PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ASIA SET FOR GRIPPING SEASON-OPENER

5 April 2007

The fifth season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series roars off the grid next weekend as an official support race to the 2007 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, and it promises to be a sensational season-opener.

The fifth season of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series roars off the grid next weekend as an official support race to the 2007 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix, and it promises to be a sensational season-opener.

Drivers from seven nations and territories across the world will line up on the grid in identical 997-based Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars for the first double-header of the 12-round season.

The two categories, Class A for professional racers and Class B for non-professional drivers, are evenly matched, ensuring not one but two lights-to-flag battles throughout the field. Each class is points-scoring, with its own championship title.

Both classes feature seasoned Asian series competitors as well as exciting newcomers: In Class A, sportscar expert Tim Sugden will make his Far East debut in Malaysia next week, while it will be the first sportscar race – and Porsche competition debut – for Christian Jones, son of former Formula 1 World Champion Alan. SSSugden is competing with the highly-regarded GruppeM Racing, while Jones joins Chinese outfit SCC Racing.

With the advantage of knowing both the car and the race track, the seasoned campaigners will be looking to steal the march on the newcomers: Japan’s Keita Sawa vowed to win the Class A title but was bettered by Hong Kong’s Darryl O’Young, the reigning champion who this year graduates to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and fellow countryman Shinichi Yamaji.

Sawa, a spectacularly quick and daring driver, can expect another year of stiff competition from the likes of Briton Nigel Albon, looking to grab the honors for Team Vertu, brilliant Thai pilot Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak, as well as newcomers Sugden and Jones.

Sri Lankan Dilantha Malagamuwa of Team Hayashi and Hong Kong’s Alain Li, who made his Class A debut last year, will also be on the hunt for points from the get-go.

While the new additions to the line up represent an unknown, what is certain is that the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia regulars are well aware that every point counts in this increasingly-competitive series.

Established in 2003, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia this year includes 12 rounds on six different race tracks across Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia runs as part of the Asian Festival of Speed, organized by Malaysian-based Motorsport Asia Limited.