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Preview round 9 of the Supercup
Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, round 9 at the Grand Prix of Hungary, Preview: Points’ leader Jeroen Bleekemolen chased by strong pursuers
Stuttgart. The hunt is on: With four races left on this year’s Porsche Mobil1 Supercup calendar, front-runner Jeroen Bleekemolen has built up a respectable lead. The 26-year-old Dutchman competing for Jetstream Motorsport PZ Essen heads into the last third of the season with 120 points to his credit. Chasing him is a strong field of pursuers spearheaded by Jan Seyffarth (Germany, Konrad Motorsport, 86 points) and Chris Mamerow (Germany, Damac Kadach Racing Team, 79 points). The ninth of twelve Porsche Mobil1 Supercup rounds takes place as support to the Grand Prix of Hungary on the 4.381 kilometre Hungaroring circuit. The points’ leader of the world’s fastest international one-make series has great memories of the twisty track on the outskirts of Budapest. In 2007 he secured pole position and claimed second in the race.
In 2008 no other driver has performed as consistently as Bleekemolen. The Dutchman heads the points’ table with two wins, three seconds and one third recently in Hockenheim, but he’s not ready to ease off the pace for the remaining rounds: “The four remaining races each yield 20 points for a win. A lot can still happen,” he said. “If you take zero points from two rounds the situation can look very different. The championship is a long way from being decided.”
Someone who knows firsthand how quickly fortunes can turn is Jan Seyffarth. The 22-year-old gambled away his podium chance in Hockenheim when he spun after touching Bleekemolen’s car in an attempt to overtake the Dutchman. Just 16th position and one point were the meagre spoils of the former UPS-Porsche-Junior. Chris Mamerow experienced the opposite. He secured his second win of the season at his German home race, climbed the points’ rankings to now sit third overall to remain within striking distance of the title. The 23-year-old sports marketing student hails from the programme run by UPS and Porsche for the last 12 years to foster young motorsport talents.
The drivers occupying fourth and fifth have yielded one victory each so far this season. Thirty-one-year-old Damien Faulkner won the season-opening round and took second from Monaco. The Irishman contested the British Carrera Cup for four years where he was crowned champion in 2005 and 2006. Last year he concluded the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup as vice-champion. Jaap van Lagen, also 31, won in Istanbul and crossed the finish line second in Hockenheim. He posted pole position twice in 2008.
Ranking sixth in the drivers’ championship is Briton Danny Watts (SAS Lechner Racing). The 28-year-old’s best result so far this season is second at his home race in Silverstone. Uwe Alzen (Germany), who in fact left his team in June, sits seventh. Silverstone victor Sean Edwards (Great Britain, Konrad Motorsport) holds 62 points on eighth ahead of Dutchman Patrick Huisman (Irwin Racing) and 21-year-old René Rast (Germany, MRS VELTINS Racing). The two UPS-Porsche-Junior drivers Marco Holzer (Germany) and Martin Ragginger (Austria) also compete in Hungary. As the pair race at only six rounds of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup as guest drivers, they are not eligible to earn points. In the German Carrera Cup the duo contest the full season.
Television stations “Premiere” and “Eurosport International” broadcast the race on the Hungaroring live on Sunday, 3rd August, from 11.40 hrs. Additionally, “Eurosport” telecasts highlights on Sunday evening in its “Motorsports Weekend” programme from 22.30 hrs.
Drivers’ classification after eight of twelve rounds:
1. Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), 120 points
2. Jan Seyffarth (Germany), 86 points
3. Chris Mamerow (Germany), 79 points
4. Damien Faulkner (Great Britain), 78 points
5. Jaap van Lagen (Netherlands), 75 points