- German driver wins a one-make cup race with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for the first time at age seventeen and a half
- Larry ten Voorde marches towards the title with second place
- Senna van Soelen takes Rookie victory, Sören Spreng best ProAm
The record stood for just six months: with his maiden victory in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland at the Sachsenring, Janne Stiak has trumped his teammate Robert de Haan as the youngest winner in the history of the one-make cup. The 17-year, five-month and nine-day-old driver from Germany drives for Team75 Bernhard. He won the twelfth race of the season ahead of Proton Huber Competition driver Larry ten Voorde. Third place went to another Dutchman, Huub van Eijndhoven from the Uniserver by Team GP Elite squad.
For Janne Stiak, round six of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland at the Sachsenring was somewhat of a rollercoaster. He crossed the finish line in third place on Saturday but was later disqualified after his car failed technical scrutineering. On Sunday, he drove to a commanding start-finish victory from pole position in front of packed grandstands. He kept his cool on two restarts following safety car periods and managed not to get out-manoeuvred by three-time Carrera Cup Deutschland champion Larry ten Voorde. “We both know each other well. I knew he wouldn’t pull any tricks,” said Stiak, paying respect to his mentor.
Ten Voorde was more than happy with his second-place finish, as his closest rival in the title fight – Britain’s Harry King – failed to finish the race. Consequently, the 27-year-old Dutchman extended his lead to 51 points. With four races remaining, ten Voorde has taken another big step towards his fourth title. “I’m really proud of Janne, he delivered a flawless race today,” he said, praising the new Carrera Cup Deutscgland record holder.
Huub van Eijndhoven also showed nerves of steel: the Dutchman lined up on the grid at the last minute because his pit crew had to solve a problem with the fuel supply before the race. “I didn’t worry because my mechanics are the best. I knew they’d sort it out,” said van Eijndhoven. “My car ran perfectly in the race. In the final laps, I had to do everything I could to fend off Theo Oeverhaus, who was faster than me today. But I managed that as well.”
Talent Pool driver Theo Oeverhaus started from sixth position and finished fourth. The winner of Saturday’s race, who drives for Bonk Motorsport, ranks third in the overall standings. Israeli driver Ariel Levi (Uniserver by Team GP Elite) and Bavarian Alexander Tauscher (Proton Huber Competition) also finished in the points in fifth and sixth place.
Victory in the Rookie classification went to Senna van Soelen from the Target Competition team for the first time. The Dutchman shared the podium with his compatriot Robert de Haan (Team75 Bernhard) and Germany’s Colin Jamie Bönighausen (CarTech Motorsport). “I succeeded in gaining a few positions right after the start. I also managed to pull off some strong overtakes afterwards,” said a delighted van Soelen.
The ProAm classification saw Sören Spreng (Team GP Elite) finish on the top step of the podium, repeating his previous day’s performance. “Unfortunately, my start didn’t quite go to plan and I lost a few positions. Luckily, I managed to claw them all back,” the driver from Germany stated. The podium was rounded out by CarTech Motorsport teammates Kai Pfister and Michael Essmann.
The race was interrupted by a safety car phase following a spectacular incident on the start-finish straight. Karol Kret (Bonk Motorsport) managed to pull himself out of his car’s cockpit. He was taken to hospital for a routine check-up and was discharged shortly afterwards.
“With Theo Oeverhaus and Janne Stiak, a total of 50 different drivers have now won a race in the Carrera Cup Deutschland since 1990. I’m particularly proud to say that both are members of our Talent Pool. They’ve truly earned their support from Porsche Deutschland. The relatively harmless outcome of the accident today also proved how high the safety standard of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is,” commented Thorsten Rückert, Project Manager Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland.
The next round of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland will take place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria from 27 to 29 September 2024.
Result race 12, Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland, Sachsenring (D)
1. Janne Stiak (D/Team75 Bernhard), 20 laps
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Proton Huber Competition), +1.000 seconds
3. Huub van Eijndhoven (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +6.916 seconds
4. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), +7.169 seconds
5. Ariel Levi (IL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +7.665 seconds
6. Alexander Tauscher (D/Proton Huber Competition), +9.205 seconds
Drivers’ standings (after 12 of 16 races)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL, Proton Huber Competition), 229 points
2. Harry King (UK, Allied-Racing), 178 points
3. Theo Oeverhaus (D/Bonk Motorsport), 157 points
