With second win of the season Loek Hartog reclaims series lead in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

Race 4

In a repeat of the previous day, Loek Hartog headed into round four of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland season from pole position. This time, however, the 20-year-old Dutchman did not allow his lead to be snatched away from him within the first few metres. Instead, the GP Elite driver controlled the pace from the front. When the safety car constrained the field shortly before the end of this year’s race four, his victory was assured. “This time my race was perfect from start to finish,” commented Hartog, who, with this success and a second-place finish from Saturday, has salvaged his lead in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland standings.

Harry King was uncertain if he could have attacked Hartog without the safety car period at the end. “I was a little faster than Loek from the halfway point of the race, but I don’t think it would have been enough for a successful overtaking manoeuvre,” analysed the UK driver from the German Allied-Racing team, who now ranks third overall.

The race was much more eventful for Larry ten Voorde than for the top two finishers. The winner of Saturday’s race conceded a position shortly after the start. He then managed to overtake Australian rookie Harri Jones (Scherer Sport PHX) on the second lap. Later, ten Voorde was involved in a gripping duel with his compatriot Morris Schuring. “That was hard work. But the duels were absolutely fair and huge fun,” said the two-time champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. When Schuring misjudged the braking zone for the hairpin in the Motodrom and slid through the gravel bed, the path to a third-place finish opened up for Larry ten Voorde.

Fourth place went to Porsche Junior Bastian Buus. “I gained one position at the start. That’s pretty good, but overall, it was a weekend to forget,” exclaimed the 19-year-old Dane from Team Allied-Racing, who on Saturday was involved in a collision caused by a competitor and was thus unable to score any points.

Theo Oeverhaus (Car Tech Motorsport Bonk) turned heads with his performance. The 18-year-old former DTM driver from Germany contests his first season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. As was the case on Saturday, Oeverhaus won the Rookies classification in Sunday’s race. Perhaps even more impressive, however, was his fifth-place finish overall, which pushed him up the rankings to fourth. “Simply a perfect weekend for me,” said a delighted Oeverhaus, who was also the best-placed driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Talent Pool. Sixth place went to another rookie, Australian Harri Jones from the Scherer Sport PHX team. Austrian Horst Felix Felbermayr (Proton Competition) rounded off the top three in the Rookies classification.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland experienced a premiere in the ProAm classification: Ahmad Alshehab (Car Tech Motorsport Bonk) from Kuwait celebrated his first victory. Joining him on the ProAm podium were Bulgarian Georgi Donchev (ProfilDoors by Huber Racing) in second and Germany’s Holger Harmsen (HRT Performance) in third.

Next event in two weeks

Races three and four of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland were held as part of the “Festival of Dreams”, the big fan festival to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars. Thousands of visitors – many of whom had travelled to Hockenheim in their private Porsche – were treated to some exciting racing on the Hockenheimring and an action-packed programme on the racetrack in Germany’s Baden region. One highlight was the concert by German-Spanish singer Alvaro Soler.

The next round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland will be held in just two weeks (23 to 25 June 2023) as part of the DTM weekend, with Zandvoort on the Dutch North Sea coast hosting the one-make cup.
 

Result race 4, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Hockenheimring

1. Loek Hartog (NL/Team GP Elite), 33.38.984 minutes
2. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), +0.776 seconds
3. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), +1.418 seconds
4. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/Allied-Racing), +1.702 seconds
5. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Car Tech Motorsport Bonk), +2.285 seconds

Drivers standings Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 4 races)
1. Loek Hartog (NL/Team GP Elite), 86 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 81 points
3. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), 74 points
4. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Car Tech Motorsport Bonk), 39 points
5. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/Allied-Racing), 37 points

Rookies standings Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 4 races)
1. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Car Tech Motorsport Bonk), 91 points
2. Harri Jones (AUS/Scherer Sport PHX), 61 points
3. Vincent Andronaco (D/Allied-Racing), 56 points

ProAm standings Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 4 races)
1. Georgi Donchev (BG/ProfilDoors by Huber Racing), 86 points
2. Sören Spreng (D/GP Elite), 61 points
3. Ahmad Alshehab (KWT/Car Tech Motorsport Bonk), 58 points

Teams standings Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Teams (after 4 races)
1. Team GP Elite (NL), 167 points
2. Allied-Racing (D), 118 points
3. FACH AUTO TECH (CH), 54 points

Full results and championship standings:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/carreracup/pccd-2022-results

Race 3

Larry ten Voorde holds on to his crown as the “King of Hockenheim”. At the third race of this season’s Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, the Dutchman driving for the GP Elite squad notched up his sixth victory at the German racetrack. Second place went to his teammate Loek Hartog. Competing for Allied-Racing, Harry King from the UK occupied the third podium step of the one-make cup run with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Larry ten Voorde made the decisive move right off the line. In the sprint to the first corner, the two-time champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland outpaced his teammate and polesitter Loek Hartog. Over the remaining 17 laps, ten Voorde defended his lead commandingly. “My last race of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monaco was still fresh in my mind – I lost the duel after the start from pole position and only finished second. This time I concentrated 100 percent on the start – and it went perfectly,” said the 26-year-old from near Enschede in the Netherlands. Thanks to his first win of the season, he advanced to the top of the overall standings in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.

Meanwhile, Loek Hartog fended off Harry King over the entire race, which was interrupted by two safety car phases. “I’m not entirely happy because I wasn’t able to convert pole position into a victory. But at least I earned a bunch of points, and that’s critical for the championship. Of course, the one-two for our GP Elite team is also great,” said Hartog, looking at the positive side of the result.

Heading into the race from the fourth grid spot, Harry King immediately overtook the faster qualifier Leon Köhler (Huber Racing). “I experienced a few problems in qualifying however things went perfectly for me in the race. Now I’m looking forward to the second race on Sunday, where I’ll start from the front row,” commented King. Behind the UK racer, Dutchman Morris Schuring (Fach Auto Tech) finished fourth and fifth place went to Leon Köhler from Germany.

Theo Oeverhaus from the Car Tech Motorsport Bonk team clinched his first victory in the Rookie classification. The 22-year-old from Osnabrück secured 7th place overall finishing highest of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland’s Talent Pool drivers. Joining him on the rookie podium was Vincent Andronaco (Allied-Racing) from Germany and Belgian Ghislain Cordeel (GP Elite). Sören Spreng also handed his GP Elite squad a win in the ProAm category. The German was followed over the line in this class by fellow German Michael Essmann (Car Tech Motorsport Bonk) and Georgi Donchev (ProfilDoors by Huber Racing) from Bulgaria.

Bad luck plagued Porsche Junior Bastian Buus. Driving for the Allied-Racing team, the 19-year-old from Denmark became entangled in a first-lap collision, slid into the gravel bed and was out of the race.

Big Porsche party at the “Festival of Dreams”

Round two of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland is part of the “Festival of Dreams” celebrating 75 years of Porsche sports cars. Spectators are also treated to some more action-packed racing with the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, the ADAC GT Masters and the Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic. The premiere of the racing series for classic Cup 911 of the 964 and 993 generations was exceptionally well received by drivers and fans. The support programme away from the racetrack includes a large get-together of the Porsche community and a live concert by Alvaro Soler.

Second Hockenheim race takes off on Sunday at 2:55 pm

On Sunday (11 June 2023), the Hockenheimring again plays host to the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. Race four of the season can be viewed live with English commentary on the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland’s YouTube channel.

Result race 3, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Hockenheimring (D)

1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 31.46.392 minutes
2. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), +1.061 seconds
3. Harry King (United Kingdom/Allied-Racing), +1.646 seconds
4. Morris Schuring (Netherlands /Fach Auto Tech), +2.002 seconds
5. Leon Köhler (Germany/Huber Racing), +2.553 seconds

Standings Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 3 races)
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands /Team GP Elite), 65 points
2. Loek Hartog (Netherlands /Team GP Elite), 61 points
3. Harry King (United Kingdom/Allied-Racing), 54 points
4. Morris Schuring (Netherlands /Fach Auto Tech), 29 points
5. Theo Oeverhaus (Germany/Car Tech Motorsport Bonk), 28 points

Full results:
https://motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/carreracup/pccd-2022-results

Preview

This coming weekend (10-11 June 2023), the Hockenheimring is the venue for round two of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The one-make cup contested with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup makes up part of the “Festival of Dreams”, where the brand will celebrate the 75th year of Porsche sports cars on the racetrack in Germany’s Baden region.

After the season opener on the Formula 1 circuit at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, a trio has formed at the top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland standings. Dutchman Loek Hartog (Team GP Elite) heads to round two in Hockenheim as the overall leader, closely followed by his fellow countryman and teammate Larry ten Voorde and UK driver Harry King (Allied-Racing).

“Competing at the ‘Festival of Dreams’ in Hockenheim is super cool. A whole weekend dedicated to Porsche – I’m looking forward to a great atmosphere with masses of fans,” says front-runner Loek Hartog, who won his first cup race at Spa-Francorchamps. “Of course, another win would be great but I also have to keep my situation in the championship in mind and I won’t take too many risks. My goal is to earn as many points as possible from both races.”

Like Hartog, Harry King stood on top of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland podium for the first time at the season opener in Belgium. “Of course, pole position and victory in Spa raised expectations. I’m keen to build on this success in Hockenheim. My goal is to close the gap to the top of the table,” said the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. Larry ten Voorde, currently second in the standings, has fond memories of Hockenheim: “I like the track. I won two races there last season. It’d be great if I could do something similar now.”

The 4.574-kilometre Hockenheimring, on which Formula 1 raced until 2019, requires compromises from the drivers when setting up their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “Half of the track needs high speed with little aerodynamic downforce. The other half is slower with tighter corners, so we set the rear wing angle steeper,” describes Porsche Junior Bastian Buus. The 19-year-old Dane drives for the Allied Racing team and currently ranks fourth overall.

“We’re expecting a lot of spectators at the ‘Festival of Dreams’. This promises to be a great anniversary party for the large Porsche community and a unique setting for the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. I’m delighted to have the ADAC GT Masters as one of our guests. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the Porsche drivers competing in Hockenheim and the Porsche teams contesting the 24-hour race in Le Mans this weekend. I’m also excited about the premiere of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic,” says Alexander Pollich, Managing Director of Porsche Deutschland GmbH.

Premiere for the Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic

Races three and four of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland are contested as part of the “Festival of Dreams” to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars. A 32-strong field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has registered for both races, each contested over roughly 35 minutes. The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, ADAC GT Masters and Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic are also part of the race weekend action. The Porsche Sprint Challenge Classic is a new racing series reserved for classic 911 cup cars of the 964 and 993 generations.

Visitors can also look forward to an action-packed programme away from the racetrack. In addition to the “Dream Talks” with fascinating personalities from the world of Porsche and a concert by Alvaro Soler (“Solo Para Ti”), the attractions also include a live broadcast of the 24-hour race in Le Mans, where Porsche as the record-holder competes for the first time with the new 963 hybrid racing car. High-speed ‘taxi’ rides organised by the Porsche Experience Center and a wide range of entertainment for children round off the “Festival of Dreams” programme.

Detailed information about the "Festival of Dreams" on the internet:
https://www.porsche.com/germany/aboutporsche/75years/festivalofdreams/ 

Separate Rookies and ProAm classification, support for drivers from Talent Pool

In addition to the drivers’ overall standings, points are awarded in three other categories in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. In the Teams' championship, the Dutch squad GP Elite holds the lead after two races. In the Rookies class, ten talented youngsters from six nations pit themselves against each other. Harri Jones (Scherer Sport PHX), the reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, currently leads this class. 

Drivers without a professional background in motor racing can score points in the ProAm ranking. Bulgaria's Georgi Donchev from the ProfilDoors by Huber Racing team currently ranks first. Moreover, Porsche Germany supports eight young drivers who are no older than 23 years through its Talent Pool initiative. 

TV and internet coverage of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

The German TV broadcaster ProSieben is onboard as the media partner of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The programme “ran racing: Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland” will be televised immediately before each DTM race. In this five-minute magazine, viewers get a glimpse behind the scenes of the series and can witness the race highlights. All 16 races will be aired live on www.ran.de and on the Porsche Motorsport Hub. Moreover, the news channel ntv will continue to broadcast the programme “PS – Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland”. 

Schedule Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland “Festival of Dreams” Hockenheim

Saturday, 10 June: 2:55 – 3:30 pm, Race 3 
Sunday, 11 June: 2:55 – 3:30 pm, Race 4  

Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland standings (after 2 races)

1. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 41 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 40 points
3. Harry King (United Kingdom/Allied-Racing), 38 points
4. Porsche-Junior Bastian Buus (Denmark/Allied-Racing), 24 points
5. Harri Jones (Australia/Scherer Sport PHX), 20 points

Full points standings including rookie, ProAm and team categories

2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland calendar

27-29 April: Spa-Francorchamps (B)
9-11 June: Hockenheimring (D)
23-25 June: Zandvoort (NL)
4-6 August: Nürburgring (D)
18-20 August: Lausitzring (D)
8-10 September: Sachsenring (D)
22-24 September: Red-Bull-Ring (A)
20-22 October: Hockenheimring (D)