Andrew Tang and Zhang Da Sheng nominated for Porsche Motorsport Junior Shootout 2016

By Gilbert Chao on October 10, 2016

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Shanghai/Berlin. Andrew Tang has been nominated to represent the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in the upcoming 2016 Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout – one of the biggest global talent searches for young up-and-coming Porsche drivers.

The 21-year-old Singaporean will join Zhang Da Sheng, who was given a ‘wild card’ entry by Porsche Motorsport and will be the first ever Chinese driver to compete in the event, as they head to Germany to partake in the potentially life-changing selection process between September 26 and 27.

The winner of the Porsche Motorsport Junior Programme Shootout will receive a 200,000 Euro scholarship to support their entries into the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup next season, giving them a chance to bring their skills to the international arena while stepping up into one of the most respected Porsche Motorsport competitions globally.

Previous Porsche Carrera Cup Asia entrants in the Porsche Junior shootout include 2015 Le Mans Champion Earl Bamber, who beat out extremely skilled drivers from other 8 Carrera Cups to win the shootout in 2013.

Currently fourth in the Overall Championship, Tang has shown a lot of promise while driving for the Porsche China Junior Team in the 2016 season. Under the tutelage of great coaches such as Porsche champion Earl Bamber, he has shown steady improvement throughout the season, regularly earning a spot on the podium, including two first place wins during his first season with the Porsche Carrera Cup.

As the top Chinese driver in the competition, Zhang Da Sheng has also displayed pure skill throughout 2016, fighting some of the toughest competition to go through the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia to repeatedly emerge victorious.

“We’re very excited to see our young drivers be given this opportunity. The Porsche Junior Programme has been the starting point for many of Porsche’s top drivers over the years. It is a hugely importance program for motorsport and the development of young talent in this region. I have no doubt these two young talents will make us proud,” Porsche China Motorsport Manager Alexandre Gibot said.

Series Partners

Supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil 1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close cooperation in research and development has led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil 1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tires constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport. The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is organised and promoted by Malaysian-based Motorsport Asia Ltd.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991)

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsport version of the new 911 GT3 (Type 991). The near-standard race car, based on the seventh generation of the 911, made its debut in Asia in 2014, having previously run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre, six-cylinder boxer engine which, due to the weight optimized modular race exhaust system, generates 460hp at 7,500 revs per minute, ten horsepower more than its predecessor. Power is delivered to the rear axle via a race clutch and a Porsche Motorsport designed six-speed dog-type gearbox with a mechanical limited slip differential. For the first time in a Porsche makes cup race car, gear shifting is activated with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport. The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.

Compared to its predecessor, the wheelbase has grown by 100 millimetres, improving handling at the limit, while Porsche Motorsport newly designed the forged single-piece 18-inch race rims with central locking.

The new racing brake system improves the endurance qualities of the 911 GT3 Cup, and the internally vented and slotted steel brake discs are operated by aluminium six-piston racing calipers in the front and four-piston units at the rear.

Safety features have also been further enhanced, and drivers are protected by a newly calculated safety cage and newly designed race seat, while a rescue hatch in the roof enables easy access and extrication.

Like the road going version, the body of the new 911 GT3 Cup combines maximum rigidity with low weight thanks to its aluminium-steel construction and weighs in at just 1,175 kilograms.

About Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Preparing for its 14th season in 2016, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia blasted off the starting grid in 2003 and has never looked back. Joining the family of hugely successful Porsche “one make” series, it is now firmly established as the Number One racing series in Asia.

The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia offers sporting competition at the highest level across the region and is truly international, with competitors from all over Asia as well as Europe and the Pacific. The field is made up of a combination of professional racing drivers and ambitious and talented gentlemen drivers.