’s premier one-make championships.

Campbell and Evans face strong opposition from reigning Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion, Harri Jones who leads the Porsche Virtual Championship after Round 1, sharing race victories with pole-sitter Cooper Murray and Callum Hedge. The Helimods driver holds a slender five-point lead ahead of fellow Michelin Junior, Murray, with Porsche Junior, Evans a further six points adrift in third.

Other Michelin Junior drivers to watch for Round 2 include Aaron Love, Christian Pancione, and Ryan Suhle who all had strong performances in the opening round. Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup star, Joey Mawson is also likely to be a contender in Barcelona due to his experience on the fast European circuits throughout his career.

The list of international drivers also includes Sam Brabham and the Porsche Asia Pacific entries of Will Bamber and Reid Harker. The Team New Zealand pair, have confirmed that along with Campbell and Evans, they too will contend all six rounds of the series.

The Virtual Cup Team entry for Round 2 – which affords nominated crew members of Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup teams to compete – will be entrusted to Timothy McReynolds of Wall Racing for Monday evening, while Tony Quinn makes his debut as a wildcard entry.

Dean Cook and Brett Boulton were the pick of Pro-Am drivers in Round 1 and regularly featured among the top five drivers overall in Phillip Island. The pair lead the Pro-Am class into Barcelona ahead of Rob Woods and Graham Williams.

Race 1 starts at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya Grand Prix Circuit at 19:50, before switching to the Daytona International Speedway road course for two 20min night races.

Post-race highlights of each event will be broadcast on Porsche Motorsport Australia social channels, with all three races broadcast on the @PorscheMotorsportAU Facebook and Youtube channels at 20:00 (Melbourne time) on Friday evening.

Follow Porsche Motorsport Australia on Facebook and Instagram @PorscheMotorsportAU to keep up-to-date with information about the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia Championship.

Quotes:

Matt Campbell, Porsche Factory driver

“Really happy to be joining the Porsche PAYCE & MICHELIN Virtual Cup grid tonight for Round 2, looked to be mega fun last week when Jaxon was taking part so just had to join in on the action! It should be great to race against some familiar names and some new ones!”

Jaxon Evans, Porsche Junior Driver

“It’s a really cool opportunity to join the Porsche PAYCE & MICHELIN Virtual Cup, for the remainder of the championship. A lot of familiar faces/voices of the guys we used to race against makes for a lot of fun and laughs, while the young guys prove to be very stiff competition. The calendar features some of the world’s most iconic tracks and a couple of night races thrown in the mix will be sure to spice things up for everyone. It’s great to see Porsche Motorsport Australia give their drivers the opportunity to get their racing fix and stay connected during the current situation.”

Entry list: Round 2  – Barcelona / Daytona

Marc Cini claims the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition Pro-Am title

Larry ten Voorde wins both races and claims the championship title

The final round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition, saw Team Australia’s Marc Cini earn the decisive points from race eight and claim overall victory in the Pro-Am class. The final doubleheader round on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, would also witness Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite) win both Pro class races in his 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and be crowned the overall champion.

The Dutchman snatched the trophy from his toughest rivals Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras) and Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing). The winners of the other classifications were also decided in the digital series of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) achieved first place in the rookie category, with the GP Elite squad from the Netherlands celebrated first place in the team classification.

In the two 25-minute races, the 29-strong field made good use of slipstreaming to overtake, especially on the long straights on the virtual Monza circuit, treating fans to some action-packed racing. After the start of race seven, polesitter Güven immediately ducked to the inside and fended off ten Voorde. In lap four, the GP Elite driver inherited the lead when Güven slid from the track and fell back to position four. The final lap turned turbulent: In the Seconda Variante turn, Güven took the kerb hard and lost two places. Ten Voorde went on the take the flag in first place followed by Pereira and the rookie Köhler. Trailing the trio, the two Porsche Juniors Güven and Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) concluded their first race of the day in positions four and five. Roar Lindland (N/Pierre Martinet by Alméras) won the ProAm class.

In the final race of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition, ten Voorde achieved a convincing lights-to-flag victory, which handed him the title. “I did a lot of preparation work with my team for these two races. Ayhancan Güven and I put on a great show for the fans. I managed to control the race well and I’m delighted with the title,” said ten Voorde.

In hot pursuit, Pereira left the racetrack and fell back to fifth place. Evans, Köhler and Güven then formed the trio chasing ten Voorde. The decisive move for second place came in lap six: Güven made the most of the heated battle in front of him to sweep past Köhler and then his junior teammate Evans. The order at the flag was Güven ahead of Köhler and Evans. Pereira rounded off the top five.

“That was an action-packed debut season for the virtual Supercup. Unfortunately, I only finished second, but it was a terrific experience. I hope we can soon compete against each other on real racetracks,” said Güven. Thanks to his two podium results today, Leon Köhler won the rookie classification. “I’ve improved from race to race over the season. Third place twice and the rookie title are great results. Jaxon Evans was determined to get past me in race two, but I managed to fend him off,” concluded Köhler.

Results
Monza, race 7 of 8
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
2. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing)
3. Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East)
4. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
5. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing)

Monza, race 8 of 8
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
2. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
3. Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East)
4. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing)
5. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing)

Points after 8 of 8 races
Drivers’ classification
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 180 points
2. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras), 166 points
3. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 123 points

Murray, Jones and Hedge share race wins in Round 1 of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup

Michelin Junior drivers dominate Round 1 at Phillip Island

Michelin Junior drivers dominate Round 1 at Phillip Island

The opening round of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia was held at the Phillip Island Circuit. While the track was familiar to most of the field, it was the first time many of the 44-strong field had driven on the iRacing platform.

Qualifying saw Cooper Murray take pole position ahead of Callum Hedge and reigning Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Champion Harri Jones. Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup regulars, Jaxon Evans and Joey Mawson were baulked by traffic on their flying laps and the pair started alongside one another in sixth and seventh positions respectively.

Murray led the Race 1 field off the line but was collected by Hedge when the youngster out braked himself on the cold Michelin tyres into the hairpin at turn 4, dropping the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship leader to tenth. The carnage handed Christian Pancione the race lead, but he too was soon locked in a hard-fought battle with Jones.

A race-long tussle ensued until the penultimate lap, when Pancione was unlucky to be pushed wide while lapping Duvashen Padayachee, handing Jones the race one victory. Pancione limped over the line in second ahead of Matthew Payne and Cooper Murray – who had set the fastest pace throughout the race to recover from tenth to fourth position.

Porsche Junior, Jaxon Evans was fifth followed by Porsche Asia Pacific teammates Will Bamber and Reid Harker, while Rob Woods would emerge unscathed from the carnage to win the Pro-Am class.

A mixed grid for the second race saw Murray head Jones, Dean Cook, Evans and Alex Davison off the line and through the infamous Doohan corner. Pancione and Jones would soon run wide under braking for the Honda hairpin, handing the early advantage to Murray, Evans and Hedge.

The battle between Evans and Hedge for second was intense, but sadly short-lived, as Hedge punted Evans wide a lap later, dropping the former Carrera Cup champion back to fifth.

After being taken out in Race 1 Brett Boulton had scythed through the race 2 field, even passing Cameron Hill around the outside of Turn 1 in a massive move. Boulton would then overtake Cook and go onto claim the Pro-Am class victory.

While Murray, Jones and Hedge went on to fill the Race 2 podium spots, Aaron Love and Jaxon Evans were locked in a race-long scrap to the flag to round out the top five positions.

By the third and final race, most of the competitors had become more acclimatised to the virtual conditions and great on-track battles followed throughout the field. The early laps again saw plenty passing and action. First from McElrea Racing teammates Brett Boulton and Harri Jones on Lap 3 and later between Cooper Murray and Joey Mawson.

Evans eventually muscled Murray off the road at the Honda hairpin leaving Callum Hedge to lead from Harri Jones and Brett Boulton.

The front battle would then climax on Lap 9 when Jones got a slipstream onto Gardener straight behind Hedge. The Michelin Junior would challenge for the lead on the outside into turn one but the inevitable contact between the pair, saw Jones shouldered off.

Hedge would continue onto the flag ahead of Jaxon Evans, Matthew Payne, Aaron Love and Cooper Murray, with Brett Boulton taking another Pro-Am class win in sixth overall.

After the first three races Harri Jones, leads the Mobil Pro class Championship from Cooper Murray and Jaxon Evans, while Dean Cook leads the Pro-Am battle ahead of Brett Boulton and Rob Woods.

All three races will be shown on the CarreraCupAus Youtube channel at 20:00 (Melbourne time) on Friday evening with commentary from Carrera Cup series commentator, Richard Craill.

The second round of the Porsche PAYCE and Virtual Cup will take place on the 18 May, where competitors will contest two races at the Barcelona Circuit before heading across to Daytona in the USA for the series’ first night race.

Results: Round 1 – Phillip Island

Race 1

1. Harri Jones
2. Christian Pancione
3. Matthew Payne
4. Cooper Murray
5. Jaxon Evans

Race 2

1. Cooper Murray
2. Harri Jones
3. Callum Hedge
4. Jaxon Evans
5. Aaron Love

Race 3

1. Callum Hedge
2. Jaxon Evans
3. Matthew Payne
4. Aaron Love
5. Cooper Murray

Jaxon Evans and Matt Campbell to star in Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup

Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge drivers to take on Evans in the virtual season opener

Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge drivers to take on Evans in the virtual season opener

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for drivers of both the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers preparing for Monday night’s opening round of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia at the Philip Island circuit and hosted on the iRacing platform.

Intended as a fun, online race for drivers from both Porsche series competing in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup will also allow the local drivers to pit their driving skills against former and current Porsche Motorsport stars.

Headlining the Porsche All-star International entry will be the 2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion and current Porsche Junior Driver, Jaxon Evans. Evans has been a regular top-five contender in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup Virtual Edition this year and will share the International All-Star entry over the six-round virtual season with Porsche factory driver, Matt Campbell –the 2016 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion.

The Porsche Legends car for the opening round has been entrusted to the 2004 Carrera Cup Australia Champion, Alex Davison who is currently competing in the BP Supercars All-Stars Eseries.

Adding a further international flavor to the new official online series – the first in Porsche Cars Australia’s history – will also see two entrants from Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific in the form of Earl Bamber Motorsport’s Reid Harker and Will Bamber take to the Philip Island grid.

The Porsche Team entry for crew members of Carrera Cup teams has been allocated to Porsche Centre Melbourne for Round 1, with crew member Jess Hammond at the wheel.

Apart from the leading Michelin Junior, Mobil Pro and Pro-Am drivers from both the Carrera Cup and Michelin Sprint Challenge, the full field of 44 cars in Round 1 will also play host to former series drivers like Michael Patrizi, Bathurst 1000-winner Johnathan Webb and Supercup star, Joey Mawson.

Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “We are thrilled to have a full field of 44 cars for the opening round of the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Virtual Cup. We’ve had a lot of interest since the series was announced and I’m looking forward to a good evening of fun, competitive racing for all our drivers. It’s also great for our current top drivers to have this opportunity to pit their skills against not only former Bathurst winners like Jono Webb but also international stars like Jaxon, Matt, and Joey.”

In addition, Porsche has also secured a mystery guest driver for the full season in the Geisterfahrer (Ghost Driver) Car. Fans of the Porsche Motorsport Australia social pages will be invited to guess who he/she is at the end of the series to stand a chance of winning a 1:43 scale Porsche 911 RSR model. More details on this will be announced this week.

Post-race highlights of each event will be promoted on Porsche Motorsport Australia social channels, with all three races shown on the CarreraCupAus Youtube channel at 20:00 (Melbourne time) every Friday evening of the race week, with commentary from Carrera Cup series commentator, Richard Crail.

Follow Porsche Motorsport Australia on Facebook and Instagram @PorscheMotorsportAU to keep up-to-date with information about the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia Championship.

Entry list: Round 1 – Philip Island
Category Class Name Surname Racing #
1 Geisterfahrer Pro Ghost Driver 1
2 Carrera Cup Pro Thomas Maxwell 2
3 Carrera Cup Pro Will Bamber 3
4 Carrera Cup Pro Reid Harker 4
5 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Nathan Murray 5
6 Carrera Cup Pro-Am Tim Miles 6
7 Sprint Challenge Pro Ryan Suhle 7
8 Carrera Cup Pro Nick McBride 8
9 Carrera Cup Pro-Am Marc Cini 9
10 Carrera Cup Pro Sam Brabham 10
11 Sprint Challenge Pro Kyle Gurton 11
12 Carrera Cup Pro Harri Jones 12
13 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Matthew Belford 14
14 Carrera Cup Pro Josh Hunt 15
15 Carrera Cup Pro Michael Patrizi 16
16 Sprint Challenge Pro Callum Hedge 17
17 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Marcel Zalloua 18
18 Carrera Cup Pro Jono Webb 22
19 Carrera Cup Pro-Am Liam Talbot 27
20 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Rob Woods 29
21 Carrera Cup Pro-Am David Ryan 30
22 Carrera Cup Pro Duvashen Padayachee 34
23 Carrera Cup Pro Cooper Murray 36
24 Carrera Cup Pro David Wall 38
25 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Sergio Pires 55
26 Carrera Cup Pro Fraser Ross 59
27 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am John Goodacre 66
28 Sprint Challenge Pro Matthew Payne 67
29 Carrera Cup Pro-Am Greg Ward 68
30 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Michael Hovey 73
31 Sprint Challenge Pro Christian Pancione 76
32 Carrera Cup Pro Michael Almond 77
33 Carrera Cup Pro Aaron Love 78
34 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Brett Boulton 84
35 Sprint Challenge Pro Ollie Shannon 88
36 Team – PCM Pro-Am Jesse Hammond 89
37 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Emanuel Palyaris 91
38 Carrera Cup Pro Joey Mawson 96
39 Carrera Cup Pro Dale Wood 100
40 Carrera Cup Pro Cameron Hill 111
41 Sprint Challenge Pro-Am Graham Williams 131
42 Carrera Cup Pro Max Vidau 777
43 Legends Pro Alex Davison 911
44 Intl All-stars Pro Jaxon Evans 912

Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Virtual Cup Calendar released

Porsche Motorsport Australia has revealed the 8 Round calendar for the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Virtual Cup Championship

Porsche Motorsport Australia has revealed the 6 Round calendar for the Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Virtual Cup Championship, which is due to get underway on the 04 May on the iRacing platform.

The tracks and formats selected were based on feedback from eligible Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers from the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

The race formats for each round will include a 30-minute Practice session, followed by a 20-minute Qualifying session and three individual 20-minute Races. The track conditions will follow the four seasons providing varying track conditions through the championship, while the grid for each race will be a Progressive grid, with Race 1 being based on the finishing positions from Qualifying.

The calendar starts on the fast sweeping turns of a local favorite among both the Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge drivers in the form of Phillip Island. Two weeks later the series travels to Europe for the first European round at the Barcelona circuit and also hosts the first US race in the form of a night race at Daytona.

The long tree-lined straights and curves of Monza mark the mid-point of the series before the championship returns to Australia’s most popular Mount Panorama circuit in Bathurst. The 29th June then plays host to the infamous Spa Francorchamps before a night race at the Le Sarthe circuit in Le Mans.

The fast sweeping turns of Silverstone in the UK host the final round of the series, where the 2020 Porsche PAYCE and Michelin Virtual Champions will be crowned across the Mobil Pro and Pro-Am classes.
Follow the Porsche Motorsport social channels on @PorscheMotorsportAU (Instagram and Facebook) as well @PorscheMspAU on Twitter for further news and announcements.

Round Date Circuit
1 04 May Phillip Island
2 18 May Barcelona
18 May Daytona (Night Race)
3 01 June Monza
4 15 June Mount Panorama
5 29 June Spa Francorchamps
5 29 June Le Mans (Night Race)
6 13 July Silverstone

Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia

Porsche announces virtual iRacing championship for Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge drivers

Porsche announces virtual iRacing championship for Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge drivers
Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) is pleased to announce the creation of the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia. The intention of the new virtual Porsche Championship is to provide fun, online race events for Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge drivers (from the 2019 and 2020 seasons) to race each other on the iRacing platform.

Porsche will also extend invitations to past Carrera Cup legends for guest appearances at each race, allowing current drivers to take on some of the former greats of the series. An official Porsche Motorsport Australia car will also be entered for each round to provide guest appearances from a range of Porsche drivers from around the world.

In addition, a mystery guest driver will compete for the full season in the Geisterfahrer (Ghost Driver) Car with fans invited to guess who he/she is at the end of the series to stand a chance of winning a range of prizes. To keep the teams involved, each team competing in either Series will also be allocated a ‘Team Car’ for one of the six rounds. This car provides one team with the opportunity to nominate a driver who is part of the working crew as the Team car driver for that event.

As in the real world, the six-round virtual championship will be split into two classes: Mobil Pro and Pro-Am, with races taking place every second Monday, commencing 4th May.
On the announcement, Porsche Cars Australia’s Head of Motorsport, Troy Bundy said, “While the new Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Championship provides value to drivers, customers and partners alike, it will also provide entertaining content for race fans.”

A highlights video including post-race coverage of each event will be promoted via Porsche Motorsport Australia social channels and posted to the CarreraCupAus Youtube channel on the Friday evening following the race, with commentary from Carrera Cup series commentator, Richard Crail.
Entries will be limited to 45 competitors per race (depending on the track allowance) with all drivers utilising the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car provided by iRacing.
The provisional race format each Monday evening will include a 30-minute Practice, 20-minute Qualifying (all cars) followed by two races
Follow Porsche Motorsport Australia on Twitter @PorscheMspAU and on Facebook and Instagram @PorscheMotorsportAU to keep up-to-date with information about the Porsche PAYCE and MICHELIN Virtual Cup Australia Championship

Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans: Flat-sharing in Germany “Down Under” style

Flat-sharing in Germany "Down Under" style

A traditional 1960s apartment building in the Stuttgart suburb of Uhlbach. The hedges in the front garden are meticulously trimmed, the door buzzers are clearly labelled, a classically Swabian weekly cleaning roster hangs in the entrance foyer. The view from the balconies over the countryside is idyllic. The vineyards on the nearby Württemberg hill are perfect for long strolls. A wonderful place for retirees? No way. This idyllic suburb, about 20 minutes by car from the city centre of Stuttgart, is home to two of the fastest young racers in the world. Factory driver Matt Campbell (Australia) and Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (New Zealand) have set-up a special flat-sharing arrangement close to the Porsche headquarters.

“We found each other without really looking,” says 23-year-old Evans. “I moved into this three-bedroom apartment with kitchen, bathroom and laundry with Matt in February 2019. When you’re so far from home and you’re missing family, it’s great to have a brother in Germany.” The Porsche Junior feels at home with his colleague, friend and “brother” Matt Campbell. The Australian, who is only 17 months older than his flatmate, is certainly not the head of the household. The two young drivers are one unit, almost like fraternal twins. Both are around 1.8-metres tall, both have brown hair and brown eyes, both have the same wicked humour. “We’re always joking around and we hardly ever disagree,” says Evans about their lives in the 70-square-metre rental. Not even when it comes to divvying up domestic duties.

“I’m an orderly person, I always like things clean and tidy,” explains the New Zealander, who spent his youth in Australia. Evans stands in the modern, functionally-furnished living room, looks at the floor and adds with a wide grin: “I’m a virtuoso at vacuuming, Matt’s a hero at the stove.” The pair have come up with some weekly rituals in the small, cosy kitchen. “Every Tuesday is Taco Tuesday at our place. We make tacos and other Mexican dishes. We’re always posting stuff on Instagram,” says Campbell. There is the familiar sight of a large glass of Nutella in the kitchen cupboard, next to it stands another glass with a yellow label and red lettering. It resembles a spice jar. “That’s vegemite, a kind of yeast extract that you spread thinly on your toast,” laughs the 2018 Le Mans class winner. This Australian delicacy tastes like a stock cube. Replacements of this and other goodies from Down Under – like chocolate-coated Tim Tam biscuits – are regularly sent from home.

“These care packages help alleviate homesickness a little,” says Evans. “We’re really like twins in this regard, as well. We both miss our families very much. We only get to see them once or at most twice a year.” Both drivers openly declare their close connections to family. Campbell’s helmet has a message of gratitude to his mum, his grandparents, his aunty. Evans’s is adorned with the national flags of New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji – the countries where his closest relatives were born. “And there’s something else missing,” says Campbell with a laugh. “At home, the weather is better and you can go to the beach whenever you like. We only have a simulator and a Playstation here, and in summer we have the outdoor pools.”

Things often heat up in the apartment when the two play on the consoles. No matter what the discipline, the most important thing is to win. “That’s just how we are,” laughs the Australian, who was promoted to works driver last winter. The Playstation proves more popular than learning German. That’s the motto even during the slower weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. “The language course is progressing slowly for me. That’s the downside of two guys from Australia living together,” Campbell openly admits. “I do know one word though,” jokes Evans. “Senf. I can’t remember what it means but I thought it was hilarious when they tried to teach me the word during dinner one evening.”

Sometimes the easy-going flatmates get special company in their Stuttgart apartment. “When our girlfriends come to visit life gets even funnier,” explains Evans, whose girlfriend also comes from Australia. Then, the powerful pair turns into an entertaining quartet. “The four of us get along brilliantly,” says Campbell. “Our partners know each other really well now. We enjoy going out and doing stuff together, and if we need a little space, everyone has their own room.”

Evans and Mawson in top five of opening Porsche Supercup Virtual Edition

Ten Voorde and Güven dominate season opener

Ten Voorde and Güven dominate season opener
At the action-packed opening event of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition, Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite) and Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras) celebrated their victories. Ten Voorde won the first of two races on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, with Güven claiming round two. A total of 31 drivers took up the virtual event in their 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers. Joining the registered drivers for the real Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup on the grid were Porsche works drivers and well-known professional pilots.

“Now that was sensational racing, especially at the front of the field. Our virtual opening double-header event on the iRacing platform showed just how well our Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup drivers can perform at the limit – no matter whether it’s virtual or real motor racing,” Oliver Schwab, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Project Manager, said after the event.

Both races were packed with thrills and spills. Many overtaking manoeuvres led to accidents that resulted in a high number of retirements, especially among the Porsche works drivers. Only Sven Müller (D/Agility Management AG), Simona de Silvestro (CH/ABB) and Nick Tandy (GB/ExxonMobil Oil Corporation) were able to hold their own against the seasoned Supercup specialists at the wheel of their virtual 911 GT3 Cup vehicles.

The start of race one proved key: Taking up the race from the second grid spot, ten Voorde managed to squeeze past pole-sitter Güven. An enthralling duel unfolded between the pair. In the final phase, the 22-year-old Güven made a final attempt to overtake the Dutchman in the final corner – however, ten Voorde fended him off to cross the finish line first. “That was so much fun. I’m thrilled to win the very first virtual Supercup race. Unfortunately I made a couple of mistakes in the second race, which Ayhancan Güven used to his advantage,” said ten Voorde.

Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing) secured third place in both races. Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) and Jesse van Kuijk (Team GP Elite) from the Netherlands rounded off the top five. First place in the rookie category went to Jaden Conwright (USA/Dinamic Motorsport), with Stephen Grove (AUS/Team Australia) featuring strongly in the Pro-Am classification.

Race two also turned into a gripping battle for victory between ten Voorde and Güven – this time the Turkish Porsche Junior prevailed. Güven passed the Team GP Elite driver in lap one and took the chequered flag after 14 laps two seconds ahead of ten Voorde. “That was a tough but fair fight with Larry ten Voorde. We’ve demonstrated just how exciting motorsport can be on a simulator. To kick off the championship with a win is fantastic,” said Güven. Third place again went to Pereira, with van Kuijk and Joey Mawson (AUS/Fach Auto Tech) finishing on fourth and fifth.

Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) won the rookie class, with the Austrian Philipp Sager (Dinamic Motorsport) winning the ProAm category. Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans experienced bad luck during race two, with the New Zealander spinning off the racetrack in the first lap and concluding the race on 20th place. “My start in race two was really good and I was fighting for third place. I spun, unfortunately. Still, it was great fun and I’m looking forward to the next races,” said Evans.

After the season-opening event, Güven and ten Voorde are tied at the lead of the championship with 45 points each. Pereira ranks third with 34 points. The next double-header round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition is contested on 18 April, when the drivers will pit themselves against each other on the Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain.

Results
Barcelona, race 1 of 8
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
2. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
3. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing)
4. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing)
5. Jesse van Kuijk (NL/Team GP Elite)

Barcelona, race 2 of 8
1. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
3. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing)
4. Jesse van Kuijk (NL/Team GP Elite)
5. Joey Mawson (AUS/Fach Auto Tech)

Points after 2 of 8 races
Drivers’ classification
1. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras), 45 points
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 45 points
3. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing), 34 points

Love, Evans and Mawson to line-up for the first virtual Porsche Supercup season

Strong line-up for the first virtual Supercup season

Strong line-up for the first virtual Supercup season

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition is ready to tackle its first-ever virtual season with an impressive line-up of 31 drivers. VIP vehicles driven by well-known professional racers will join the teams and drivers that have officially registered for this year’s real Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season. The season takes off this Saturday (4 April) with a double-header event on the virtual version of the Spanish Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

“The Supercup is the pinnacle of Porsche’s one-make cups. I’m delighted that we’ve managed to come up with a great alternative under the current circumstances with no real motor racing. We have a top-class field and I’m very excited to see who’ll perform the best on a screen,” says Oliver Schwab, Project Manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. The eleven Supercup teams compete with a total of 22 drivers, among them the two Porsche Juniors Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) and Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras).

Nine Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers will be entered by partners and sponsors: The four Porsche works drivers Richard Lietz (Austria), Sven Müller (Germany), Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) helm the virtual vehicles fielded by App-Tech srl, Agility Management AG, ExxonMobil Oil Corporation and TAG Heuer SA. Porsche factory driver Simona de Silvestro (Switzerland) drives the Cup vehicle run by ABB. At the wheel of the digital racing car campaigned by Hugo Boss AG is Porsche Formula E driver André Lotterer (Germany). Porsche development driver Lars Kern (Germany) drives the ANSYS vehicle. Christian Engelhardt (Germany) and Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein) also take on the challenge in the Cup cars of ZF Friedrichshafen AG and the Vodafone Group Plc.

The first event of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition will be broadcast via live streaming on www.porsche.com/virtualPMSCBarcelona. The commentary is provided by the former Supercup driver and current Eurosport expert, Jan Seyffarth. Sport1 also reports on the virtual racing series and televises the first two races live on Saturday on www.sport1.de. Moreover, the German television channel will air selected highlights on Sunday. Eurosport broadcasts live on www.eurosport.com and selected local websites – for example Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands and Spain. The TV station Ziggo Sport covers the virtual one-make cup in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the Porsche Motorsport Hub, the Porsche Newsroom and the Twitter account @PorscheRaces keep fans up-to-date with information about the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition.

Last Sunday, contestants had the chance to take part in a nine-hour test on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The fastest time of the day was set by Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans, with the 23-year-old lapping the virtual circuit in a time of 1:47.738 minutes. The Luxembourger Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing/1:47.870 minutes) and Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite/1:47.906 minutes) from the Netherlands rounded off the top three.

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition utilises the iRacing simulation portal. The calendar consists of four events – each with two 25-minute races. The first double-header round on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is followed by three more meetings at the Silverstone Circuit (Great Britain/18 April), the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium/25 April) and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza (Italy/16 May).

The schedule (4 April):
4.00pm – 4.15pm: Qualifying
4.20pm – 4.45pm: Race 1
4.50pm – 5.10pm: Warm-up
5.12pm – 5.37pm: Race 2
(All times CEST)

Porsche congratulates motor racing legend Richard Attwood on his 80th birthday

One of the most successful works racing drivers of Porsche AG celebrates his 80th birthday

Richard Attwood, one of the most successful works racing drivers of Porsche AG, celebrates his 80th birthday on 4 April 2020

50 years ago, the British racing driver Attwood achieved the first overall victory for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans together with Hans Herrmann.
Attwood developed a passion for motorsports at an early age – inspired by the car dealership run by his parents. After racing in formula sport with Triumph and BRM, he first came into contact with the Porsche brand in 1967. Together with William Bradley, he finished second in Zeltweg driving a private Porsche 906 Carrera 6. Porsche engaged Attwood for the World Sportscar Championship two years later in 1969, and from then on he was retained under contract as a works driver. He raced in the World Championship for Makes in a Porsche 908/02, and came second in both Brands Hatch and Watkins Glen together with Vic Elford. In the season finale in Zeltweg, he finished third with Brian Redman in the 917. Together with Hans Herrmann, he took part in the Nürburgring 1,000 km driving a Porsche 908/03 in 1970 – finishing in 2nd place.

The first overall victory in the most important endurance race in the world is considered to be one of the greatest racing successes of the sports car manufacturer from Zuffenhausen. On 14 June 1970, Porsche achieved the first of a total of 19 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After exactly 4,607.811 kilometres or 343 laps, Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann crossed the finishing line first in the legendary Porsche 917 KH from Porsche Salzburg with the start number 23. “Unlike what many people may think, I never did any testing in the 917. I drove a 917 for the first time in a qualifying race in 1969,” says Attwood looking back. “In 1970 I did not believe for a minute that we had even the slightest hope of winning.”

In 1971, he achieved another first place in the 1,000 kilometre race at the Österreichring. Richard Attwood retired from active motor racing at the end of the season at the age of just 31. His last podium finish was in 1971 together with Derek Bell in the 917 KH at the season finale of the World Sportscar Championship in Watkins Glen (3rd place). However, the now 80 year-old was not quite ready to fully enjoy his retirement. In 1984, he finished 15th in Daytona in a Porsche 928. Today, Attwood still accompanies the Porsche Museum to its driving events at renowned classic car meets all over the world. Among other things, he can be seen at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood, the Sound Night as well as at various historic motorsports events.

Richard Atwood’s most important Porsche racing successes

1967
2nd place 500 km Zeltweg, Porsche 906 Carrera 6

1969
7th place 12h Sebring, Porsche 908/02
2nd place 6h Brands Hatch, Porsche 908/02
4th place 1,000 km Spa, Porsche 908 LH
4th place 1,000 km Nürburgring, Porsche 908/02
2nd place 6h Watkins Glen, Porsche 908/02
3rd place 1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917
1st place 9h Kyalami, Porsche 908/02

1970
3rd place 1,000 km Brands Hatch, Porsche 917 KH
5th place Targa Florio, Porsche 908/03
9th place 1,000 km Spa, Porsche 908/02
6th place 1,000 km Spa, Porsche 917 KH
2nd place 1,000 km Nürburgring, Porsche 908/03
1st place 24h Le Mans, Porsche 917
3rd place CanAm Watkins Glen, Porsche 917 KH
4th place 1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917 KH

1971
2nd place 24h Le Mans, Porsche 917 KH
1st place 1,000 km Österreichring, Porsche 917 KH
3rd place 6h Watkins Glen, Porsche 917 KH

Jordan Love to contest Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with FACH AUTO TECH

2019 PORSCHE PAYCE CARRERA CUP CHAMPION CONTINUES ASCENT UP PORSCHE MOTORSPORT PYRAMID

2019 PORSCHE PAYCE CARRERA CUP CHAMPION CONTINUES ASCENT UP PORSCHE MOTORSPORT PYRAMID

Despite a delayed start to the 2020 season, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup teams continue to work hard behind the scenes. FACH AUTO TECH is preparing for its eighth season at its headquarters in Sattel.

The team, based in the canton of Schwyz, will once again be entering three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars in 2020 driven by Joey Mawson, Jaap van Lagen and 2019 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia champion, Jordan Love.

“At the moment the situation is extremely difficult,” explains Team Principal Alex Fach. “No-one knows when the motorsport season will start. But we can’t just sit here and do nothing. We will once again be part of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and want to be successful. That’s why we need to be well-equipped to take the season on once it gets going.”

In 2020, FACH AUTO TECH will be competing in the single-make Porsche series for the eighth season in succession. In 2014, the Sattel-based team secured the championship title before finishing as runners-up in 2016, 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Jaxon Evans headlined the FACH AUTO TECH team with podium finishes in his first year as a Porsche Junior driver. The team’s aim for 2020 is to enjoy similar success with Love, Mawson, and van Lagen.

“In Joey and Jordan, we have two young, talented drivers who have shown in the past that they have what it takes to win races,” Alex Fach adds. “Jaap van Lagen has a huge deal of experience, and we have enjoyed numerous successes with him already. The driver line-up is top class.”

Jaap van Lagen and FACH AUTO TECH tasted the victory champagne in the Principality of Monaco back in 2015, when the Dutch was a guest driver for the Swiss squad. In 2018, van Lagen then competed for the team as part of a full-season program in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, taking two podiums. He also raced in the single-make series in 2019. The 43-year-old also has race starts in the ADAC GT Masters and the World Touring Car Championship to his name.

Joey Mawson is competing in his second season of Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. After one overall podium, two class victories and seven further class podiums in his debut season, the young Australian finished second in the Rookie classification in 2019. The 24-year-old is aiming to secure a maiden overall win in 2020.

Fellow Aussie Jordan Love also joins the team in 2020 as part of his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Love’s career began in the Australian Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge before the 20-year-old moved on to the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, where he was crowned champion in 2019. “I’m extremely excited to take this big step. The move from Australia to the Supercup is going to present its challenges but I have a great team around me to make the transition as smooth as possible”, Love explains.

Love will also compete in the Virtual Porsche Mobile 1 Supercup Championship on the simulator. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition utilizes the iRacing simulation portal. All events of the virtual one-make cup will be broadcast worldwide via the Internet. Fans can follow the sessions live on the YouTube and Twitch video platforms.

Racing calendar Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition 2020
29.03.2020, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), official test
04.04.2020, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), races 1+2
18.04.2020, Silverstone Circuit (Great Britain), races 3+4
25.04.2020, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), races 5+6
16.05.2020, Autodromo Nazionale Monza (Italy), races 7+8

Technical development in motorsport: the steering wheel

From simple steering wheel to multi-functional control centre in just 20 years

Top-class motor racing as the driving force behind technical developments – Porsche has taken on the enormous challenges of racing series around the world for decades. “The extreme demands we face on the racetrack very quickly highlight any weak points and encourage engineers to look for new and better solutions,” said Ferdinand “Ferry” Porsche, who with the development of the legendary 356 No. 1 Roadster laid the foundation for the Porsche brand in 1948. For the engineers at Weissach, this guiding principle is as applicable today as it was back then. The huge stresses of motor racing demand solutions that eventually flow into the development of road-going vehicles.

One component that emphasises the ongoing developments in motor racing more than most others is the steering wheel. Standard steering wheels from everyday Porsche sports cars were first fitted in the racing cars of the Stuttgart marque mid last century. Even the legendary Le Mans Porsche 917 featured not a single button or display function. “It’s hard to believe, but developments in this regard only really took off in the year 2000. Since then, the massive progress in steering wheel development is clearly evident,” explains Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport. In just 20 years, a leather-covered wheel morphed into a multifunctional controller. Drivers of the latest Porsche 911 RSR have 30 functions on the steering wheel at their disposal, which, when activated in certain combinations, can mobilise other functions. At Weissach, two specialists work on finding new solutions for even more setting options as well as improved comfort.

Modern-day steering: Like a TV remote control in the living room

“In 1999 I contested the Carrera Cup as a Porsche Junior. Back then, the steering wheel had no buttons, no radio, no paddle shifters, no pit speed limiter. We had to drive along the pit lane with an eye on the speedometer,” says brand ambassador Timo Bernhard (Germany) of those earlier years. The long-standing works driver and 2016 World Sports Car Champion witnessed the rapid advancements in steering wheel technology firsthand. In 2001, the Cup-Porsche received a radio button on the steering wheel, with the number of control functions in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded in the American Le Mans Series growing to six by 2004. At that time, the switches and buttons were installed in a modified, commercially available motor racing steering wheel. The layout at this stage played a minor role.

Over time, the design became increasingly important as progress in this area continued. The layout of all functions became the top priority so that the drivers could use them as intuitively as possible. “It’s like watching television at home,” says Pascal Zurlinden. “The TV remote controls are constantly being upgraded with new buttons, with apps, Amazon Prime, etc. Despite this, operating them quickly becomes second nature. If I get a different model from the same brand I immediately know how to use it. That’s what we do at Porsche, as well. Because the layout always follows the same pattern, the drivers have no problems switching from one vehicle model to another.”

Ergonomics: Victory at your fingertips

Drivers play a key role in the arrangement of the controls. They provide crucial input during the development stage to ensure the best possible ergonomics. The first step is the positioning of the four most important functions: the buttons for the pit stop limiter, full course yellow situations as well as the on/off buttons for the engine and radio. The other operating functions are then added following a priority list. In the process, the developers must take into account that some functions have to be activated via designated combinations – comparable to the Ctrl+Alt+Del commands on a personal computer.

“I experienced the hard way how important it is to have the correct layout and optimal user-friendliness under racing conditions,” recalls works driver Romain Dumas about a specific moment back in 2012. “I was driving a Porsche 911 GT3 R at Pikes Peak and was on course to win when rain set in and then snow fell at higher altitudes. That’s where I lost everything. Why? A control button for the windshield wiper was installed on the steering wheel. You had to press it for a second to activate the intermittent wiping function, and for three seconds to make it continuous. It was way too complicated. At Pikes Peak, it’s one corner straight after the other. By the time I got the wipers working correctly I’d lost too much time,” says the Frenchman, who has notched up four overall victories at the ‘race to the clouds’ in the US state of Colorado. Experiences like this have resulted in a decisive rethink in development.

Data flow between steering wheel and onboard electronics: via just one wire

These days, drivers are involved in contributing to the layout right from day one – and in co-writing the instruction manuals. The steering wheel instructions in the Porsche 911 RSR manual consist of 27 pages. “It’s easy to memorise so that you can concentrate completely on driving,” says Porsche works driver Matt Campbell (Australia). “It goes so fast because we have the chance to provide input during the development. As Porsche works drivers we’re mostly involved in endurance racing. Not only does it have to be intuitive to operate, but it also has to flow with as little physical exertion as possible. That’s always the goal when working on a new steering wheel layout.” Customer sport racing also requires a great deal of thought and effort, for instance with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The steering wheel must be easy to use for factory drivers and hobby racers alike, and it is essential to find acceptable compromises during the development.

In the past decades, steering wheels have changed significantly in terms of operation and functionality. The shape and materials used have also been modified multiple times. From a circular steering wheel made of real wood to a steel rim, a controller eventually evolved – the shape of which resembles a horizontal figure of eight, comparable to the yoke of modern aircraft. “When comparing an old and a new steering wheel, it’s hard to believe that the new models are even lighter than the earlier ones – despite all the operating controls, displays, and electronics. This is thanks to the use of aluminium and carbon fibre,” says Pascal Zurlinden. The steering elements in modern racing cockpits can be easily removed to allow drivers to climb in and out quickly and safely. The connection between the steering wheel and the car’s electronics occurs via a so-called CAN interface. “Data flows in both directions over a single line. Now that is fascinating,” states Zurlinden.

* 911 GT3 RS: Fuel consumption combined 13.2 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined 303 g/km

The consumption and CO2 emission values were determined following the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). The NEDC values derived from this should continue to be specified for the time being. These values cannot be compared to the values determined in accordance with the NEDC measuring procedure used up to now.