2015 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race report: Austin, USA
Philipp Eng became only the third man to win the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup Deutschland in the same season after the Austrian wrapped up the premier Porsche 911 race series at the season finale in Austin, Texas.
Eng, who transferred across to the Porsche one-make series in 2014, secured this year’s Supercup crown with eighth place in the final race of the year around the Circuit of the Americas.
The 2015 season finale was meant to feature two races (as had been the case at both Spa-Francorchamps and Monza). However, the weekend in Texas was blighted by the effects of Hurricane Patricia, forcing the cancellation of qualifying and race one on Saturday.
For Sunday’s second race, conditions had improved enough for the season finale to get underway, with the grid set using the drivers’ second fastest times from the Friday practice session.
This left Sven Müller on pole position (the German looking for his fifth win of the 2015 season) ahead of Spaniard, Alex Riberas. Müller’s Lechner Racing teammate, Michael Ammermüller would start third alongside home hero, Connor de Phillippi.
Eng – who had provisionally wrapped up the title thanks to the cancellation of race one – would take the start from seventh, three places ahead of Total 911 columnist, Ben Barker.
Conditions were still extremely wet, leading to the race starting behind the safety car. After two laps, the race was green flagged though and Riberas immediately set about challenging Müller for the lead.
On a track with lots of standing water, Riberas eventually swept into the lead on lap six. The Spaniard was evidently the fastest man in the conditions, setting the fastest lap by three tenths of a second as he pulled out a comfortable lead.
By the time of the chequered flag at the end of lap 14, the former Porsche Junior had worked up an advantage of 3.3 seconds, taking his maiden Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup victory in dominant fashion.
Behind, Müller dropped a further position to Ammermüller on the eighth lap but was able to hold on for third position, a result that secured the Porsche Junior second place in the 2015 standings.
Jeffrey Schmidt was able to overcome de Phillippi in the battle for fourth while MOMO-Megatron’s Barker was the man on the move during the 14-lap season finale, gaining four places in the difficult conditions.
The Total 911 columnist’s charge through the pack relegated new champion, Eng to eighth place at the flag but the Project 1 racer’s sensible drive made sure he become only the third man (after Frank Stippler and René Rast) to win the Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup Deutschland in the same season.
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