Darryl O’Young became the first-ever double Class A championChina’s Team Jebsen Wins Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2008

Shanghai. After almost nine months and 12 rounds of intense competition, Hong Kong driver Darryl O’Young from Team Jebsen convincingly won the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship title on 8 November in Bahrain. O’Young and Team Jebsen have partnered for five years and their first win was in 2006. With their second championship win, it looks like they have the perfect combination going for them.

The final round saw the race being held in the Middle East for the first time, and ended off a triumphant sixth season for Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. This year marked the largest field since the inception of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, and one which saw it support three rounds of the FIA Formula One World Championship in Malaysia, China and at Singapore’s historic first ever Formula One Grand Prix. The 2008 season also included races as part of the China Circuit Championship in Shanghai, the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival in Zhuhai, and the Asian Festival of Speed in Indonesia.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia was established in 2003, and has set new standards in both competition quality and organisational excellence in the region. As a one-make series, all drivers compete in identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, thus making this race truly a test of man and machine. The rich motorsport heritage of Porsche from the very outset attracted Asia’s leading racing drivers, and its reputation spread grabbing the attention of European teams and drivers.

The 2008 season also saw China enter her strongest line-up of five Chinese teams from all over the country: Team Jebsen, Porsche Centre Hong Kong; Team Kangshun, Porsche Centre Wuhan; Team StarChase, Porsche Centre Nanjing; Team BetterLife, Porsche Centre Beijing; and Team Gruppe M, Porsche Centre Qingdao. Drivers for the respective teams were Darryl O’Young from Hong Kong, Ringo Chong from Singapore, Christian Menzel from Germany, Marchy Lee from Hong Kong and Tim Sugden from Britain.

It was for China, and the Chinese teams, a magnificent year of racing as the five teams entered finished in first, second, third, fifth and tenth positions after the last race of the 2008 season. The final race saw Menzel and O’Young push themselves and their cars to the limit as they battled each other for first place, and while Menzel won the 12th race, it was an overjoyed O’Young in second spot who secured the overall championship title on total points over the entire season.

The Chinese teams established their supremacy from the first race that kicked off in Malaysia, and throughout the season dominated the top three positions. Menzel, O’Young and Sugden had all grabbed first position in various rounds, including turning in fastest lap times in the races. Lee’s best finish of the season was fourth position in round 4, and Chong’s was seventh in round 10.

Menzel driving for the first time in Asia, five time Porsche Carrera Cup Asia veteran O’Young together with defending champion Sugden, ensured the spotlight remained on China through the season and into the last round. In the final round Lee and Sugden commenced an epic seven-lap battle that was decided until the finish line with Sugden finally snatching back the third podium spot.

While fortunes changed and shifted over the months and with each race, China always had cause for celebration at every race as her teams, and their drivers, raced for victory. When the final chequered flag was waved, Chinese teams truly had reason to celebrate.

Managing Director Porsche (China) Motors Ltd. Mr. Helmut Broeker said, “We are extremely proud of all the Chinese teams, and the final placing in this sixth Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is nothing short of wonderful. As exciting as the 2008 season was with some of the finest racers from Asia and Europe, and thousands watching the races live, we believe that the 2009 season will grow in strength to become bigger and better. And we certainly hope to see even more Chinese teams being fielded.”

Mr. Broeker added, “Porsche China would like to take this opportunity to thank all the China investors of the five teams, include Jebsen & Co., Betterlife Automobile import and export Co. Ltd., StarChase Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Wuhan Kangshun Group Co. Ltd., and Qingdao Gruppe M Investment PLC, for the ardent support and passion extended to the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.”

The final placing after the 12th round is as follows:
First position: Darryl O’Young and Team Jebsen (China)
Second Position: Christian Menzel and Team StarChase (China)
Third Position: Tim Sugden and Team Gruppe M (China)
Forth Position: Christian Jones and Team Christian Jones
Fifth Position: Marchy Lee and Team BetterLife (China)
Sixth Position: Matthew Marsh and Team SC Global Racing
Seventh Position: Dilantha Malagamuwa and Team Speed Sri Lanka
Eighth Position: Alain Li and Team Sunseeker Asia
Ninth Position: Mok Weng Sun and Team PCS Racing
Tenth Position: Ringo Chong and Team Kangshun (China)

11/14/2008