Second win of the season for Ayhancan Güven, first podium for Loek Hartog

Round 10

“My start was good but Loek Hartog got off the line better. My pace then increased lap by lap. I was certain that I’d get the chance to overtake. When I did, I used it,” said Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing). Joining him on the podium were Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Black Falcon Team Textar) and Leon Köhler (Germany/Nebulus Racing by Huber). Saturday’s winner Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite) remains at the top of the leaderboard with fifth place. A 29-strong field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup tackled the ADAC GT Masters event on the redesigned Formula 1 racetrack. 

While Güven took up the race from pole position, it was Hartog who became the focus of attention at the start. The driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Talent Pool – the series’ support programme – started from the third grid spot and won the sprint to the first corner. Güven settled in behind Hartog. Over the course of the race, the Phoenix Racing driver increased the pressure and kept an eye out for a chance to overtake. The key scene: In lap eleven, Güven spotted the decisive gap, passed Hartog on the inside line and went on to win the race. With second place, Hartog claimed his first podium result in the German Carrera Cup. “I’m thrilled! Unfortunately, I couldn’t match Ayhancan Güven’s pace in the end. It was a great feeling to see the fans in the grandstands as I crossed the finish line,” described the current champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.

A three-way fight for third place unfolded, with the two Dutch drivers Jaap van Lagen (HRT Motorsport) and ten Voorde as well as Köhler battling for bronze. Ultimately, the order across the line was Köhler ahead of van Lagen and ten Voorde. “That’s a super result. I started from P11 and to be honest, I didn’t think a podium spot would be possible,” said Köhler. Sixth place went to Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing) with the two rookies Morris Schuring (Netherlands/Team GP Elite) and Bastian Buus (Denmark/Allied-Racing) rounding off the top eight. In the ProAm category, Kim Hauschild (HRT Motorsport) achieved the perfect result with victories at both races of the weekend. In Sunday’s race on the 4.259-kilometre Dune circuit, the German beat Carlos Rivas (Luxembourg/Black Falcon Team Textar) and Bashar Mardini (UAE/Van Berghe Huber Racing). 

“The dune landscape and the close proximity to the North Sea coast always give a racing weekend at Zandvoort a special atmosphere. The Dutch drivers from our series have been particularly looking forward to these two races since the start of the season. The fans in the grandstands witnessed two gripping races,” says Hurui Issak, Project Manager of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. In the overall standings, Larry ten Voorde (202 points) retains his lead. After his Zandvoort win, Güven (167 points) now ranks second. Heinrich follows in third with 164 points.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland now heads into a four-week summer break before continuing as part of the ADAC GT Masters support programme at the Nürburgring from 6-8 August. Germany’s Eifel region hosts rounds eleven and twelve of the season. 

Result race 10, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

1. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing)
2. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Black Falcon Team Textar)
3. Leon Köhler (Germany/Nebulus Racing by Huber)
4. Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands/HRT Motorsport)
5. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite)
6. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing)
7. Morris Schuring (Netherlands/Team GP Elite)
8. Bastian Buus (Denmark/Allied-Racing)
9. Christopher Zöchling (Austria/Fach Auto Tech)
10. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/GP Elite)

Points standings after 10 of 16 races

Drivers’ classification
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 202 points 
2. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing), 167 points
3. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing), 164 points

Round 9

Larry ten Voorde has made a perfect start into the second half of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland season: At the Circuit Zandvoort, the Dutchman celebrated a win on home turf and extended his championship lead. 

“I might have been a bit too keen at the start and that allowed Rudy van Buren overtake me. He drove a great race, but I kept my cool, waited for him to make a mistake and was rewarded for it. It’s my first win here at Zandvoort. What a fantastic feeling!” said ten Voorde. At round nine of the season run as part of the ADAC Masters support programme, Rudy van Buren (Netherlands/CarTech Motorsport by Nigrin) secured second place on Saturday ahead of Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing). 

Spectators in the grandstands witnessed an action-packed race with two safety car phases and many battles for positions. The two Dutch drivers, ten Voorde and van Buren, locked out the first grid row. Van Buren made the best use of his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to sweep past ten Voorde in the first corner. Competing for CarTech Motorsport by Nigrin, he fiercely defended his lead against ten Voorde for the first twelve laps. The current points’ leader then used a braking error in the Hugenholtzbocht – one of the two new banked turns on the modified Formula 1 racetrack. After 17 laps, ten Voorde took the flag ahead of van Buren. “When you’re leading for so many laps, you obviously want to win. Still, it’s a great result. This is my second podium in a row after finishing second at Monza,” concluded van Buren.

Güven crossed the finish line in third place. “Larry ten Voorde and Rudy van Buren defended themselves cleverly, so I couldn’t score a better result. I start Sunday’s race from pole position and I’ll do my utmost to win,” said the Phoenix Racing driver. Fourth place went to Leon Köhler (Germany/Nebulus Racing by Huber) followed by Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/GP Elite) and the best rookie Morris Schuring (Netherlands/Team GP Elite). Julian Hanses (Germany/HRT Performance) reached the finish line on the 4.259-kilometre racetrack in seventh place, with eighth place occupied by Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Black Falcon Team Textar). Simone Iaquinta (Italy) took position nine. The current champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia tackles this weekend’s event in the Netherlands as a guest driver for Dinamic Motorsport.

In the ProAm class, Kim Hauschild (Germany) celebrated his first victory. The HRT Motorsport driver beat Carlos Rivas (Luxembourg/Black Falcon Team Textar) and Jan-Erik Slooten (Germany/Phoenix Racing) over the line. Nine drivers from the Netherlands contest this weekend’s races at Zandvoort: Alongside ten Voorde, van Buren, van Splunteren, Schuring and Hartog, Daan and Jesse van Kuijk, Lucas Groeneveld (all three driving for GP Elite) and Jaap van Lagen (HRT Motorsport) compete in front of home crowds. The GP Elite squad has a short journey to the track: The crew under team boss Torsten van Haasteren is based in De Rijp north of Amsterdam.

The trophies were presented on the podium by Alexander Pollich, CEO of Porsche Deutschland GmbH. “In its 32nd season, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland still epitomises gripping motorsport. The drivers and teams demonstrated racing at a high level. Saturday’s race here in Zandvoort was the best proof of this – a great start into the second half of the season,” said Pollich. In the championship, ten Voorde (191 points) has successfully defended his lead. Behind the 24-year-old, Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing) sits second with 154 points. The German finished his race on 15th after receiving a drive-through penalty due to a jump-start. Güven (142 points) ranks third overall.

Result race 9, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite)
2. Rudy van Buren (Netherlands/CarTech Motorsport by Nigrin)
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing)
4. Leon Köhler (Germany/Nebulus Racing by Huber)
5. Max van Splunteren (Netherlands/GP Elite)
6. Morris Schuring (Netherlands/Team GP Elite)
7. Julian Hanses (Germany/HRT Performance)
8. Loek Hartog (Netherlands/Black Falcon Team Textar)
9. Simone Iaquinta (Italy/Dinamic Motorsport)
10. Christopher Zöchling (Austria/Fach Auto Tech)

Points standings after 9 of 16 races

Drivers’ classification
1. Larry ten Voorde (Netherlands/Team GP Elite), 191 points 
2. Laurin Heinrich (Germany/Van Berghe Huber Racing), 154 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (Turkey/Phoenix Racing), 142 points