The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux promotes itself as a key stepping stone for the development of a driver's racing career. Loek Hartog, 2020 champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, continues his racing career with Porsche in 2024. He will be driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, as well as the GT World Challenge Europe in 2024.
After winning the championship in 2020 he climbed further onto the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid, driving in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup for 2 seasons.
‘’I have always looked up to the Porsche Cups’’ Loek Hartog states. ‘’In my first year of racing in the Ford Fiesta Cup, I immediately knew I wanted to make a career in the GT sport and Porsche has a Pyramid that provides such possibility.’’
Loek Hartog is not a stranger to Porsche race cars. ‘’The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is an incredibly fast car, that you need to have full control over if you want to be on pole. When driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, I learned all about tire management, car settings, close driving and finding the limits of the car’’.
‘’The Carrera Cup Benelux is the ultimate step into racing with Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.’’ Loek continues saying.
‘’My first year in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux was an eye-opener, I learned a lot that year. Besides winning the championship in my third year, I also got the chance to race at Le Mans which made me get recognized by international teams.’’
‘’Driving in the GT World Challenge Europe is something that came onto my path and is my first step toward a professional contract. I want to stay within the Porsche family and find ways to show the brand that I am the calibre they are looking for as a Porsche Junior Shootout driver.’’
Not only is he driving in the GT World Challenge Europe this year, but Loek will also compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. Here he is showing his skills already, taking the win in the first race of the season.
‘’For me, it was important to be responsible for my own results, that is why I chose to drive in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America. In both series, we are competing for the championship title, and I think we have a fair chance to win.’’
‘’The experiences I have from the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup are very useful in the current series I am driving. I know all the ins and outs of the car and will use this knowledge to get ahead of the competition. Team wise, I am surrounded by knowledgeable and professional people in both teams, and the atmosphere is comparable to the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.’’
When asked about his choices in the past, Loek answers he wouldn’t change a thing. ‘’I am a firm believer that everything that comes onto your path is the way to go. That being said, I wouldn’t change any steps I made concerning my racing career. All the setbacks I have had, have made me the driver I am today.’’
Loek closes off with a look to the future. He still has a clear goal ahead. ‘’I am incredibly proud of my achievements so far, and I still have things to look forward to. My biggest ambition is to become a factory driver for Porsche. And my focus will be on the biggest endurance races in the world.’’
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