Porsche Cars North America Enters Car and Employee "Pit Crew" in Porsche Carrera World Cup Race at 24 Hours of Nurburgring

ATLANTA, June 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Porsche Cars North America is entering a 911 GT3 Cup racecar and dispatching six employees to the inaugural Porsche Carrera World Cup race, which is held during the same weekend as the 39th ADAC 24 Hours of Nurburgring Race in Germany, June 25, 2011.  The team will document and share all the off and on-track excitement on the "The Hub", Porsche Cars North America's new social media press site.  

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110609/CL17259-a )

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110609/CL17259-b )

Held prior to the start of the 39th ADAC 24 Hour Race, the Porsche Carrera World Cup will pit up to 200 competitors and their Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers against each other and the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

When American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTC Champion Melanie Snow joins the other Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers on the starting grid at 10:30 am local time, at Germany's legendary Nurburgring on June 25, she'll not only have a unique ground support crew; she is slated to be the only female racer to compete in the Carrera World Cup.  

The Porsche employee team, selected from submitted video and written essays detailing their motorsports passion, will be on hand to capture and share the insider's view on what it takes to compete internationally, what it feels – and sounds – like from the driver's seat and who's who in the world of Porsche motorsports.

PCNA employees were also involved in selecting the racing livery, with the winning design designed in-house. The 70.2-mile race is six complete laps of 15.5 miles each with nearly 200,000 spectators expected.

The Porsche Carrera World Cup includes drivers from Porsche's 18 brand trophy and challenge series worldwide and this race also counts as a competition round towards several other championships, including the Porsche Carrera Cups in Germany, Scandinavia, France and Italy.

911 GT3 R Hybrid "2.0"

Following the Porsche Carrera World Cup race, Porsche takes on the Nurburgring 24-hour race with the latest-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid. 'Version 2.0' features a flywheel accumulator hybrid system that is 20 percent lighter than last year; a weight saving that targets the same lap times as its predecessor, but with even less fuel consumption, resulting in fewer pit stops for fuel. The general layout of the hybrid engine remains the same; however, the output of the electric motors increases from 60 to 75 kilowatts each, or from approximately 80 to 100 horsepower per motor. Driving the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0, will be Patrick Long (USA), Richard Lietz (AUS) and Marco Holzer (GER). The trio claimed the first win for the 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 at the VLN 4-hour Nurburgring Long Distance Championship on May 30.

To show their enthusiasm for Porsche motorsports, racing fans can order t-shirts, including a shirt with Melanie Snow's motto "Some Girls Chase Boys, I Pass Them," hats and a special edition limited run die-cast model of her 911 GT3 Cup car will be available at http://shop4.porsche.com/usa/ later this month.

In addition to featuring photos and videos posted by the on-site Porsche employee team, "The Hub" will also serve as a Porsche motorsports history destination, including historic racing images from Porsche archives and Porsche motorsports milestones.

For more information on the 911 GT3 Cup car visit: http://www.porsche.com/usa/eventsandracing/motorsport/racingcars/911gt3cup-997/

For more information on the 911 GT3 R Hybrid visit:

http://press.porsche.com/news/release.php?id=633

To follow the Porsche Employee Pit Crew visit:

http://press.porsche.com/the_hub/

About Porsche Cars North America

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera Sedan. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 195 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand's 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency. At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000 motorsport wins to date.

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SOURCE Porsche Cars North America, Inc.