- Estoril added to Portimão, Valencia and Barcelona
- The basis of the winter championship remains unchanged after the first successful season
Zonhoven, July 4, 2023. Earlier this year, during January and February, the first edition of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe was completed and the response after this maiden season was positive. That motivated the promoter to set up a second season that would be even stronger than the first and the outlines for that second season have now been set. Now that the calendar is known, the registrations will open in a few weeks and the search will start for the successors of Robert de Haan (Richardson Racing), Lin Hodenius (Team GP Elite), Dustin Blattner (Enrico Fulgenzi Racing) and Joe Warhurst (Team Parker Racing).
The promoter of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe opts for continuity, but one important change was already in the pipeline during the first season: the addition of a fourth race to the very nice and balanced calendar.
“That’s right,” said Series Manager Lars Plato. “The step from three to four weekends was obvious and is also supported by the participants. We remain active on the three circuits where we completed the first season earlier this year and Estoril makes his appearance. That means that we will start in Portimao on January 27 and 28, followed by Estoril (February 9 and 10), Valencia (February 23 and 24) and the final is again for Barcelona (March 15 and 16, tbc). This brings us to four meetings on very beautiful and varied circuits on the Iberian Peninsula and it remains a series in Europe, in which we do not lose sight of the logistical aspect for the teams.”
Four categories and an additional test option
As at the start of this year, the promoter is sticking to four categories, competing in two different divisions. The Sport division includes the PRO and PRO-AM drivers who race in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 992), with the Gold drivers also being admitted for the second season. “In the Sport division, there will be no ABS allowed and the races will be with a standing start, which is the perfect preparation for any Porsche Carrera Cup,” explains Lars Plato.
In the Club division, we see the AM drivers in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 992) and there is also a GT4 class for the Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and the Cayman GT4 Clubsport. In this way, the AM drivers also fight for the overall victory. “Also note that new Porsche GT4 RS Clubsport for participation in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe and Benelux are available through the organization.”
From the 2024 season, both divisions will also have an additional optional 'pre-event test day ' to give teams and drivers even more testing opportunities, excluding approximately 3.5 hours of track time per division. The standard program remains the same: one official test day (3.5 hours track time) and one race day (2.5 hours track time).
Quality and appearance of a Porsche event
Just like the promoter's other championships, the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux and of course, the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe is also a genuine Porsche One-Make series.
“We focus on the drivers and the teams, who spend a lot of time driving in a relaxed atmosphere. Including the new optional test day, we offer a total of 9.5 hours of driving time per event. This benefits not only the racing level of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe season itself but also makes this winter championship a perfect preparation for the summer. In that respect, we aim for a good starting field, for which registrations open on 1 August. On the other hand, we don't allow more than 30 cars per division, which is a perfect number for quality racing. Naturally, the promoter provides a Porsche service for spare parts and technical support, while a Porsche hospitality is also part of every event. Just like in February of this year, we will close the season with a great party.”
More information: https://www.sprintchallengesoutherneurope.com/