After a season which spanned four series Gianluca Roda has won the Porsche Cup, the German manufacturer's award for the best “private” race car driver of 2010 that has previously been won by drivers including Bernd Schneider, Bob Wollek and current Porsche works drivers Wolf Henzler and Marc Lieb.
Much of the 51-year-old's success came with the Italian Autolando Sport team. It was with the Bergamo based team he won the Italian Gran Turismo championship at the end of a season which saw him share the car, on various occasions, with Porsche works drivers Richard Lietz, Wolf Henzler and Patrick Pilet and take five victories on his way to the title.
As well as his success in Italy Roda also finished the year as class vice-champion in the International GT Open, again with Lietz as his co-driver. A perfect record -four wins from four guest appearances – in the Spanish GT Championship was also part of the successful season that ended in the final race of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Le Mans Series champions Team Felbermayr-Proton.
For beating competition from Porsche drivers from 19 GT and Prototype racing series Roda's prize included a Porsche 911 GT3, while drivers who finished in positions two through ten collected prize money.
Frenchman Raymond Narac – one of Roda's GT Open rivals in 2010 – ranked second in the Porsche Cup after another successful season with his Imsa Performance Matmut squad. As well as contesting the Le Mans Series Narac scored endurance podiums in both the Dubai and Spa 24 Hours, winning in the Middle East, followed by a second place in Belgium later in the year.
Third place went to Porsche RS Spyder racer Klaus Graf. A campaign in the American Le Mans Series with the Muscle Milk Team Cytosport outfit began with a victory in the LMP2 class at the 12 Hours of Sebring and included two overall victories – coming in the rounds at Lime Rock and Mosport.
