12/16/2022
5,000 Porsche Cup vehicles – a unique success story.
The Cup philosophy: equal opportunities and fairness.
Upon the development of the Porsche 964 in 1990, the “Porsche Carrera Cup” was launched. Former factory driver Herbert Linge (94 years old as of today) handled the management of the then new Porsche Carrera Cup race series.
The philosophy of the race series: uniform vehicles, tires, and fuel. On a technical level, Cup vehicles are entirely identical; the same goes for the Michelin tires. Everyone starts under the same conditions.
It’s like a javelin throw – the wood is the same for everyone.
The race: Amateurs compete against professionals on a national and international level. Be it the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the Porsche Carrera Cups, the Porsche Challenges or the Porsche Trophies.
What counts are the performance of drivers and their teams, whose commitments are accompanied by strict regulations. It is a mix of bravery, determination, and experience that makes these competitions so special – and they often serve as stepping stone in the careers of talents. “It is the elementary school of motorsport,“ says Burkhart Bechtel. “A tough, but incredibly fair racing sport.“
Potential and performance count.
The first Porsche Carrera Cup Germany in 1990 was won by Olaf Manthey: He raced across the Circuit Zolder in Belgium with his Kümmerling-green Porsche 911 and claimed the championship title.
For Thomas Jäger, the first victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany was special: the 24-round sprint on the EuroSpeedway made international history as the 1,000th Carrera Cup race – and during the 20th season of the brand cup, at that.
Time after time, veterans and newcomers took turns accepting the trophies. Thomas Preining was merely 18 years old when he won his title in 2018 – and until this day, he is the youngest champion in Cup history. Harald Grohs holds the record on the other end of the scale: he won the trophy in 1995 at 51-years.
In the years 2000 to 2003, Jörg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard and Marc Lieb could slip on the victor’s shirt. These names and many more proceeded to become Porsche factory drivers in the subsequent period.
“The Carrera Cup is the school for pros,” says Andrea Hagenbach. From 1998 – 2011, she was responsible for the management of the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany; from 2012 to 2016, she was head of PCCD and guides many young drivers on their path to professional motorsport. “It’s not the fastest who counts, but those with the greatest potential,” the Cup expert adds.
Unforgettable: During the Porsche Carrera World Cup 2011, as part of the 24h race on the Nürburgring, the tension was palpable. About 220,000 spectators had come to experience the thrilling Eifel race.
“The Nordschleife is aptly named ‘The Green Hell’ – that’s not a name that comes by chance. The Ring is considered to be the most challenging and dangerous racetrack worldwide,” Andrea Hagenbach recalls.
It was a fantastic event, a spectacular race – the entire Nordschleife was peppered with Porsche Cup vehicles.
The future of motorsport begins with young talent – the Talent Pool Program.
From 1997 and until this day, the Porsche promotion for young talent beginning with the UPS Porsche Junior Team is a model of success and closely linked to the Porsche Cup Vehicles. With their participation, young drivers receive comprehensive support in all relevant areas, such as performance, mental fortitude, and professional handling of media. To sharpen the series profile, the development concept serves as springboard for young drivers on their way into professional motorsport.
From elementary school level to Porsche professor.
Many aspiring race drivers who have so far received support from Porsche as Porsche Juniors in the brand cups have succeeded as professional race drivers: Timo Bernhard, Patrick Long, Michael Christensen, Earl Bamber, Kévin Estre and Richard Lietz are and were successful Porsche factory drivers. Even motorsport legends such as Dirk Müller, Lucas Luhr and Mike Rockenfeller started their careers in the Junior Team and owe their success to the program.
A line of pearls – the production line of the Porsche Cup vehicles.
The 911 GT3 Cup vehicles are assembled in the main facility on the “line of pearls” in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, the very same production line as the other sports cars geared for road traffic. The race cars are always constructed during model years, often in autumn to be ready for the next season. One production run takes about eight hours, after which the vehicle is mostly completed and merely needs a final touch along with an approval run before the vehicle can be delivered “race-ready”.
Over the decades, the Cup idea has conquered the world. Today, more Porsche Carrera Cups take place in a total of 11 countries.
The race calendar for a thrilling Cup season 2023 has been confirmed with 34 brand cups. Current Porsche Motorsport information and further updates are available here on the Porsche Motorsport Hub and our Social Media channels Instagram and Facebook.