A return to the iconic Le Mans circuit headlines an evolved calendar and package for the 15th season of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. The fastest single marque GT racing championship in the UK is an established part of the international Porsche Motorsport pyramid that rises all the way to Le Mans and has been an integral component of British Touring Car Championship weekends for over a decade.
The Porsche Carrera Cup GB will compete once again on an international stage in support of the famous Le Mans 24 hour endurance race, scene of a record 18 outright victories for Porsche. A combined Carrera Cup grid of 61 cars will line up in front of the Porsche Motorsport teams at the heart of sportscar racing, with entries from Great Britain, France and Benelux.
The eight weekend season continues to have the leading TOCA package at its heart. The popular Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire returns to the calendar and will boast an extended race distance of 40 minutes.
The evolution of the championship for 2017 has been driven in no small part by the teams and drivers contesting the 2016 season, and reflects the strength of the partnership between Porsche and its customers.
Carrera Cup graduate, Porsche factory driver and 2015 Le Mans winner Nick Tandy has already announced plans to field three 911 GT3 Cup cars in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB for 2017. His multiple single seater championship-winning JTR squad is the seventh new team to join the grid since the start of the 2015 season.
Drivers and teams will again be competing for a prize fund in excess of half a million pounds, including an award of £50,000 to the winner of the Rookie class – UK motorsport’s single largest prize. New for 2017, all Rookies will receive a mentoring session with a Porsche Motorsport engineer in the pre-season.
Winners of the Pro, Pro-Am1 and Pro-Am2 categories are offered the use of a Porsche 911 for a year, while the Team champions receive a Porsche Cayenne for 12 months. An enhanced support package complements a Michelin tyre raffle for all entrants at each event, three Porsche supported test days and the loan of a Porsche Cayenne support vehicle for teams fielding two cars or more.
James MacNaughton, Motorsport Manager for Porsche Cars Great Britain, commented:
“We’re always getting feedback from our teams and drivers and at the same time we monitor how things are moving within the world of motorsport. By taking all of this on board and planning ahead, we’ve worked hard to ensure the Porsche Carrera Cup GB is the best platform for all our competitors in 2017.
“The jewel in our crown next year is undoubtedly the return to Le Mans. It develops all the links with top international motorsport that have proved so successful this season and puts many of our drivers within a stone’s throw of where they ultimately aspire to be.”
Ragnar Schulte, General Manager Marketing and Motorsports for Porsche Cars Great Britain, commented:
"Porsche and Motorsport are inseparable, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain is very close to our hearts. We want to maintain the position our championship has as a premier place to race in the UK, with an equal playing field provided by our renowned 911 GT3 Cup cars."
2017 Porsche Carrera Cup GB calendar
Rounds 1 and 2 April 01/02 Brands Hatch (Indy)
Rounds 3 and 4 April 15/16 Donington Park
Rounds 5 and 6 May 20/21 Oulton Park
Round 7 June 17/18 Le Mans
Rounds 8 and 9 July 29/30 Snetterton
Rounds 10 and 11 August 12/13 Knockhill
Rounds 12 and 13 September 16/17 Silverstone
Rounds 14 and 15 Sept. 30/Oct. 01 Brands Hatch (GP)