From 20-22 October, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will return to its home track, Shanghai Internatioanl Circuit, for the thrilling finale of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and the Porsche Sports Cup China. With both the Pro-Am and Am categories already having a champion in hand, the battle for the remaining spots on the season podium is sure to be fierce. And with three drivers in strong contention for the overall championship, Meidong Racing’s Florian Latorre, TORO Racing’s Luo Kailuo and Team Shanghai Yonda’s Chris van der Drift, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown in Shanghai.

The battle for Pro-Am and Am rages on

The series’ previous stop in Singapore proved to be the most decisive one of the season. In the Pro-Am category, Zheng Tong Auto’s Bao Jinlong took home both victories. With a 61-point lead over his nearest rival, Porsche Beijing Central & Goldenport’s Zhou Bihuang, and with only two races and a total of 53 points remaining in the season, Bao Jinlong has officially become the Pro-Am mathematical champion. This marks Bao Jinlong’s fourth Pro-

Am championship title, making him the most successful Pro-Am competitor in Carrera Cup Asia history. Currently ranked third in the championship, TORO Racing’s Eric Zang has shown some impressive skill in his debut season, however with 27 points between Eric and Zhou Bihuang, the TORO driver is going to have to battle hard if he hopes to finish the season in second place.

The Am category also saw a season mathematical champion crowned, as BD Group’s Yang Ruoyu added another win and a podium finish to his tally, earning him the Am season championship in his debut season. With a whopping 70-point lead over his nearest rival Kiddyworld Racing’s Eric Kwong, Yang Ruoyu has raced a stunning season, taking home six race wins so far. Snapping at Eric Kwong’s heels is R&B Racing’s Wu Jiaxin, who trails Eric Kwong by a single point, promising a fierce battle for the remaining Am championship podium spots.

Threeway battle for the championship

While the Pro-Am and Am categories have their champions secured, the battle for Overall is far from decided, with three names still contesting the top spot after the stunning weekend in Singapore. Having pulled into second place at the Sepang stop, van der Drift went home with a p4 and p3 finish in Singapore, dropping him back down into third place in the championship. Luo Kailuo took home two second-place finishes, edging ahead of van der Drift by a mere 5 points in the season championship. The top spot remains with Latorre, who pulled off a full lockout, taking home every available point and sending him into the finale with a daunting 32-point lead over his nearest rival Luo Kailuo. With 53 points remaining in Shanghai, the final two rounds of the season will see all three drivers giving everything they’ve got. The finale will also feature a late season guest appearance by driver Scott Hargrove from OpenRoad Racing, who previously raced in the Carrera Cup Asia’s 2016 season, taking home a win and a second-place-finish at the Buriram stop.

Will Meidong Racing hold on to the Porsche Dealer Trophy top spot?

The Porsche Dealer Trophy has seen plenty of excitement this season, with Meidong Racing and TORO Racing taking it in turns to top the table. The racing rivalry between Meidong driver Florian Latorre and TORO driver Luo Kailuo has been the story of the season. The season was beginning to look like a two-horse race between the two top drivers until Round 7, when Team Shanghai Yonda’s driver Chris van der Drift finally put a win on his record, and began mounting a comeback. The back half of the season has seen these top three teams dominate the scoreboard. A mere 21 points seperates the top three teams, meaning the Dealer Trophy season championship is still up for grabs in Shanghai.

Porsche Sports Cup China joins in with the action

The Porsche Sports Cup China will host its final stop of the season in Shanghai alongside the finale of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, with the highlights being the finales of the Porsche Sprint Challenge China and the Time Trial programmes. It also provides the opportunity for supported dealer-invited guests from the Introduction to Racetrack programme to get their first taste of driving their sports car on the track. The event will also feature a triumphant Porsche Parade, with close to 200 Porsche cars taking a lap of Shanghai International Circuit. The Porsche Sports Cup China is an entry-level event for both road cars and race cars that sits between Porsche GT Trackday and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid. The aim of the series is to help ease sports car enthusiasts into the world of motorsport by offering a platform that helps drivers develop their skills and prepare for more competitive series. The Porsche Sports Cup China feeds into the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, with notable alumni this season including Eric Zang, currently ranked second in the Pro-Am standings.

Looking ahead to 2024

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season returns in 2024 with what is shaping up to be the biggest season yet. 16 Rounds of racing across seven stops, taking in some of the best tracks in Asia. The season includes two F1 support events in Shanghai and Singapore; two thrilling street races in Singapore and Bangsaen; two Thai stops in a row across Bangsaen and Buriram; and a host of new drivers and teams ready to compete for the championship. To help kick off the 2024 season, and to celebrate the finale of the 2023 season, the series will have three very special guests on site throughout the weekend: Porsche Racing legend Jacky Ickx – Mr. Le Mans himself, with six overall Le Mans victories to his name; French driver Romain Dumas – who has driven a Porsche to victory in the world’s greatest races including Le Mans, Nurburgring and Spa; and Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Selected Driver Yifei Ye who made his Porsche Le Mans debut this year in the Porsche 963 Hypercar.