Shanghai. The streets of Singapore will roar to life with the unmistakable sound of 28 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 991) thoroughbred racing cars when the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia contests Round 10 of the championship on the 5.073 km Marina Bay Circuit.

While five drivers remain in contention for the overall title, and four for the coveted Class B championship, the entire field will be out to shine during the glittering F1 weekend showcase.

Heading the charge to the Lion City is 24-year-old sportscar sensation Earl Bamber of LKM Racing, reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion, Porsche Mobil1 Supercup leader and winner of the 2013 Porsche Motorsport International Cup Scholarship.

While the New Zealand wunderkind, winner on his Singapore debut 12 months ago, may be the talk of the international sportscar racing world, he is far from running away with the 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia title. Arch rival Martin Ragginger of Team Porsche Holding has fought hard all season to keep the main prize within reach, putting in a wheel-perfect performance to take his second win of the season in Malaysia last month where Bamber got a taste of the Austrian’s unshakable resolve.

Also still in the frame for this year’s championship is former F1 test and reserve driver, Tung Ho-Pin of China competing with Budweiser Team Absolute Racing. Contesting his third Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season, Tung is currently third on the leaderboard, two points ahead of 2012 champion Alexandre Imperatori of PICC Team StarChase and Team Jebsen’s Rodolfo Avila, who are tied in fourth.

While the prestigious overall title may be out of reach for this year for Malaysia’s Alif Hamdan, the phenomenal performance this season of the 23-year-old Nexus Racing talent makes him a hot prospect for future stardom. A protégé of Bamber, Hamdan leads the Class B title chase and recently made his debut in the marques fastest makes cup, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup.

China’s future stars are making a name for themselves in the region’s premier sportscar championship too, with Zheng Tong Auto’s 22-year-old Zhang Da Sheng and Team C&D’s Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang each taking a podium finish this season, both part of the China Junior Development Programme introduced at the start of the season.

In Class B, while Hamdan may have taken six of the eight victories so far, OpenRoad Racing’s Francis Tjia has kept his eye on the prize and trails the Malaysian by just ten points. Four points adrift of Tjia is Singapore’s own Yuey Tan of Dorr Havelock Racing who took a Class win in Shanghai earlier this season.

Singapore is well represented on the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia grid, with one of the city-state’s most respected drivers, Ringo Chong, competing with Team Kangshun, Ro.C. Skyangel of Team Yongda Dongfang, Mok Weng Sun of Clearwater Racing, and resident Egidio Perfetti of Mentos Racing, reigning Class B champion, all giving local fans plenty to cheer for.

The Marina Bay street circuit could well produce some surprises, its unforgiving nature forcing the drivers to use every minute of the single practice session to find the limits. While it is far from a ‘no guts no glory’ track, requiring lightning responses and plenty of smarts, it remains one of the calendar’s most challenging circuits – and a firm favourite with the drivers.

Says Bamber: “Coming to the Singapore Formula 1 circuit is probably the highlight of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia calendar; it’s the best race, it’s in the city, with such a big crowd, and it’s our only street track of the year – everyone gets really excited for Singapore and the atmosphere is really cool.”

For Tan, the chance to race on his home track is something truly special: “Twenty three corners of pure madness - and I love it!”

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – Round 10

Provisional Entry List

*Non series registered

Overall Provisional Points after Round 9 (top 5)

Class B