EEMNES/FRANCORCHAMPS (8 September 2024) – For Tom Coronel and his teammates Paul Meijer and Jan Jaap van Roon, the inaugural Michelin 992 Endurance Cup powered by Porsche Motorsport was very successful. At the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the team started the 12-hour race, exclusively for Porsche Cup cars, from pole position. A minor technical problem in the early stages made the team drop back, but after a strong recovery drive, the Porsche with start number 8, run by German team Max Kruse Racing, ended up in second place. “Fantastic to be on the podium here, a huge success. Thanks to the entire team, this was really great,” Tom Coronel said.
 

With around 30 in the field, all technically identical and powered by the 510-hp six-cylinder Porsche boxer engine, the inaugural Michelin 992 Endurance Cup in the Belgian Ardennes promised to be a spectacular event. Practice and qualifying were held on Friday, where conditions were rather changeable with fog and rain. During qualifying in the evening, the Max Kruse Racing-Porsche with start number 8 in the colours of Ireckonu, Eurol, Mascot Workwear and ERU surprised with the fastest average time across three heats, for the team securing pole position as a result. “We had opted for slick tyres, which was a bit of a gamble on the drying track, but fortunately it worked out well,” said Paul Meijer, who secured the best starting position for the team in the third and decisive heat. Earlier, Benjamin Leuchter had driven the first and Tom Coronel the second qualifying heat.
 
The race was held on Saturday in beautiful summer weather. Not only many motorsport enthusiasts, but also numerous Porsche owners had found their way to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the event. The paddock, completely filled with Porsches, offered a beautiful sight. The action on the track was also well worth seeing. Paul Meijer took the lead from pole at the start, but lost ground in the early stages due to an electronics issue. “Nothing worked anymore: power steering, ABS, which caused the wheels to lock uo a few times under braking,” he reported. The problem was quickly fixed in the pits, after which the team could start its recovery drive from 23rd place.
 

This made for some spectacular action, with the Max Kruse Racing-Porsche managing to make up one position after another and steadily climbing back up. At 21.45 hrs, the car took the chequered flag in second place, securing the podium result. Reason for great joy among Tom Coronel and his teammates. “What a rollercoaster,” Coronel said. “Cool that we took pole position, but unfortunate that we dropped back in the race due to those electronics problems. By consistently driving smart and fast we came a long way. I didn’t expect to end up in P2. We were lucky twice with a ‘full course yellow’ that eventually became a safety-car intervention, narrowing the gap. That helped us as well. It was seriously good, nice how we managed this! Jan Jaap drove a great stint and so did Paul, who was very fast. Max Kruse Racing did a super good job. Taking home a trophy, in such a field, that’s a nice way to wake up the next morning!’ 

 
Paul Meijer and Jan Jaap van Roon also looked back on the race with satisfaction. “Thanks for giving me the chance to be there, really cool,” Meijer said. “A great experience, to finish on the podium in such a field, I’m quite proud of that,” Van Roon commented. Benjamin Leuchter stated: “Of course, as team boss of Max Kruse Racing, I am very happy with this result for the car with starting number 8. A sensational recovery drive. For me, Paul is the man of the race, he really impressed me. Jan Jaap also made a very strong impression, drove a very good stint. Tom and Paul completed the job between them. After qualifying, I didn’t drive the number 8 myself in the race, but the three of them did a perfect job! A podium finish, second in our first race at Creventic, we certainly want to come back!”