Team Bernhard, Toksport Reveal Two-Car Porsche Efforts

KÜS Team Bernhard and Toksport WRT have both unveiled plans for a two-car Porsche effort in DTM.

Both teams will field a pair of Type-992 Porsche 911 GT3 Rs, bringing the Weissach marque’s total car count for the season up to six following Manthey EMA’s confirmation earlier on Friday.

KÜS Team Bernhard, the team led by two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard, is set for a sophomore campaign in the single-driver sprint series.

It experienced a successful debut season with a single Type-991.2 Porsche piloted by Thomas Preining, which the Austrian steered to a pair of race victories.

Bernhard previously told Sportscar365 that an expansion to two cars was likely to be on the cards for the second year of the program.

With Preining joining Manthey EMA, the team has instead opted to recruit two Porsche-aligned drivers in Ayhancan Guven and Laurin Heinrich.

Guven, newly crowned Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 champion, made his series debut last year when he stood in for Nick Cassidy at the Norisring.

Heinrich, meanwhile, is set for his series debut. The 21-year-old won the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany last year.

Engelhart, Heinemann for Toksport WRT

Toksport WRT has recruited Christian Engelhart and two-time DTM Trophy champion Tim Heinemann to its lineup.

The Seyhun Duru-led operation will similarly field a pair of Porsches, embarking on a new venture with the German manufacturer after it competed in the likes of the Nürburgring 24 and 24 Hours of Spa last year.

Engelhart joins the team after contesting the final two races of last year’s season with SSR Performance as a stand-in for Laurens Vanthoor.

Teammate Heinemann steps up to the main series as the reigning DTM Trophy champion, a title he won in both 2020 and 2022.