The very first six-hour race of the Sports Car World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the Nürburgring on August 30th also marks the cameo appearance of the Porsche 911 RSR here. The 470 hp winning racer from Weissach, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, tackles the demanding circuit in Germany’s hilly Eifel region for the first time.
With the Porsche Manthey team’s headquarters just a stone’s throw from the Nürburgring in the village of Meuspath, this race is truly a home event for the squad under team boss Olaf Manthey. The outfit campaigns a pair of 911 RSR in the GTE-Pro class at round four of the WEC season – the last stop on European soil before the series heads overseas to contest the next four races in Austin/USA, Fuji/Japan, Shanghai/China and Sakhir/Bahrain.
The Porsche drivers
Four works drivers compete for the Porsche Manthey team in the Porsche 911 RSR on the 5.148-kilometre Nürburgring circuit: Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Richard Lietz (Austria) contest the GTE-Pro class at the wheel of the number 91 Porsche 911 RSR. The two French pilots Frédéric Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet share driving duties in the number 92 nine-eleven.
Two customer teams take on the GTE-Am class with the 911 RSR: Competing for Dempsey Proton Racing is the American actor and race driver Patrick Dempsey as well as Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA) and Marco Seefried (Austria). Abu Dhabi Proton Racing enjoys prominent support at the Nürburgring with Earl Bamber (New Zealand) joining Christian Ried (Germany) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (Abu Dhabi) in the cockpit. For this race, the Porsche works driver and 2015 overall winner at Le Mans steps in for the former Porsche Junior Klaus Bachler (Austria).
The Porsche 911 RSR
The Porsche 911 RSR is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car and crowned its maiden 2013 season with a double GTE-Pro class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The winning racer from Weissach, mounted with a 3,996 cc flat-six engine in the rear developing 345 kW (470 hp), is characterised by a consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics.
The insights gained during the vehicle’s development and at race outings are directly incorporated into the design of future 911 generations. Last year the 911 RSR won three of America’s most prestigious long distance classics, the Daytona 24 Hours, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans.
The schedule
The six-hour race on the Nürburgring takes off on Sunday, August 30, at 13.00 hrs CEST. TV station Eurosport broadcasts the last hour of racing as well as the award ceremony live from 18.00 to 19.15 hrs.
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