The 2015 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia gets underway this weekend in its home city of Shanghai as part of the Chinese F1 Grand Prix weekend. Twenty eight of the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) racing cars will line up on the grid at the Shanghai International Circuit, with an international field representing the finest sportscar talent racing today behind the wheel. The double-header season opener will see both newcomers and championship regulars take to the track for the first time in 2015, with a single qualifying session followed by two, 12-lap races.
Competing for the overall championship as the field storms off the grid will be 2014 vice-champion Martin Ragginger of Team Porsche Holding, who is joined by other returnees from last season Rodolfo Avila (Team Jebsen), China’s Tung Ho-Pin (Budweiser Team Absolute Racing), young Malaysian and reigning Class B champion Alif Hamdan (Alif Hamdan Motorsports), Singapore’s Ro Charlz Skyangel (Team Yonda Dongfang), and Bao Jin Long, this year competing with Zheng Tong Auto. Joining them are the world record holder for Porsche Cup victories, Craig Baird of New Zealand (Clearwater Racing), fellow countryman and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia rookie Chris van der Drift (Kamlung Racing), and the series’ youngest ever entrant, 17-year-old Nico Menzel (PICC Team StarChase), son of two-time champion Christian.
What promises to be a battle of epic proportions for the coveted Class B title, a category for non-professional drivers held within the series, also gets underway this weekend. Front runners Yuey Tan (partnering Avila in a two-car entry from Team Jebsen), Francis Tjia (OpenRoad Racing), and Hong Kong brothers Wayne and John Shen (Modena Motorsports) will be quick off the mark, but face a number of newcomers and guest drivers. Non-series registered drivers for this weekend are Samson Chan, joint 6th in Class B last season and standing in for Kenneth Lau in Shanghai, newcomer Andersen P Martono of Indonesia who replaces Singapore’s Ringo Chong at Team Kangshun for the season opener, LKM Racing’s Siu Tit Lung replacing his brother Siu Yuk Lung, and Australian Max Twigg taking the seat of Henri Richard.
The grid positions for Round 1 will be determined by the fastest laps in Saturday’s single qualifying session, with the second quickest lap by each driver setting the grid for Round 2.
When the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia embarks upon its 13th season this weekend as part of China’s most prestigious race weekend, all eyes will be on the 28 cars and drivers as they roar into what promises to be an utterly enthralling 14-round, no-holds-barred battle for glory.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2015
Provisional Entry List – Rounds 1 & 2
| Comp No. | Entrant Name Driver | Cls | Nat | Comp No. | Entrant Name Driver | Cls | Nat |
| 2 | Samson Chan *Samson CHAN | B | HKG HKG | 28 | Modena Motorsports John SHEN | B | HKG HKG |
| 3 | OpenRoad Racing Michael S. | B | HKG INA | 51 | Team BC Racing Johnson HUANG | B | TPE TPE |
| 5 | Team Jebsen Yuey TAN Yu Hian | B | HKG SIN | 55 | Zheng Tong Auto BAO Jin Long | CHN CHN | |
| 8 | Team Yonda Dongfang Ro Charlz SKYANGEL | CHN SIN | 58 | Budweiser Team Absolute Racing Ho-Pin TUNG | HKG CHN | ||
| 9 | Team Betterlife LI Chao | B | CHN CHN | 60/69 | OpenRoad Racing 60 Marcel TJIA/69 Christian CHIA | B | HKG HKG/ CAN |
| 11 | Team Kangshun *Andersen P MARTONO | B | CHN INA | 65 | Absolute Racing ZHU Jun Han | B | HKG CHN |
| 12 | Clearwater Racing Craig BAIRD | SIN NZL | 68 | Kamlung Racing Christopher van der DRIFT | HKG NZL | ||
| 16 | Modena Motorsports Wayne SHEN | B | HKG HKG | 72 | Alif Hamdan Motorsports Alif HAMDAN | MAS MAS |
| 17 | Arrows Racing FUNG Yui Sum | B | HKG HKG | 78 | True Visions Motorsports Thailand Suttiluck BUNCHAROEN | B | THA THA |
| 18 | Chang Racing Team Vutthikorn INTHRAPHUVASAK | B | THA THA | 80 | Racing Spirit Thailand Sontaya KUNPLOME | B | THA THA |
| 20 | Team Jebsen Rodolfo AVILA | HKG MAC | 86 | Team Porsche Holding Martin RAGGINGER | CHN AUT | ||
| 21 | OpenRoad Racing Francis TJIA | B | HKG HKG | 88 | Spark Motorsport Hugues RIPERT | B | HKG HKG |
| 22 | LKM Racing *SIU Tit Lung | B | HKG HKG | 98 | Max Twigg *Max TWIGG | B | AUS AUS |
| 23 | Paul TRESIDDER Paul TRESIDDER | B | AUS AUS | 99 | PICC Team StarChase Nico MENZEL | CHN GER |
*non-series
2015 Provisional Calendar
| Date | Circuit, Country | Event | |
| March 06 – 08 | Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia | Test Days | – |
| April 10 – 12 | Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China | Formula 1 Support Race | Rounds 1&2 |
| May 15 – 17 | Yeongam Intl. Circuit, Korea | Asian Festival of Speed | Rounds 3&4 |
| June 05 – 07 | Fuji Intl. Circuit, Japan | One Make Series Festival | Rounds 5&6 |
| August 07 – 09 | Malaysia | TBC* | Rounds 7&8 |
| September 04 – 06 | Sepang Intl. Circuit, Malaysia | Asian Festival of Speed | Rounds 9&10 |
| September 18 – 20 | Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore | Formula 1 Support Race* | Rounds 11&12 |
| Oct 30 – Nov 01 | Shanghai Intl. Circuit, China | World Endurance Championship | Rounds 13&14 |
* Subject to confirmation of commercial agreement
