Drivers will contest seven meetings as they go head-to-head in their 485-bhp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars at ADAC GT Masters race weekends and will also race under the banner of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix for the first time. A newly developed support programme has been introduced which should provide even more support than previously for juniors as they train to become professional GT drivers.

Fans will note that there is an international flavour to the line-up with 28 drivers from eleven different countries competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The field is made up of ambitious juniors and experienced GT specialists, who will fight for victory in the overall and team standings as well as in the amateur and rookie classes.

The calendar features seven meetings, each made up of two 30-minute sprint races. The majority of the season will be held in conjunction with the ADAC GT Masters. The races at the Nürburgring in partnership with the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia (3rd - 5th August) will be a highlight of the season, when there will be some 44 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars taking part (including the guest entrants from the Scandinavian one-make cup). The Carrera Cup races at the Nürburgring on the weekend of the 10th - 12th August will be held under the banner of the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix for the first time. This event usually attracts lots of Porsche fans.

The Porsche Talent Pool is also new to the Carrera Cup Germany. All drivers, who have signed up for the full season and are aged 23 or younger will undergo an extensive programme of fitness testing with individualized training plans to incorporate mental and media training and will receive one free set of tyres per race weekend. Experienced Porsche driver Wolf Henzler will be at all events to give the up-and-coming talents the benefit of his expert knowledge. Prize money has also been considerably increased for 2018, and teams and drivers will compete for some 550,000 euros in total.

Oliver Köppen, who is the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Project Manager told us: "We have made our one-make cup even more attractive for 2018 through the partnership with the ADAC GT Masters and the introduction of our new development programme for young talents. We're very pleased that these changes have been so well received by both teams and drivers. The large field of entrants and the sizeable number of new teams and of those returning to contest another year indicate to us that we should continue along the same path in the future."

Race Calendar - Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland

13/04/18 - 15/04/18 Oschersleben (ADAC GT Masters), Races 1+2

08/06/18 - 10/06/18 Red Bull Ring (ADAC GT Masters), Races 3+4

03/08/18 - 05/08/18 Nürburgring (ADAC GT Masters), Races 5+6

10/08/18 - 12/08/18 Nürburgring (AvD-Oldtimer-Grand-Prix), Races 7+8

17/08/18 - 19/08/18 Zandvoort (ADAC GT Masters), Races 9+10

07/09/18 - 09/09/18 Sachsenring (ADAC GT Masters), Races 11+12

21/09/18 - 23/09/18 Hockenheimring (ADAC GT Masters), Races 13+14