The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has officially returned to international racing, with the launch of the 2023 season at Sepang International Circuit. This year the series celebrates its 20th anniversary, with a stunning season that takes in many of Asia’s best circuits. The series kicks off at Sepang International Circuit, a track which has played a significant role in the series’ development.

A storied history at Sepang

Malaysia’s premier racing circuit has a prominent place in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia history. Sepang International circuit is where the series first started, with the very first race taking place here all the way back in 2003. In the years since, the series has visited Sepang almost every season – apart from the 2009-11 seasons, and the past two seasons held under travel restrictions – and has held a grand total of 42 races at the track, making it the series’ second-most visited circuit after Shanghai. The last time the series visited the circuit was back in 2019, surpassing yet another milestone as that triple-race weekend saw the series’ historic 200th race, and also saw the series race under the lights at Sepang for the first time. When the Carrera Cup last visited Sepang, Porsche Holding’s Martin Ragginger walked away with a stunning triple victory, becoming the first driver in Carrera Cup Asia history to achieve a perfect triple race weekend.

New faces and old favourites face-off for the first time

With the influx of new drivers over the past two seasons, the series’ returning international stars have a new challenge before them. The Official Test Days, held back in the middle of March, gave the Carrera Cup Asia drivers a chance to stretch their legs and get a taste of the competition to come. Having had such a successful weekend on his last Carrera Cup Asia visit to Sepang, Martin Ragginger’s best laptime of 2:08.092 wasn’t strong enough to see him top the Test Days table, that honour went to newcomer Florian Latorre with Meidong Racing, whose best lap time of 2:07.491 shows why he was such a big hit in the Porsche Carrera Cup France. For Pro-Am drivers, the best lap time of 2:08.755 was taken by Zheng Tong Auto’s Bao Jinlong. Bao missed out on the series’ previous trip to Sepang back in 2019 due to a prior engagement, nevertheless he went on to win the Pro-Am championship that year for the second time. Bao won the Pro-Am championship once again in 2021, and this season faces stiff competition from Porsche Beijing Central & Goldenport’s Zhou Bihuang, and Team C&D’s Hong Shijie, both of whom started their Carrera Cup Asia careers in the past two seasons, and both of whom clocked impressive lap times during the Test Days. For the Am category, new driver and new team combo Li Xuanyu with Z.Speed Motorsport scored the best Am time of the weekend during the final sessions with his lap time of 2:10.730, while 2021 season champion and 2022 season runner-up Eric K failed to make a big impression. With new challengers stepping up to the plate, returning heroes back in the action, and a host of newcomers who have joined the series over the past two seasons, the stage is set for an epic showdown in Sepang.

Porsche Dealer Trophy returns with new team

The Porsche Dealer Trophy returns once again in 2023, with 12 teams and 13 entrants competing for the title. Returning teams this year include last year’s Dealer Trophy runner-up BD Group with their driver Yang Ruoyu, and last year’s third-place finisher TORO Racing, who return this year with two entrants, last year’s Carrera Cup Asia championship runner-up Luo Kailuo, and Eric Zang, who has graduated to the Carrera Cup this year having already raced in the Porsche Sports Cup China. An exciting newcomer this year is Malaysia-based Sime Darby Racing Team with their driver, local-hero Nazim Azman hoping for a first round win on his home turf.