The Return of the 992 Endurance Cup at Spa

Introduction

On 6 September, Spa-Francorchamps staged the second running of the Michelin 992 Endurance Cup powered by Porsche Motorsport. Introduced in 2024, the event is a collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and Creventic and is reserved exclusively for the 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup.

This format is what sets the race apart. Every entry is identical, which strips away the technological arms race that defines much of top-level motorsport. Here, the difference is made not by the scale of a team’s budget but by its precision in managing drivers, pit stops, and tyres. Compared with Formula 1, which is dominated by engineering might and financial clout, the 992 Endurance Cup is refreshingly straightforward. It is endurance racing in its purest form, built on consistency and execution.

Regulations & Format

The structure is rooted in Porsche’s successful one-make Cups, with adjustments for the demands of a 12-hour race.

Two to four drivers share each car, with FIA driver ratings ensuring a balanced mix of experience.
The field is divided into Pro, Pro/Am, Am-S and Am-B. Bronze drivers feature heavily in the regulations, with each class defined by how much time higher-rated drivers are permitted.
ABS and traction control are allowed, aligning with the endurance package provided by Porsche.
Qualifying consists of three 15-minute sessions on new tyres, with a Bronze driver required in the first. The top ten then advance to a shoot-out, each car given one flying lap to set the order.
Pit stops are limited to four mechanics, two wheel guns, and one car controller, with fuelling controlled by rig and capped at a minimum of 60 seconds. Driver changes are permitted during refuelling.
Race control uses the Full Course Yellow system to neutralise the field. If conditions demand, a Safety Car is deployed after seven minutes, during which the pit lane closes.
Michelin is the exclusive supplier, with teams restricted to ten sets of Carrera Cup tyres for the weekend. Designed for sprint racing, these tyres are pushed to their limits over long stints.

Thursday -Testing

Thursday’s running was dedicated to testing, with both the Porsche 992s and Eurocup-3 cars sharing track time. Although much of the day was routine set-up work, there were a handful of dramatic spins as drivers probed the limits of grip through Spa’s fast corners. The weather was warm but unsettled, strong gusts of wind buffeting the cars through high-speed sections like Blanchimont and Pouhon. It was an early reminder that Spa never makes life easy. For teams and drivers alike, it was a valuable first glimpse of what lay ahead.

Friday - Free Practice and Qualifying

Friday’s programme was just as full. Historic Porsche sessions opened the day on a damp circuit, a red flag quickly halting proceedings before the track dried out. As the 992 Cup cars rolled back out, the paddocks began to swell with club Porsches, creating an unmistakable atmosphere around the pit lane and grandstands.

Qualifying was fiercely contested. Across three short sessions, teams had to balance tyre use against the need to secure a top-ten slot. The final shoot-out was tense, each car allowed a single timed lap. Team Parker’s No. 666 set the benchmark, only to be demoted after a penalty. That handed pole to MDM Motorsport’s No. 127, confirmation of their speed across the weekend so far.

Saturday - Race Day

The race began under clear skies. From my position inside La Source, the charge into the opening corner was unforgettable. The field roared down the straight, the sound like a swarm of bees, before braking hard and filing past within arm’s reach. The pack was tightly bunched, jostling for space, before unleashing full throttle down toward Eau Rouge and the climb to Raidillon.

Paul Meijer, starting from pole in the MDM Porsche, wasted no time in building a lead. By the end of the second lap, he had pulled more than five seconds clear. Behind him, the fireworks were provided by Rik Breukers in the Red Camel-Jordans.nl car, who stormed from eighth on the grid to second within two laps. Sebastian Freymuth also impressed for HRT, climbing from fifth to third.

The first caution arrived when Q1 Track Racing’s No. 56 slid into the gravel at La Source. Full Course Yellow procedures came into play, with several teams taking the chance to pit. Moments later, further drama. Q1’s No. 88 lost its front-right wheel after leaving the pits, nudging Mühlner’s No. 21 into the gravel before somehow making it back to the pits on three wheels. Sparks trailed behind the car, a striking reminder of how quickly a routine stop can unravel.

With track temperatures hitting 30 degrees, tyre management became a storyline in itself. Michelin had supplied Carrera Cup tyres, sprint rubber designed for stints of around 40 minutes. With each team allowed just ten sets for the entire event, many of which had already been used in qualifying, drivers had to stretch their stints carefully.

As the pit cycles unfolded, Red Camel’s pace put them into the lead, only for Dylan Pereira in the No. 48 LOSCH Porsche to carve through and take control with a decisive pass at Bruxelles. But endurance racing rarely runs smoothly. The No. 48 lost time in the pits, handing Ivo Breukers the advantage for Red Camel. Gabriele Piana, now in the LOSCH car, responded immediately, retaking the lead with a bold move around the outside at La Source. He built a gap of over a minute, but another Safety Car erased it in an instant.

The interruptions shuffled strategies again. Harry King produced a standout stint for Team Parker, hauling them back into contention. MDM’s race ended in heartbreak when Tom Coronel was forced to stop on track, a stone having damaged the engine. Hours of strong running were undone in seconds.

Van Berlo Motorsport by BKR had already established themselves at the head of Pro-Am with Bart van Helden at the wheel. They remained composed through the chaos, running just a lap off the leaders to secure third overall and a popular class win.

As the race entered its final phase, it became clear the outright victory would be a two-way fight. Red Camel and LOSCH traded blows, but the consistency and pace of the No. 48 began to tell. Pereira had already seen one commanding lead wiped out by the Safety Car, yet the Luxembourg-based team refused to falter.

As night fell, headlights cut through the Ardennes forest. Fatigue was visible everywhere. Drivers wrestled with the physicality of Spa, while in the pits mechanics pushed through exhaustion, each stop a test of precision under pressure. By the time the chequered flag fell at 9:45pm, the crews were running on adrenaline alone. Fireworks lit up the night sky above the circuit, bringing twelve hours of hard racing to a close.

Race Conclusion

The car No. 48 LOSCH Motorsport by Black Falcon Porsche, driven by Gabriele Piana, Dylan Pereira, Tobias Müller and Carlos Rivas, emerged as the winner. Having moved into contention before the halfway mark, they asserted control and never looked back, remaining undefeated in this Porsche-only endurance contest.

Red Camel-Jordans.nl, car 9, finished second, an improvement on their third-place result last year, while Van Berlo Motorsport by Bas Koeten Racing secured third overall along with the Pro-Am class win. HRT Performance finished fourth, with SebLajoux Racing, car 888, an impressive fifth overall and winners in Am-S.

Further down the order, EST1 Racing placed sixth, followed by Team Parker in seventh, PTE operated by Manthey in eighth, Dream 2 Drive in ninth and GP-Elite rounding out the top ten.

The Am-B class delivered one of the weekend’s biggest stories. Black Falcon’s No. 121 Porsche had missed qualifying after a practice crash and started from the very back of the 25-car grid. From there, Joao Goncalves, William Freire and Joao Barbosa fought through to take a deserved class win, finishing just outside the top ten.

With teams from ten nations and 22 nationalities represented, the field reflected Porsche’s global reach. Strategy was central, particularly with the softer Michelin tyres, which demanded careful use across long stints.

Only in its second year, the 992 Endurance Cup has already proven itself as a fixture worth watching. Identical machinery, strict regulations and the unforgiving Spa circuit combined to deliver a race that rewarded discipline and teamwork over resources. What unfolded in the Ardennes was endurance racing at its best, and a showcase of customer motorsport at the highest level.