SPORTSCAR

Porsche Carrera Cup GB, the fastest single marque GT racing championship in the UK, begins the second half of the season with a return to Thruxton for the first time since 2014. The grid of mechanically identical 485 hp ‘Type 991’ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will reach speeds approaching 170 mph around the UK’s fastest circuit, placing unique demands on the drivers.

Zandvoort, one of the most popular circuits in the ADAC GT Masters is next up on the schedule this weekend. The three Dutch drivers, who compete in the Super Sports Car League are really looking forward to their home fixture at the circuit in the dunes. Led primarily by Indy Dontje (26, NL, Mann-Filter Team HTP), currently in fourth place in the standings driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3, our local heroes that include Jeroen Bleekemolen (37, NL) and Kelvin Snoeks (31, NL, both Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing) will be out to have a really good showing in front of their home crowd.

Who will be crowned champion to mark the mid-point in the ADAC GT Masters? The holiday season is well underway, but the ADAC GT Masters will be returning from its summer break to race at the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands next weekend (9th-11th August). At the holiday resort on the North Sea, the ADAC GT Masters will stage the fourth of seven race weekends in total on the circuit in the dunes which will feature on next year’s F1 calendar. We’ve had four different winners so far this season, driving four different makes of car – Audi, BMW, Corvette and Porsche – so the guest round at this top-class circuit in the Netherlands should prove to be very exciting. More than 30 GT3 sports cars, representing eight brands, will challenge championship leaders Patric Niederhauser (27, CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (23, ZA, both HCB-Rutronik Racing) in the Audi R8 LMS for the top spot while three Dutchmen – Jeroen Bleekemolen, Indy Dontje and Kelvin Snoeks – will want to do exceptionally well in their home fixture.