Porsche Junior Connor De Phillippi Takes Win At Hungaroring In Carrera Cup Germany Championship

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. - June 2, 2014 - PRLog -- Rounds 5 & 6 of the 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany championship at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, Hungary will surely be a weekend Connor De Phillippi will not forget anytime soon.

With another monstrous field of 37 competitors and some of the best sports car racers in the field, De Phillippi not only took home his maiden win in the series, but he also captured a 3rd place podium and regained his lead in the overall driver's championship.

In race 1 of the weekend, De Phillippi managed to qualify his #9 FÖRCH Racing by Lukas Motorsport car in P3, just 0.2 seconds off the pole position. From there, De Phillippi got a clean start and maintained his P3 position over Danish driver Nicki Thiim. This was De Phillippi's 2nd podium of the season and kept him in the tight driver's championship battle with veteran Carrera Cup driver and Germany Christian Engelhart.

"Overall, the race was good for us. I didn't get a perfect start, but I managed to hold my position into turn 1 and had the pace to maintain P3. Starting from pole position for tomorrow's race, we are in the best position for a win, so that'll be our sole focus."

For Sunday's longer sprint race, De Phillippi put his car on pole position with a lap time of 1:47.540. With Hungaroring being one of the most difficult circuits to pass on, it's crucial to get a clean start and maintain position through turn 1. With the pressure on him, De Phillippi did exactly that. He got a great start and never looked back. For each of the 19 laps, De Phillippi was never challenged for the lead and he never put a wheel wrong. At the checkered flag, De Phillippi took his first win by 2.5 seconds over Nicki Thiim, the 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion.

"Today's victory was the result of over a year of really hard work with my team. We have been very strong this season and to achieve my first victory, as well as the first team victory for FÖRCH racing in the Carrera Cup is truly a dream come true. They have believed in me from the beginning and I cannot thank my entire team and Porsche Motorsport for their amazing support. Hearing the American Anthem played while on top of the podium is simply an indescribable feeling!"

"Once again, I have to give a huge thank you to the whole FÖRCH Racing by Lukas Motorsport team, Porsche Motorsport and my partners, Jorg Gray, McKenna Porsche, Justice Brothers, Oakley, Competent Motorsport, David August Inc., Brett King Design, Bell Racing Company and the Porsche Club of America."

With 6 of the 18 races in the books, De Phillippi is now leading the driver's championship by 18 points (89) over veteran Carrera Cup driver and Germany Christian Engelhart (71).

Rounds 7 and 8 will take place at Norisring from June 27th - June 29th.

More information on the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany can be found at www.racecam.de.

About Connor De Phillippi:

Following in similar footsteps to American Porsche Works driver Patrick Long, Connor De Phillippi started racing go-karts at the young age of 5 years old. By the time he was 14 years old, he had won 21 national titles, including the only person to ever win 4 SKUSA SuperNational titles.

In 2008, De Phillippi made the move from karting to open wheel racing, winning the Skip Barber West Coast Series championship and Rookie of the Year honors. De Phillippi then participated in the Skip Barber National Series Racing Shootout, beating out 50 other competitors and earning him a full ride in the Skip Barber National Championship for 2008 as part of the MAZDASPEED Driver Development Program. In 2009, he won the Skip Barber National Championship, winning a record 7 of the 14 races. By winning the Skip Barber National Championship, De Phillippi won a full-ride for the 2010 Star Mazda Championship Series as part of the Mazda Road to Indy Program. That same year, after winning the Team USA Scholarship, he became the youngest and only second American to ever win the Walter Hayes Trophy in England. In 2010, he took the next step up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder and ended the Star Mazda Series in third place overall, winning Rookie of the Year honors. 2011, he secured runner-up and finished third in the 2012 championship. After securing a position with the Porsche Motorsport Junior Program, Connor took full advantage of the opportunity and took home the 2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany Rookie of the Year in his first season of sportscar racing.

For more information on Connor De Phillippi, including links to his social media platforms, visit his website at http://www.connordephillippi.com.