Looking ahead: September Porsche motorsport preview

The motorsport calendar is reaching its final stages for the 2024 season heading into September, with many championships close to their finales.

The FIA World Endurance Championship heads to Japan for its seventh round of the season: The 6 Hours of Fuji at the Fuji Speedway, from September 13-15.

With just two rounds remaining, Porsche is second in the constructors’ championship - just 11 points behind leaders Toyota - and the #6 drivers lead their standings, 12 points ahead of the #7 Toyota crew.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will visit the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for its penultimate round from September 20-22.

Porsche leads both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships, and is hotly pursuing both titles into the closing two rounds of the year.

The next Esports competition on the horizon is the return of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Contender Series, with two events taking place in September.

The DTM will head to the Sachsenring from September 6-8, before visiting Austria’s Red Bull Ring from September 27-29. After this month’s two rounds, there is just one race weekend remaining.

Here’s a full preview of all the Porsche motorsport activities taking place in September:

WEC: Six Hours of Fuji

The WEC hosts its second race of September at Fuji Speedway from September 13-15, with another six-hour race to follow the Lone Star Le Mans.

The 4.563 kilometre-long track has 16 turns and was built in the 1960s, standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji. It has previously hosted Formula 1, motorcycle racing and other sportscar series including the Asian Le Mans Series.

The 6 Hours of Fuji was first held in 1967 as the Fuji 1000km, and was added to the FIA WEC calendar in 2012 under its current name. Porsche has seven wins at the event, with its most recent podium coming with a third place finish in 2023.

After a tough outing at Circuit of the Americas for the Lone Star Le Mans, the team will be hoping to bounce back in Japan.

The two factory cars finished sixth and seventh in the Austin race, with the #6 car ahead of the #5.

Porsche is now second in the constructors’ championship - just 11 points behind leaders Toyota - and the #6 drivers lead their standings, 12 points ahead of the #7 Toyota crew, while the #5 drivers are joint fifth.

There is just one round remaining of the 2024 WEC after Fuji: The season finale in Bahrain from October 31-November 3.

IMSA: Battle on the Bricks

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is back in September, heading to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from September 20-22.

IMSA uses the IMF’s infield road course, which is 4.192-kilometres and has 14 turns. It sits inside the iconic oval, which is home to the Indy 500. The championship first raced at the circuit in 2014, after which it left the calendar before returning as Battle on the Bricks last year.

Last year’s race was 2hr40 long, but this year it has been extended to a six-hour endurance special, joining Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans.

Heading into the penultimate round, Porsche leads both championships, with the #7 car of Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr topping the drivers’ standings.

The #7 car won at the Sahlen's Six Hours at the Glen for their second victory of the season after the season-opening 24 Hours of Daytona.

The #6 car of Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy, which won last time out at Road America, sits 100 points behind, second in the championship. The pair also took victory at Laguna Seca.

After Indianapolis, there is just one IMSA round left to claim the crown: Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta from October 9-13.

Esports: Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Contender Series

The next Esports event on the horizon is the return of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Contender Series.

The six-round competition serves as a feeder series, where the top performing drivers earn a place in next season’s Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup.

It is designed for iRacing drivers who have qualified through the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Qualifying Series, finished the previous year’s Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup in eligible positions or are otherwise eligible.

The first two rounds, taking place in September, are at Algarve International Circuit on September 21, and Okayama International Circuit a week later. The following four rounds all take place in October.

Five of the six races will be streamed on the Porsche Twitch channel here.

DTM: Sachsenring and Red Bull Ring

The DTM heads to the Sachsenring for its sixth round of eight from September 6-8, before visiting Austria’s Red Bull Ring from September 27-29.

The Sachsenring, located near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany, is a 3.671-kilometre circuit with 13 turns, dating back to 1996. Racing previously took place on a road circuit in the area as early as 1927.

The scenic Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, also has a storied history. It was built in 1969 before extensive rebuilding works in the 1990s and a name change to the A1 Ring. It closed in 2004 before reopening in 2011, and the DTM has raced there every year since.

Reigning champion Thomas Preining, driving for Manthey Racing, is currently sixth in the standings with 93 points. His best weekend came at the Lausitzring, with a double podium finishing including a victory in race two.

Team-mate Ayhancan Güven is 17th in the standings, with a best result of fifth at the last round.

After the two September races, just one round remains: The Hockenheimring finale from October 18-20.