In the endurance racing championship, the team of Car Collection is primarily associated with Porsche race cars and at the launch of the season in Dubai, the 24 Hour Race, the team which is based in Waluf/ Germany indeed started with a 997 Cup Porsche. In the VLN and at the Nürburgring 24 Hour Race, Car Collection will this year however furthermore compete with a Mercedes SLS AMG GT3.
„We intend to enter the SLS for six to eight VLN rounds this year“, says team manager Peter Schmidt. The two 24 Hour Races at the Nürburgring and in Barcelona are also on the calendar of the team. “The Mercedes of course also represents a great challenge for us which we are very happy to accept.” Car Collection has after all been part of the Porsche family so far.
Schmidt will however not turn his back on the make from Zuffenhausen in Germany. As in the year 2012, Car Collection will again enter three to four Cup Porsche race cars in the VLN and in the 24 Hour Race at the Nürburgring. For Barcelona, the start of a Porsche in addition to the SLS is planned. “So far, our drivers have always been happy and we do for sure not wish to stop this, whether in the Porsche or in the Mercedes”, informs Schmidt who knows very well what his drivers want and wants to satisfy their requirements in 2013 again.
And he was already able to conform at the 24 Hour Race in Dubai. The entered Porsche 997 GT3 was running almost without any problems and completed an unexited and clean race in the desert. At the end of the 24 hours race duration, the Porsche was shown in third position in the class and in 20th place overall. “I am more than happy with this result. You must not forget that there had been a big number of much stronger GT3 cars at the start and we left some of them behind us”, was the comment of the team manager.
For 2013, Car Collection will now include one of these said GT3 race cars in their team. There is, however, no specific target yet pronounced by Schmidt: “First of all, we have to see who is going to drive the car finally and how fast we manage to develop a perfect set-up. Thereafter we will be able to make a more reliable statement about positions.” Currently, there are still drivers’ places available in the team of Car Collection, including the SLS. “We are of course in contact with some drivers and we intend to make our selection thoroughly. But should someone still be interested in joining our team and drive the car, we are very open.”
For the VLN set-up session mid-March, nonetheless, Peter Schmidt wishes to have completed his team. Six weeks are now remaining for taking the necessary decisions.
