Round 1 and 2 of the 2023 Porsche Carrera Asia Cup – Malaysian Nazim Azman finished P5 in the debut match
Entering the 2023 season for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) one-car series marks 20 years since the one-car series began, and the first race for the season was held at the National Circuit Sepang International Festival in Malaysia, which was also the site of the series’ first race held in 2003.
The 20th season of PCCA also welcomes a new thrust from Malaysia in the series with Launch of Sime Darby Racing Team (SDRT)competed against a single car in the Professional category against Malaysian and former Formula 3 driver Nazim Azman.
The 2023 season saw the return of two veterans of the PCCA series, Chris van der Drift for Team Shanghai Yonda and Martin Ragginger for Porsche Holding, who started third and fourth on the grid, respectively. the start of lap 1 of the Sepang lap. .
The pole position for Race 1 was confirmed by PCCA newcomer Florian Latorre, with a qualifying time almost a second faster than Toro Racing’s Luo Kailuo, who started in P2. The top Pro-Am starter and P6 on the grid overall is three-time PCCA Pro-Am champion Bao Jinlong, while the top Am and P9 starter on the grid overall is Eric Kwong.
Race 1 started in wet conditions, with Luo and Latorre getting off to a strong start despite the former trying to start creating a clear distance between himself and Latorre early in the race. Pro-Am and Am-class athletes struggled, respectively, Bao turned before regaining P8 and Kwong dropped to P19, leaving Am-class driver Adrian D’Silva leading the class.
A spin into the T15 gravel trap by Jacky Wu of Shanghai Pudong & Waigaoqiao 69 Racing in round 4 brought the car out safely before the race was red flagged a lap later because the car couldn’t move on its own. safety. After a 10-minute pause, Latorre made it to P1, although also a 10-second penalty will be added to the finish line for starting at the start of the race.
Latorre will finish first on the track, however, the penalty now means he will be placed in fourth, just outside the podium spot. Luo finished second behind the checkered flag and claimed victory in the race thanks to Latorre’s penalty, while van der Drift and Ragginger finished the podium in second and third place respectively. Malaysian PCCA debutant, Nazim Azman, finished fifth in Race 1.
The second race of the season opener PCCA in Sepang delivered a similar lead at the starting line but in more ideal weather. Latorre led on the grid in P1, followed by Luo, van der Drift and Ragginger behind him. Similarly, Bao Jinlong took Pro-Am’s top starting spot in P6, while Eric Kwong also won an Am pole at P8 on the grid between the Pro-Am drivers.
Several fights took place on Track 2, with Latorre chasing Luo in the final stretch for most of the race, while van der Drift ran to the relatively quieter P3. Behind the New Zealander was Ragginger in P4, who resisted Nazim Azman’s brave efforts before the Malaysian escaped his attempt to overtake Ragginger in T1.
Nazim dropped to P6, although a quick recovery and an energetic chase by the former F3 driver regained his spot from Team Jebsen’s Gao Yujia to trail P5 in checkers.
Meanwhile, Pro-class race leader Luo went on to win the race by two seconds for his second win of the season, while Latorre made up for the shortfall in Race 1 with a two-second win. ball P2, and the platform was rounded by van der Drift.
Pro-Am Division saw Bao Jinlong and Gao Yujia swap positions several times in Race 2, with Gao eventually taking the lead even though Bao took the win in Pro-Am.
Meanwhile in the Am class, pole keeper Eric Kwong dropped in the first round of the race, leaving Yang Ruoyu to lead the Am class in P11 overall. Kwong fought in his order, despite having to finish in second by checkered flags when Yang won in the Am category, with Li Xuanyu making the list of the top three finishers of the division. Am.
Next up on the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia calendar are Rounds 3 and 4, taking the series to Yeongnam, South Korea, where the next rounds will take place from June 2 to 4.
This will be the second of eight laps, followed by Suzuka, Japan and Buriram, Thailand before the series returns to the Sepang International Circuit on August 25-27 when Round 3 of the Championship Malaysia (MCS) will also take place. hold. The 2023 PCCA season ends in Shanghai, China, where Rounds 13 and 14 will be held from October 27 to 29.
