Porsche at Autosport International - January 8-11 2009

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom – January 8, 2009: Porsche will showcase its British motorsport programme for 2009 at the Autosport International show at the Birmingham NEC (January 8 – 11), and introduce the two young drivers who will be co-representing Porsche Cars GB in the 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship offers the fastest single-marque racing in the UK, and visitors to the show will be able to meet Tom Bradshaw and Lewis Hopkins, who each won the inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup GB Scholarship Programme and received £50,000 towards their racing season. Tom and Lewis will be available to meet race fans on the Porsche stand and talk about their experiences as they prepare for the most exciting step yet in their motorsport careers.

In a new initiative for the 2009 season, all registered competitors in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship will receive fitness assessments at the new Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone. Autosport International presents the first opportunity to gain further insight to Porsche Human Performance and the innovative approach it brings to race driver fitness, as well as overall health for all motorists.

Beat the Batak
Visitors to the show will get the chance to experience first-hand the technology deployed by Porsche Human Performance, for the Porsche stand will feature a Batak device. This intriguing machine is designed to test peripheral vision and reaction times – you have to push as many flashing, randomly illuminated buttons as possible in 60 seconds; it is a proven exercise regime for many Grand Prix drivers. An informal competition will be running during the show with prizes for the highest scores, so it is worthwhile having a go!

Open Day at the Porsche Driving Experience Centre
The Porsche Human Performance Centre, based at the world-class Porsche Driving Experience Centre at Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, is staffed by a team of three sports scientists who offer a rare combination of academic qualifications, exercise science and coaching. They have broad experience of working at the highest level in motorsport and have competitive backgrounds as elite athletes. Each is trained to provide expert assessments of health and fitness levels and how this relates to driving performance and technique.

Porsche Human Performance offers a wide variety of programmes tailored to individual ambitions. These can prescribe bespoke consultation, exercise and nutritional plans, offer advice on posture in the driver’s seat, check eyesight strength and peripheral vision performance, or include more formal health analysis such as body composition and fat:muscle ratio, or a Pro-Am Motorsport fitness programme.

The facility includes a sports science laboratory, fitted out with state of the art equipment from Technogym and Optical Express as well as a specialist heat chamber for acclimation training for racing drivers prior to competing in hot climates.