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Porsche GB GT3 Cup Challenge 2012

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Successful launch for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge
- Drivers and teams learn about the 2012 season
- Dates announced to include BTCC support races
- First drivers confirm commitment to series


The 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge enjoyed a very successful launch at Autosport International today (Thursday 12 January 2012) as prospective teams and drivers learned of the plans for the coming season.



Managed by Porsche Cars GB, the GT3 Cup Challenge will have a six-weekend, 12-race season starting at Snetterton over the Easter Weekend and culminating with a high-profile date alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB at the Silverstone BTCC meeting on 6/7 October.

Geoff Turral of Porsche Cars GB introduced the 2012 GT3 Cup Challenge: 'This is a great opportunity to race a thoroughbred factory built race car," he said. 'The series has very broad appeal and it is a chance to move towards the Carrera Cup GB for ambitious drivers. Central to the development of the GT3 Cup Challenge is linkage with the Carrera Cup."

Competitors will pay a highly competitive season registration fee of just £3000 for all 12 races, while those who cannot commit to a full season can also join the series for individual events for a relevant entry fee. The dates for the GT3 Cup Challenge, which is open to any 911 GT3 Cup car from the 2009 model year or earlier, are:

7/8 April; Snetterton
19/20 May; Rockingham
17 June; Thruxton
21/22 July; Croft
18/19 August; Donington Park
6/7 October; Silverstone



In total, up to 2000 911 GT3 Cup race cars have been built by Porsche since the introduction of the 996-model car over a decade ago and the GT3 Cup Challenge will have classes to cater for both the 996-model cars and the later 997-model cars.

The GT3 Cup Challenge is now an established concept across the world, with successful race series in ten countries.
 

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Porsche launches GT3 Cup Challenge 2012

Six weekend, 12-race calendar in co-operation with the BARC, for older 911 GT3 Cup race cars

Designed to be perfect stepping stone for Porsche drivers aiming to graduate from track days

Season finale at Silverstone alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, supporting the British Touring Car Championship

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge to be managed and promoted by Porsche Cars GB in 2012


Porsche has announced details of its GT3 Cup Challenge for 2012, which will have a new six-weekend, 12-race calendar and culminate in a season finale alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB - and supporting the British Touring Car Championship - at Silverstone on October 6/7.

Open to any 911 GT3 Cup race car from the 2009 model year or earlier, the series is designed to be a perfect stepping stone for drivers aiming to move up to the Carrera Cup GB in subsequent seasons. It is also ideally suited to younger racers with some backing, as well as competitors graduating from track days. The series is open to drivers with a National B race licence.

For 2012, the GT3 Cup Challenge moves under the control of Porsche Cars GB, providing closer ties to the UK headquarters of the German sports car marque, the world's biggest manufacturer of race cars. Links to the premier Carrera Cup GB will be strengthened; both series will share a pre-season Test and Media Day at Silverstone in March, along with a spectacular end-of-season Awards Night.

'The GT3 Cup Challenge is the ideal series for any driver wanting to race a 911 GT3 Cup on a level playing field," said Marion Barnaby, Motorsport Manager, Porsche Cars GB. 'It is the perfect learning platform for drivers hoping to move up to the Carrera Cup GB, but it will also suit competitors coming into racing for the first time from track days as well as those currently racing in other series. We will be aligning the GT3 Cup Challenge closely with the Carrera Cup GB."

The GT3 Cup Challenge is expected to feature two classes; Class One will be for 'Type 997' 911 GT3 Cup race cars up to and including the 2009 model year. There will be two minimum weights to balance performance between the two specifications of car from this period. Class Two will be for all earlier 'Type 996' 911 GT3 Cup cars.
Races will be of 25-30 minutes duration wherever possible and the calendar is designed to keep time away to a minimum to help contain costs. Leading teams from the Carrera Cup GB will be fielding cars in the GT3 Cup Challenge, with full-season budgets from £50,000, or from £30,000 if drivers own their cars.

A GT3 Cup Challenge race centre will be operational at all events, offering hospitality for drivers, families, guests and team members. Porsche Cars GB will provide further support with a technical service to give drivers the best chance of completing their race weekend as planned. The prize package for the series will be unveiled shortly, along with filming and broadcast details.
 
In total, up to 2000 911 GT3 Cup race cars have been built by Porsche since the introduction of the 996-model car over a decade ago and the GT3 Cup Challenge will have classes to cater for both the 996-model cars and the later 997-model cars.

The GT3 Cup Challenge is now an established concept across the world, with successful race series in ten countries.

Newcomer Riall aims at Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge

Racing newcomer Guy Riall is among the growing number of drivers aiming to race in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge this season, having acquired a 2007 model 911GT3 Cup from Team Parker Racing.

The Yorkshire-based property developer has never raced before and has linked up with experienced GT racer Tim Sugden for support and tutoring. 'I just want to go racing," said Riall. 'The car is immaculate and I want to do some races in 2012 before a full programme in 2013."

'Guy is just the type of driver we are keen to see in the GT3 Cup Challenge," said Marion Barnaby, motorsport manager, Porsche Cars GB. 'Getting started in racing can be daunting, even for drivers with track day experience, but the GT3 Cup Challenge is the ideal environment for newcomers."

Willis-Hargreaves commits to GT3 Cup Challenge GB

Another new name on the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge grid this season will be that of David Willis-Hargreaves, who will step up from track days to race his 2005-model 911 GT3 Cup.

David, from near Banbury, has taken part in track days for three or four years in Porsche 911 GT3s and has now decided to make a step up with the support of racing instructor Gary Marsh.

'Gary suggested I try racing and I've done no racing at all so far, other than karts for fun and mountain bikes," said David, who used his former Supercup car in track days last year. The duo will do much of the work on the car themselves, with support from Fearn Sport when required. David is likely to miss one or two races, so Gary will take over at the wheel for those events.
 

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Oly Mortimer, the 2011 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB Driver of the Year, drove away from Reading last month in a brand new Porsche Cayman S.

The car, which Oly gets to keep for a year, was presented by Marion Barnaby at the Porsche Cars GB Head Office.
 

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Drives available in GT3 Cup Challenge

The launch of GT3 Cup Challenge GB at the Autosport Show has generated a great deal of attention from a range of high-calibre Porsche racing teams.

There are now a range of opportunities for drivers wishing to drive in the series. A number of teams are offering complete 'arrive and drive' packages, whereby they'll completely tailor the amount of testing and training to suit drivers' experience, ambitions and budget.

For drivers wishing to run their own GT3 Cup car, there are teams that are offering services to assist with the running, set-up and mechanical up keep of their cars through-out the season.

Finally, for drivers wishing to purchase a GT3 Cup car of their own, there are teams with cars for sale, with either the option to help the new buyer run the car or to allow the driver to run it completely independently.

For a full list of teams, please contact Darioush Gheissari, Motorsport Coordinator, on [email protected]
 

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James Birch commits to Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge

Former single-seater racer James Birch has signed with IN2 Racing for a full programme in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. The 22-year old racer has secured sponsorship from MPG Quantity Surveyors for his graduation and hopes that the campaign will boost his chances of racing in the Carrera Cup GB in 2013.

'The support that Porsche is putting behind the GT3 Cup Challenge this year makes it a great way to make the move from single-seaters to sports cars," said Birch. 'Hopefully, it will be a logical step into the Carrera Cup GB and then GT racing in the future. It will be the first time that I have raced with a roof over my head but I am sure I will quickly adapt to the new environment and I'm really looking forward to getting some testing in the car prior to the first race at Snetterton."

Birch raced karts as a youngster and then moved into Formula Vee, winning the 2009 European Formula Vee title. He competed in Formula Renault BARC in 2010 and then raced Radicals in 2011.

Team boss Nick Dudfield is delighted with the news. 'This is great news for us and for James. The number one objective is to get James dialed in for the year ahead," said Dudfield. 'We want to run a second car and we're currently talking to other drivers."
 
Porsche News said:
There are now a range of opportunities for drivers wishing to drive in the series. A number of teams are offering complete 'arrive and drive' packages, whereby they'll completely tailor the amount of testing and training to suit drivers' experience, ambitions and budget.

Mmm - wonder how much more that would cost over what I'm doing this season...?

!
WARNING
MOTORSPORT
CAN BE
CHUFFIN EXPENSIVE
 
spyderman said:
!
WARNING
MOTORSPORT
CAN BE
CHUFFIN EXPENSIVE

Tell that to Nick!
 
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge opens at Snetterton

The 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB kicks off at Snetterton over the Easter Weekend (7/8 April) with two 25-minute races on the 200 circuit at the East Anglian venue.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge is managed by Porsche Cars GB alongside the Carrera Cup GB and is set to grow as the season develops, with steadily building competitor interest. The series has recently received a further boost with the granting of championship status for the six-event, 12-race season. The GT3 Cup Challenge is for the earlier cars from 2009 or before, including the 996-model cars from up to 2006.

Lining up for a race each day will be pre-season pacesetter James Birch, who previously ran strongly in the Formula Renault BARC Championship. The 22-year old racer from Amersham set the pace during the recent pre-season test day at Silverstone and his IN2 Racing entry should be right at the head of the action at Snetterton.

Fresh from the opening races in the Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch, Team Parker Racing will field up to three cars at Snetterton including those of Steven Liquorish and Neil Houston. Silverstone-based Scotsman Houston will make his Porsche racing debut after previously campaigning Ginettas, while Liquorish already has a year's experience under his belt in these cars.

Another team running in both the Carrera Cup GB and the GT3 Cup Challenge is Parr Motorsport and they will be supporting Peter Smallwood as he starts his third season of racing with his 997-model 911 GT3 Cup. Also racing in Class 1 for the 997-model cars is John Ferguson in one of the cars entered by Dublin-based Ask Racing.

The Irish squad, headed by Alan Kessie, is also represented in Class 2 for the earlier 996-model cars with an entry for Co Wicklow racer Tom Hallissey. His rivals will include Mark Cowne in the car tended by Silverstone-based Fearn Sport.
 

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Liquorish and Birch win in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge at Snetterton

Steven Liquorish and James Birch were the race winners as the 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB got off to a flying start at Snetterton over the Easter Weekend (7/8 April).

After some great battling across two 25-minute races, Liquorish and Birch took a win apiece as Justin Sherwood, Neil Houston and Peter Smallwood all claimed overall podium finishes.

Qualifying
With qualifying starting on a wet but drying track, the closing minutes proved to be crucial as all drivers switched from wets to slick tyres mid-session. The times tumbled in the closing moments with four drivers in contention for pole in a dramatic last five minutes and it was Birch (IN2 Racing) who judged it best to take pole with a best lap of 1m14.718s. Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) and Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) were within a second of the pole time, with John Ferguson (ASK Racing) slipping back to fourth after taking pole at one point.
'I made the decision to come in early for slicks and it was drying all the time," said Birch after an impressive run in challenging conditions. 'It was still damp in places," confirmed Liquorish who claimed pole for race two from Sherwood and Birch based on their second best laps in qualifying.

Race One

The opening race of the season, run on a dry track, delivered an absorbing contest, a first Porsche win for Liquorish and a clean sweep of the overall podium for Team Parker Racing. Liquorish set the seal on his landmark victory with a rocket start to shoot straight into a handy lead while Birch didn't get away so well and had to fend off Ferguson and Houston (Team Parker Racing) in the early laps. Then, just as he started to chase after Liquorish, Birch spun at Nelson and clipped the barriers. With damage to a radiator, he was forced into the pits and retirement.

Up front, Liquorish was driving superbly to set the pace, but now Ferguson set about hunting the leader down. Little by little the gap came down, but then came a safety car period while marshals dealt with some debris. Liquorish had never led a re-start before, but handled it well to retain his lead with less than four minutes to run.

Ferguson, Houston and Sherwood went after Liquorish over the closing three laps and into the final lap Ferguson sensed his chance. Pushing hard through Riches, Ferguson spun and couldn't re-start, bringing to an end a very strong Porsche debut. Meanwhile, a missed downshift from Houston gave Sherwood the chance he needed and the former F3 racer dived through to grab second. Smallwood (Parr Motorsport) bagged fourth behind Houston having battled with Sherwood in the opening laps, while Mark Cowne (Fearn Sport) claimed Class One for the 996-model cars in only his third ever race.

'I had one of the best starts I've ever made," said a jubilant Liquorish. 'I really got my head down in the early laps. I must admit I was relieved to see John spin on the last lap."

'I was definitely race rusty," said Sherwood after only his third race in nine years. 'It's been a long time since I've driven a race car and I was learning with every lap." Houston, meanwhile, was very pleased with a podium on his first Porsche race. 'I couldn't ask for any more," he said. 'I went in a fraction too fast and it got away from me," said Ferguson after his attacking drive went un-rewarded.


Race Two

Sunday's race was full of incident and drama as light rain at the start made conditions truly challenging for the slick-shod field. Sherwood got away best to lead under intense pressure from Liquorish as Birch made a slow start and dropped to fifth behind Houston and Ferguson.

Into Riches for the third time, Liquorish fell foul of the conditions and had a high-speed spin, which delayed Houston and allowed Ferguson briefly up to second ahead of the charging Smallwood. But it was Birch who was now on the move and he jumped Houston for fourth before Ferguson launched a big attack at Murrays and briefly re-took second from Smallwood before running wide and being bundled back to fifth as four cars ran neck and neck for second.

Houston snatched second in the confusion and set a cracking pace as he led the chase of Sherwood, but Birch went with Houston and finally battled ahead as they braked for Riches on lap 13. Lap by lap the lead reduced and by the end of lap 17, Birch was right on Sherwood's tail. Into Riches for the 18th time, Birch attacked and the cars touched. They both went off and while Sherwood bumped the barriers and retire, Birch managed to rejoin still in the lead, but without the car's front splitter.

Houston still chased but Birch held on to take the flag as Smallwood claimed a fine podium finish in third while Liquorish recovered to fourth after Ferguson retired to the pits with an engine problem. Cowne again took Class One spoils as he learnt about driving on a greasy track for the first time.
'I went back to P5 off the start, but then just got into a rhythm and picked people off one at a time," said Birch. 'I'm really pleased with that after the disappointment of not finishing yesterday."

'It was so slippery out there, but great fun," said Houston after a fine run, while Smallwood was elated to complete the podium after his strongest race to date. 'The grip at some corners was changing by the lap," said Smallwood. 'I just hung in there and I'm really, really pleased with the result."

Results

Race One: 1 Steven Liquorish; 2 Justin Sherwood; 3 Neil Houston. Class One: Mark Cowne. Fastest lap: John Ferguson 1m13.939s (96.60mph).

Race Two: 1 James Birch; 2 Neil Houston; 3 Peter Smallwood. Class One: Mark Cowne. Fastest lap: Birch 1m13.824s (96.75mph).

Provisional overall points after round two: 1 Liquorish 35; 2 Houston 34; 3 Smallwood 30; 4 Cowne 24; 5 Birch 22; 6 Sherwood 18. Class One: 1 Cowne 28.

Next rounds: Rockingham, 19/20 May.
 

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Not a particularly big grid is it? If someone would like to sponsor me, I'd happily add to the numbers next season!
 
Rockingham next for Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge

The Rockingham Motor Speedway is the setting for the second event in the 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB with two 25-minute races over the weekend of 19/20 May. Boosting the grid will be three drivers making their debut in the series.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge is managed by Porsche Cars GB alongside the Carrera Cup GB and is growing as the season develops, with steadily building competitor interest. The Rockingham entry is the best yet for the championship and the series has recently received gained championship status for the six-event, 12-race season. The GT3 Cup Challenge is for the cars from 2009 or before, including the 996-model cars from up to 2006.

Heading the entry will be the drivers who shared the race wins at Snetterton when the season opened over the Easter weekend. In two exciting races, James Birch (IN2 Racing) and Steven Liquorish (Team Parker Racing) took a win each and they head the entry for Rockingham. Former single-seater racer Birch will surely be strong around the challenge of the Corby track, where the flat out banked Turn One is one of the fastest corners on the schedule. However, with his first Porsche win under his belt with a polished performance at Snetterton, Liquorish will be a big threat.

Others with a visit to the podium as a minimum target at Rockingham include Northampton-based racers Peter Smallwood (Parr Motorsport) and Neil Houston (Team Parker Racing), while Justin Sherwood (Team Parker Racing) showed at Snetterton that he is a real force to be reckoned with. Although former F3 racer Sherwood only made his debut in the series at Snetterton, he was immediately close to the pace.

Birmingham-based Irishman John Ferguson was another star at Snetterton in one of the cars entered by Dublin-based Ask Racing. He has the pace to win at Rockingham, while two drivers will make their GT3 Cup debut in Class 1 cars: Guy Riall (Almara Racing) and Mark Flaherty (Redline Racing) will both be welcome additions to the growing grid.

Ferguson will be joined in the Ask Racing team by a Class 2 entry for experienced Co Wicklow racer Tom Hallissey. His class rivals will include Mark Cowne (Kruger Cowne) who took a double victory at Snetterton.

After qualifying at 11.15 on Saturday, round three will start at 15.15, with round four at 12.05 on Sunday.
 

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