Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is preparing to take on Suzuka International Racing Course in Japan for Rounds 3-4 of the 2024 campaign, following its excellent curtain raiser in Shanghai.

Racing on the support bill for the Chinese Grand Prix as the event returned for the first time since 2019, Team Shanghai Yonda BWT’s Dylan Pereira and 2024 Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti took race victories, with the latter heading to Japan leading the championship.

Fellow PCCA Talent Pool, presented by Michelin, member Mathys Jaubert (TORO Racing) is the Team Jebsen driver’s closest challenger, following an impressive pair of second-placed finishes from the Frenchman. Meanwhile, 2022 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion Pereira (Shanghai Yonda Team BWT) sits in third, just eight points behind Ghiretti.

The trio are likely to be battling it out at the front once again at Suzuka, although none of them have ever competed at the Japanese circuit. This could bring more experienced PCCA racers into the front battle, with Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger on the podium at the venue last season, while Nazim Azman picked up two top-five finishes for Sime Darby Racing Team.

In the Pro-Am category, four-time champion Bao Jinlong made an exceptional start to the campaign for Phantom Global Racing at Shanghai International Circuit, picking up two class wins and an overall podium in Race 2. Z.SPEED Motorsport’s Li Xuanyu will be targeting victory following two podiums in the opening event, while TORO Racing’s Eric Zang aims to build on his strong race pace in China.

Bao also has an excellent record at Suzuka, taking a double victory when the series visited in 2023. Zang will be hoping to challenge the championship leader, having stood twice on the podium at the Japanese venue last year.

Finally, 2022 champion Eric Kwong made the perfect start to the season for Bergwerk Motorsport, edging out 2021 champion and brother Henry Kwong of Triple ACE Racing in both races in the Am class. Behind them, a tight battle is emerging, with the unpredictable category set to throw up even more interesting results at Suzuka.

The event will also feature the first appearances of the season for several drivers. In the Pro category, PCCA Talent Pool member Marco Giltrap makes his series debut in the #84 Team Porsche New Zealand car shared with Zac Stichbury. Stefan Rzadzinski will step into the #69 OpenRoad Racing car also in the Pro category. Having missed the opening round in Shanghai, Am drivers Adrian D’Silva (EBM Giga Racing), Xu Zhefeng (Z.SPEED Motorsport), Max Yao (R&B Racing) and Jacky Wu (Porsche Own Retail 69 Team) all return for the two races in Japan.

On track action will begin on Friday, with Free Practice 1 at 10:25 local time, ahead of the second Free Practice session at 14:30. A busy Saturday will see Qualifying 1 and 2 take place at 10:55 and 11:20, before the first race of the weekend at 14:50. The event comes to a close with Round 4 of the 2024 season, starting at 11:35 on Sunday.

The regular home of the Japanese Grand Prix, the 5.807-kilometre circuit is unique on the PCCA calendar as the only figure-of-eight track. Featuring famous corners such as the Esses, Spoon Curve and 130R, the layout is sure to test the 27-strong field of identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992).

Rodrigo Dias Almeida, R&B Racing: “Shanghai was an amazing weekend, I learned a lot about the championship, particularly how important qualifying and the opening laps are. I improved throughout the event, but there is still more to do and I hope to continue developing. Suzuka is a new track for me, I’m excited to race there and I’ll look to learn about the critical parts of the circuit. It’s an awesome place to compete, I love driving there on the simulator, so I can’t wait to get out on track.”

Li Xuanyu, Z.SPEED Motorsport: “We made a good start to the season in Shanghai, both races were very competitive and I was pleased to stand on the podium twice. There’s some very strong drivers in the Pro-Am category, so my target is to keep pushing and improving. Suzuka is a track I really like. It has an amazing history, some brilliant corners and a great flow, plus the unpredictable weather, so I’m looking forward to returning there.”

Henry Kwong, Triple ACE Racing: “I was pleased with my performance in Shanghai, it was a challenging weekend but I pushed hard and I’m happy with my results. The target for this event is more of the same, I’m looking forward to competing at Suzuka, it’s my first time there so I’m excited to get familiar with the track. I’ll look to take the fight to my brother Eric, it’s great fun to race against him and challenge him on track, although we are always careful as we don’t want to tangle with each other! But it’s a long season, so I’ll take it step-by-step this weekend.”

Alexandre Imperatori, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager: “The season kicked off in superb fashion in Shanghai, with fights for the lead and great racing further down the order in the Pro-Am and Am classes. It’s always special to race in Japan, the fans are so welcoming and supportive and they create a fantastic atmosphere on race day. Suzuka is a tough circuit, so our drivers will have to be on top of their game to get the most out of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992). Each round is important, and although the season is long, every driver will be looking to put down an early marker as they battle for the championships. Looking forward to getting to Japan and seeing the action on track!”