Thierry Vermeulen is not a stranger to racing Porsches. He began his racing career by driving in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux. Currently, he competes in the DTM and the GT World Challenge. The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux will see the former Porsche driver in action at the second round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, supporting the DTM on June 7-9.
‘’In my first year, I started in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux, driving a Porsche GT4. That was a nice step to get into the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux because I didn’t have that much experience but still wanted to progress. The Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux was a good second step in that direction’’ Thierry Vermeulen says.
He is also familiar with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992, the car used in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, which he also drove during his time in the series. ‘’At that moment the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992 just had been released, making the step into the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, even more perfect,’’ Thierry said.
Thierry reflects on his time in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. ‘’Participating in the series helped me form a great base for my racing career. From my first mistakes, my first win, and my first pole position - these are things the series taught me, as well as how to deal with traffic in qualifying. All the basics of racing I learned from driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux.’’
‘’My most important learning moment: I still remember quite well, during the first race in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, I had a crash. I learned from that, but also getting pole position and winning races, were moments I learned a lot from, and help me get where I am now.’’
Currently, he is competing for two different championship titles ‘’In 2023 I drove in the DTM and the GT World Challenge, and this year I will be driving the same series. For me, those two championships are the most competitive GT championships in the world.’’
Thierry talks about his experiences driving in these series. ‘’DTM has been the top level for GT Racing for years now. It has always been a dream of mine to participate in that series, and now I have been able to fulfill that dream. The teams I am driving for in the DTM and the GT world challenge are very professional. It is very important to work closely with your engineers and mechanics. This is also something I learned when driving in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, and something I value highly.’’
When asked how the teams compare to the teams in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux, he responds, ‘’Even though the level of professionalism is a bit lower in the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux because you use different strategies and such, it does teach you the basics of communicating with your team, that is something you’ll have to remember for when you are entering a higher level of competitions.’’
‘’It is always difficult to go the perfect route to your dreams in your career, so there are always things I would like to change such as starting at a younger age. I sometimes still notice that I did not start at an early age, when you start later, you have less experience and have driven fewer races than your opponents. That is something I would have done differently.’’ Thierry reflects on his racing path.
Thierry also has goals for the future. He says, ‘’GT racing is constantly growing. All platforms are now using the GT3 cars. The LMDH has ensured that car manufacturers return with more commitment to motorsport, such as the FIA WEC, IMSA, and all endurance races, which have seen growth in recent years. So, I think it would be interesting to look at the endurance possibilities outside the DTM, like Le Mans and Daytona. Those are goals that I would like to reach. Also winning the 24 hours of the Nordschleife is a dream of mine, so recently I have been training more at that circuit to fulfill that dream.’’
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