Ryan Cullen rising Porsche talent

Somerset driver Ryan Cullen finished his Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series with two confidence-boosting performances in Mexico. The 26-year-old qualified in tenth place at the season-ending final race in Mexico City and then made his way consistently through the field to finish in ninth place in both races.
The results meant that Cullen, who races for the Austrian-based Walter Lechner Racing Team, finished his second season in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup 2017 season in eleventh place with a total of 41 points from his 11-race campaign
Cullen commented, “It’s a pity the season has come to an end because I feel as though I’m really coming into my best form. If it hadn’t been for a couple of races where I failed to pick up any points, I would have been comfortably in the top ten. At this level, split seconds determine whether you are in the top ten or way down the grid. But I’m determined to continue to improve as a driver and look to make next season a more successful one.”
The 2017 Porsche Mobil1 Supercup series was won by German Michael Ammermüller with 193 points from Norway’s Dennis Olsen. Cullen also finished in ninth place in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany for his team raceunion.
Cullen’s year just got better as he was guest of honour at a gala Night of Champions event in Bahrain on 16 November, where he was presented with the trophy for winning the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

The night was a chance to relive the 2016/17 season in which Cullen won eight of the twelve races in the Middle East series and ran away with the title with 265 points. His campaign saw him finish on the podium on all but one of his races in what was a breakthrough year for him.

Cullen said, “It was a great team effort to make the car as competitive as it was over the twelve races in the Middle East. This is a great series and one which gave me a great deal of exposure as a driver who can win races and be a consistent performer. It was a special night to receive the trophy in front of all the drivers and teams who took part in last season’s challenge.”
However, Cullen will not be defending his title in the forthcoming GT3 Challenge Cup, as he will still be involved but as a driver mentor. He added, “Although I won’t be racing, I will be coaching two drivers from Team Sweden, Magnus Ohman and Christoffer Bergström. I’m hoping I will be able to pass on some of the experience I gained during my successful campaign last year. I hope to be here again next year, but this time leading from the pit lane rather than from behind the wheel.”
Cullen’s plans for 2018 also include getting behind the wheel of his GT3 Cup car in the Supercup series. Porsche Road & Race will be following Ryan’s progress through 2018, so be sure to check back with us to see how he is doing.
Edited by: Glen Smale
Images by: Porsche Werkfoto