Step by step to the title
Stuttgart. René Rast is the new champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. At the very last race of the 2008 season on the Hockenheimring, the MRS Team PZ Aschaffenburg pilot secured the coveted title. With this, Rast gave himself the best present he could imagine on his 22nd birthday which he celebrated on race Sunday.Despite the high speed that is needed in Europe’s fastest one-make series, René Rast never went into a race hastily. Moreso, the youngster conquered the summit with deliberation and acumen. “To win and to climb to the podium is simply wonderful,” he said thoughtfully, “but to achieve your goal and win the championship you just have to earn the points. That means finishing up the front, staying out of trouble, and never retiring. In short, the most important thing is to bring home the points one at a time, like Uwe Alzen did last year.” The Porsche specialist and Carrera Cup champion of 1992 had claimed the title last year without winning a race once. Rast’s role model method to securing the championship again proved successful. Winning is good, but control is what counts in the end.
Unusual that he still put in a perfect start. He notched up the first pole position and the first win of the year and with this moved to the lead of the championship. “I didn’t make one mistake, I always made the right decision and got the best out of the situation,” reminisces Rast. His deliberateness was apparent in Oschersleben at the second race of the season where he finished sixth, and had to relinquish the points’ lead. This didn’t throw him off track. Three second places in a row followed and he moved into the lead of the series again at Mugello in Italy. This time he held on to it.
Over the rest of the season Rast practised caution and deliberation. Despite leading the points at his young age he never allowed himself to succumb to pressure: “I tackle every race calmly,” said the youngster. “I’ve learned that anything else doesn’t work. I know my strengths. I’m working on my weaknesses, namely to go into races feeling more optimistic.” The 1.78 metre and 68 kilogram race driver constantly delivered a top performance. This season he started from the first row at five out of nine races - three times on pole position – and this in a field so competitive that the first twelve pilots are regularly separated by one second in qualifying.
The trainee clerk has never had problems with tough competition. At the age of four he contested his first race – with an electric car on the parking of a supermarket in his hometown of Steyerberg. “My rivals were twice my age,” said the newly crowned champion. “But I still wouldn’t let them win.” Afterwards came several moto-cross events. “At seven my uncle put me in a kart.” From this point on he worked consistently on a career in motorsport. In 2003 and 2004 Rast competed in Formula BMW. One year later he won the title of the VW Polo Cup and in 2006 secured vice-championship honours in the SEAT Leon Supercopa. Last year Rast climbed into the cockpit of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and gave his debut in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. He concluded his first season tenth overall.
At all his racing activities and successes the new champion tries to keep his life as normal as possible. Rast: “I’m happy when I don’t have to think about racing during the week. Often I just chill out on the sofa. But without endurance sport and power training you can forget it.” His future plans are equally down to earth. “I’ve caught the Porsche bug. The company is offering pilots many chances to advance. A job as works driver would be perfect.”
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文本
英語 (Porsche AG)
已归档
M08_3229
M 168/08
2008-10-26
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- 赛车运动
- 2008赛季
- Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland
- 最新消息
- Germany \ Hockenheim
Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Portrait: the new champion René Rast: Step by step to the title