The foundation for Larry ten Voorde’s third win of the season was laid in the opening seconds of the 19-lap race. Although the reigning champion lined up on the second grid spot at the wheel of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, he got off the line better than polesitter Huub van Eijndhoven. However, the 24-year-old Dutchman’s race turned into a nightmare. Eijndhoven was only able to hold onto second place until halfway through the race before a puncture sent the Uniserver by Team GP Elite driver to the pits. Ultimately, he finished outside the points.
Larry ten Voorde, on the other hand, drove a commanding race to clinch his sixth Carrera Cup victory in Zandvoort. “I didn’t have the fastest car today and had to give everything to keep Robert de Haan at bay,” analysed the defending champion and new leader of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland drivers’ standings. Larry ten Voorde flew straight from the podium ceremony in Zandvoort to Le Mans: On Sunday afternoon he took part in the official test drives for the 24-hour race next weekend.
Robert de Haan made a similar overtaking manoeuvre to that of Larry ten Voorde: Starting from fourth position, he squeezed past Harry King in the dash to the first corner. “Our cars made contact, after which my steering wasn’t quite straight. That prevented me from attacking Larry over the rest of the race,” reported the fastest rookie and best-placed driver from the Talent Pool of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland.
Harry King’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup did not come away from the duel with de Haan unscathed. “The body of the car occasionally rubbed against the right rear tyre, which resulted in the tyre deteriorating. I nearly spun out several times on the left-handers,” King reported. The Briton, who drives for the German team Allied-Racing, kept fighting. Despite having to let Theo Oeverhaus (Bonk Motorsport) pass him, he managed to cross the finish line in fifth place. Alexander Tauscher (Proton Huber Competition) finished sixth. Because the Frenchman Marvin Klein (Target Competition), who initially finished third, was later disqualified due to an infringement of the technical regulations, both drivers moved up one place in the official results.
For the same reason, Theo Oeverhaus was classified third, repeating his result from Saturday. “That was a very intense race. I had several brushes with different competitors. Fortunately, my car survived all of them well,” summarised the driver from Germany, who had originally crossed the finish line in fourth place. With his result, two drivers from the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland Talent Pool finished in the top three of the overall standings.
Behind Robert de Haan, Dutchman Kas Haverkort (Uniserver by Team GP Elite) and German Colin Jamie Bönighausen (CarTech Motorsport) took the top three positions in the Rookie classification. They also underlined the skills of the Carrera Cup rookies with sixth and seventh place in the overall standings. The best-placed ProAm driver was Ahmad Alshehab. “I had issues getting my tyres up to temperature. I had to fight hard for the ProAm win,” said the businessman from Kuwait, who drives for the German team CarTech Motorsport.
“The Circuit Zandvoort once again provided the stage for a fantastic event. The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland entertained roughly 30,000 spectators and our guests along the track with thrilling racing action. I’d like to congratulate our Dutch drivers on their double victories in the overall and Rookie classifications,” commented Karsten Sohns, Chief Financial Officer Porsche Deutschland. Sohns presented the trophies together with Thomas Illner, Chief Operations Officer Porsche Deutschland, and Dr Nils Hueske, Chief Commercial Officer Sixt.
The next stop for the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland is Budapest. The one-make cup will contest its seventh and eighth races of the season on 22 and 23 June 2024 at the Formula 1 racetrack on the outskirts of the Hungarian capital.
Results race 6, Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, Zandvoort (NL)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), 19 laps
2. Robert de Haan (NL/Team75 Bernhard), +1.269 seconds
3. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), +3.158 seconds
4. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), +4.389 seconds
5. Alexander Tauscher (D/Proton Huber Competition), +7.041 seconds
6. Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +11.961 seconds
Drivers’ standings (after 6 of 16 races)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), 123 points
2. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), 113 points
3. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), 68 points
Full results and championship standings:
motorsports.porsche.com/germany/de/category/carreracup/psccd-2024-results
Race 5
Tackling the race from pole position, Larry ten Voorde lost his lead in the sprint to the first corner to his fellow countryman Robert de Haan. “Robert simply got off the line better,“ ten Voorde later admitted. De Haan, who competes for the team led by Porsche’s brand ambassador Timo Bernhard, eked out an advantage of over a second at the front of the field. A puncture, however, brought an early end to the 17-year-old’s race after nine laps. He was adamant, “I could’ve won.”
Shortly after, two off-track excursions resulted in Full Course Yellows, which saw the entire field lapping the Formula 1 circuit in the dunes at the North Sea coast at 80 km/h. Once the race returned to green, only two laps remained. While Larry ten Voorde continued at the front on his way to clinching his fifth Carrera Cup victory in Zandvoort, a duel for second place unfolded between Theo Oeverhaus and Harry King. “I missed a braking point right after the restart,” said Oeverhaus, explaining why he to let King pass. “But this is the first time I’ve achieved a podium result in the overall standings, and I’m very pleased about that,” stated the German driver.
“The race was a rollercoaster for me,” grinned Harry King. Starting from P6, the Englishman then swept past one rival after the other. A minor nudge with a competitor resulted in his Porsche briefly driving on only its rear wheels along the start-finish straight. “Luckily, my car didn’t suffer any significant damage. My race pace was great today, that makes me confident for tomorrow,” said King, looking ahead to the second race of the weekend on Sunday (11:35 am). At this stage, only two points separate him from defending champion Larry ten Voorde in the overall standings.
Fourth place was enough for Dutchman Flynt Schuring to secure victory in the Rookie classification. “My only problem was that I didn’t get the tyres up to temperature before the start – but it was the same for my rivals,” said the 17-year-old, who competes for Proton Huber Competition’s second team. Kas Haverkort (Uniserver by Team GP Elite), another rookie in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, added to the home team’s strong performance with fifth place, with Alexander Tauscher rounding off Proton Huber Competition’s commendable result with sixth place.
Senna van Soelen (Target Competition) took third place – ensuring that the Rookie podium remained entirely in Dutch hands. Sören Spreng (GP Elite) from Germany won the ProAm classification ahead of Ahmad Alshehab (CarTech Motorsport) from Kuwait and his German teammate Michael Essmann.
“The Zandvoort circuit has once again lived up to its reputation and provided a race with surprising thrills and spills. We’ll definitely entertain the spectators again on Sunday,” commented Thomas Illner, Head of Operations - Chief Operations Officer (COO) Porsche Deutschland.
Results race 5, Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, Zandvoort (NL)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), 16 laps
2. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), +1.141 seconds
3. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), +1.627 seconds
4. Flynt Schuring (NL/Team Proton Huber Competition), +6.473 seconds
5. Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +7.076 seconds
6. Alexander Tauscher (D/Proton Huber Competition), +8.038 seconds
Drivers’ standings (after 5 of 16 races)
1. Harry King (UK/Allied-Racing), 100 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), 98 points
3. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), 52 points
Full results and championship standings.
Preview
Traditionally, the German Carrera Cup features a high number of Dutch competitors. Of the permanently registered drivers tackling the 2024 season, seven will fly the red, white and blue national flag on their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. At the upcoming third round from 7 to 9 June 2024, they have a home race: Season races five and six of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland will be held in Zandvoort as part of the DTM support programme.
“The Carrera Cup weekend in Zandvoort is always a very special affair. My family and many of my friends come to the track to support me,” states Larry ten Voorde, the reigning champion and winner of both Zandvoort races last year. Driving for the German Proton Huber Competition team, the 27-year-old has notched up one victory this season. As one of three Dutchmen in the top five of the drivers’ standings, he is in hot pursuit of championship leader Harry King from Great Britain.
Behind ten Voorde in the rankings are his compatriots Huub van Eijndhoven (Uniserver by Team GP Eilte) and Robert de Haan from Team75 Bernhard, who won one of the two races in Oschersleben. Janne Stiak travels to Zandvoort as the best-placed German in fifth. Like de Haan, the young German competes for Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard’s team.
Championship leader Harry King is well aware that Zandvoort could become somewhat of a lion’s den for him. “Of course, the number of Dutch fans in the grandstands vastly outnumbers that of the British,” smiles the 23-year-old Englishman, who took two victories for the German team Allied-Racing at the season opener in Imola, Italy. “But I’m not letting that bother me. I had a good test in Zandvoort and I’m confident that I can fight for podium positions.”
Dutch drivers occupy the top four places in the Rookie classification. Flynt Schuring from Team Proton Huber Competition and Senna van Soelen (Target Competition) head to their home race sharing the lead in the championship standings. Their closest rivals are de Haan and Uniserver by Team GP Elite driver Kas Haverkort. After four races this season, the fight for the team title has also come down to a duel between Germany and the Netherlands: Proton Huber Competition from Bavaria leads ahead of Uniserver by Team GP Elite, which is based close to Amsterdam.
After four races, the top ten in the overall standings of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland include drivers from five nations: Aside from Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany, France and Israel are also represented.
“The two races in Zandvoort are always among the highlights of the season,” says Hurui Issak, Project Manager Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, in anticipation of the race. “The racetrack nestled into the dunes is very demanding for the drivers. And the packed grandstands with the multitude of German and Dutch fans add to the unique atmosphere. So, we’re looking forward to another exciting weekend together with the DTM.”
Circuit Zandvoort
Opened in 1948, Circuit Zandvoort was a regular fixture on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar until 1985. It was the conversion to the latest safety regulations that made it possible for the Dutch Grand Prix to return in 2021. The modified circuit is characterised by two banked corners – an unusual feature for a Formula 1 track - the Hugenholtz-Bocht and the Arie-Luyendijk-Bocht. With a steep 32 per cent bank, the latter even surpasses US archetypes. Today’s 4.259-kilometre course, which winds through dunes on the North Sea coast west of Amsterdam, has further challenges in store: The crests and dips mean that drivers take some corners virtually blind. Moreover, the sea breeze constantly blows sand onto the track, oftentimes creating unpredictable grip conditions. Circuit Zandvoort has been a pit stop on the German Carrera Cup calendar since 2019.
The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland on the Internet
Fans can follow all the races live on YouTube. The Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland channel provides English commentary. Aside from the race weekends, fans and media representatives can also stay up-to-date on the one-make cup via the social networks Instagram (@CarreraCupDe) and X (@CarreraCupDe).
Schedule Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, Round 3, Circuit Zandvoort (NL)
Friday, 7 June
11:45 – 12:40 hrs: Practice
17:30 – 18:05 hrs: Qualifying
Saturday, 8 June
11:30 hrs: Race 5 (30 minutes plus 1 lap)
Sunday, 9 June
11:35 hrs: Race 6 (30 minutes plus 1 lap)
Overall standings Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland (after 4 of 16 races)
1. Harry King (UK, Allied-Racing), 80 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL, Proton Huber Competition), 73 points
3. Huub van Eijndhoven (NL, Uniserver by Team GP Elite), 48 points
4. Robert de Haan (NL Team75 Bernhard), 43 points
5. Janne Stiak (D, Team75 Bernhard), 40 points
Full results and championship standings.
2024 Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland calendar
19 – 21 April: Imola (I), FIA World Endurance Championship WEC
26 – 28 April: Oschersleben (D), DTM
7 – 9 June: Zandvoort (NL), DTM
21 – 23 June: Budapest (HU), International GT Open Championship
16 – 18 August: Nürburgring (D), DTM
6 – 8 September: Sachsenring (D), DTM
27 – 29 September: Red-Bull-Ring, Spielberg (A), DTM
18 – 20 October: Hockenheimring (D), DTM
