Document from Porsche Motorsports
Contact:
Bob Carlson 770-290-3676
Andy Schupack 401-739-5677
Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup: Results of the 11th Round at the USA
Grand Prix, Indianapolis
SASCHA MAASSEN WINS PORSCHE-PIRELLI SUPERCUP INDY RACE; JORG
BERGMESITER EARNS SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP WITH TENTH TOP-TWO FINISH
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - September 29 -- After passing pole-sitter Jorg
Bergmeister once and having to "take it back," Sascha Maassen
re-passed him for good on lap #6 of the 16-lap event to take the
first of two Porsche-Pirelli Supercup races at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway this weekend.
Maassen, who has won two American Le Mans Series races this year
and will contend next weekend for the driver's championship at
Road Atlanta, initally passed Bergmeister under a waving yellow
flag caused by Marco Werner's spin and DNF, but let Jorg go by him
before the lap was done and avoided a penalty from the officials.
But, on the very first green lap after that, Masseen got by
Bergmeister for good to score the victory.
"I was about to overtake Jorg when the yellow flag came out, and
didn't see it, but I wondered why he didn't defend his position,"
said Maassen, who scored his second SuperCup win. "I had to be
careful when I let Jorg back in front of me not to let Phillip Peter,
who was in third place, by as well."
Right after Maassen took the lead, Wolf Henzler spun and hit the wall
on the front striaght, bringing out the safety car and four laps under
yellow. The course went green with one lap to go, and Maassen hung
onto his lead for the win.
Bergmesiter was all smiles after the race as well since he clinched
the 2001 Porsche-Pirelli Supercup driver's championship with the
second place finish. With seven victories, two seconds and a
third-place finish, Jorg's great year actually started the end
of last year with a Sunday win at Indy in the 2000 Porsche-Pirelli
Supercup event.
"Even though I won six other races this season, I think the most
satisfying one was my season-opening victory at Imola in Italy.
Now I hope the championship will help me make challenging plans for
next season," he said.
The Americans in the race ran into various difficulties, with
Sam Hornish, Jr., the recently-crown IRL champion, suffering a
transmission problem, and fellow Porsche factory guest driver
David Donohue, son of 1972 Indy 500 winner the late Mark Donohue,
finishing eighth.
"I was barely able to avoid the multiple spins on the first lap,
but had a hard time getting by Nicolas Kropp in a battle for 10th
place. When I finally got by him, we had the safety car out and
my tires - which I had been saving for the end of the race - got
cold again during the four yellow laps and I was unable to advance
any further," said Donohue.
Other American finishers included Gunnar Jeannette, from West
Palm Beach, Florida (ninth); Goerge Frazier, from Porspect,
Kentucky (11th), and Terry Lingner, the motorsports TV
producer from Indianapolis, was 12th. Six cars did not finish.
The whole cast will be back on the 2.6-mile Indianapolis Motor
Speedway road course Sunday morning for the 12th and final
round of the 2001 Porsche-Pirelli Supercup season.
# # #
Porsche-Pirelli SuperCup Round #11 Results
1. S. Maassen (B, Software AG Racing), 16 laps in 30.33.911min.
(=131.663 kmh);
2. J. Bergmeister (D, Infineon Team Farnbacher), 0.355 secs behind.;
3. P. Peter (A, Infineon Team Farnbacher), 0.999;
4. M. Lieb (D, Carsport Supercup Team Swiss), 1.220;
5. A. Zampedri (I, Kadach Tuning), 1.740;
6. S. Ortelli (MC, Kadach Tuning), 1.838;
7. T. Bergmeister (D, MAT Racing Team), 2.422;
8. D. Donohue (USA, Porsche AG), 5.041;
9. G. Jeannette (USA, Carsport Supercup Team Swiss), 6.021;
10. N. Kropp (B, Kadach Tuning), 6.345;
11. G. Frazier (USA, Kadach Tuning), 7.197;
12. T. Lingner (USA, PZ Rhein-Oberberg), 10.287
Not classified:
W. Henzler (D, PZ Rhein-Oberberg),
M. Werner (D, Infineon Team Farnbacher),
F. Schmickler (D, PZ Rhein-Oberberg),
G. Anapoli (I, Software AG Racing),
J. Pabst (CDN, Kadach Tuning),
S. Hornish (USA, Porsche AG),
Fastest lap: S. Maassen, 1:37.751 Min. (=154.384 km/h)
# # #
Below is profile of champion Jorg Bergmeister:
Jörg Bergmeister: 7 Wins, 8 Pole Positions - and the
Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup
Stuttgart - Jörg Bergmeister is champion of the 2001
Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup. The 25-year-old who holds a degree
in economics yielded seven victories and eight pole positions
on his way to the title that he secured one race before the end
of the season. Thanks to the top finishes of Bergmeister and
his team mates Marco Werner (Germany) and Philipp Peter (Austria),
their outfit - Infineon Technologies Team Farnbacher (D) - secured
the team championship in the only GT series to run exclusively
as support to Formula One.
Bergmeister, whose father Willy became one of Germany´s most
well-known touring car pilots during his active years in motorsport,
opened the 2001 racing season with wins in Imola (I) and
Barcelona (E). After setting pole in Austria he traded sheet
metal with a competitor, ran into technical trouble and finished
the race a disappointing 18th. A faulty drive shaft forced the
German to retire from the Monaco race. But from that point on
the reigning German Carrera Cup champion became virtually unbeatable.
Over the next six rounds he secured four wins, and pocketed
second place twice against strong opposition.
Coming to the final two races at Indianapolis/USA as the points'
leader, Jörg prepared his success through a pole position in the
qualifying for race one and a second qualifier for race two.
When he brought home second place in the first race he had
secured the title.
For Bergmeister, Indianapolis evokes fond memories. Last year at
the US debut of the Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup on the Grand Prix circuit,
he secured his maiden Supercup victory. Ranking sixth overall in the
2000 drivers' standings, Bergmeister was the youngest driver in the
top ten of this fiercely-contested international series.
At the age of 20, Bergmeister started his first race in the German
Carrera Cup. Contesting selected rounds, he still managed to finish
the season in seventh overall. Two years later he returned and
secured ninth place by season´s end. The following year Bergmeister
netted third, and in 2000 he became champion. This season Bergmeister
contested both the international Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup and
the national German Carrera Cup. 2001 is already his best motorsport
year. Not only is the 25-year-old the Supercup champion, but with one
round to go of the national German Carrera Cup in Hockenheim
on 7 October, he leads the driver´s championship of the series,
as well.
Prior to racing Porsches, the 1.94 metre man from the tiny town
of Langenfeld/Rhineland attracted attention in formula sport. In 1993
he won the championship title of the Formula König, and in 1995
took vice-championship honours in the Formula Opel.
A remarkable characteristic of the new Supercup champion is his
ability to know precisely when to pull a top performance out of the
hat. This he has proved time and again during qualifying sessions,
taking his Porsche out on the track and planting it on pole at
exactly the right time. In the races as well, Bergmeister is also
impressive with his excellent starts, his clever tactics, and his
speed without being too hard on equipment.
Displaying tenacity and hard work Bergmeister successfully
graduated from a polytechnic university in economics. Whether
the popular Rhinelander eventually puts racing before business
or vice versa is yet to be decided. But one thing is certain for
Jörg Bergmeister: his sights are set on top motorsport, preferably
with a Porsche... however he has nothing against taking the
wheel of a high tech touring car.
Date of birth: 13 February 1976
Place of birth: Leverkusen/D
Lives in: Langenfeld/D
Height, Weight: 1.94m, 78kg
Marital status: single
Profession: graduated in economics (polytechnic)
Hobbies: Snowboarding
Internet: www.bergmeister.de
Sporting highlights:
1991 Karting
1992 Formula König 3rd
1993 Formula König champion
1995 Formula Opel vice-champion
1996 Porsche Carrera Cup 7th
1997 Formula Opel European Championship 6th
1998 Porsche Carrera Cup 9th
1999 Porsche Carrera Cup 3rd
2000 Porsche Carrera Cup champion
Porsche-Pirelli-Supercup
2001 Champion, wins in RSM, E, EUR, GB, H, I
2000 6th overall
1996 22nd overall
# # #
