Callaway Competition go into the 2019 campaign with a new driver line-up but with the same goal as before – to win the title. Marvin Kirchhöfer (24, GER) will share the cockpit of the Corvette C7 GT3-R entered by the Leingarten-based team with new recruit Markus Pommer (28, GER). Their first joint appearance will come on the weekend of 26th – 28th April when the 2019 season of the Super Sports Car League gets underway at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. All races will be broadcast live and in full by SPORT1.
Marvin Kirchhöfer first drove for Callaway Competition in 2018 when he and Daniel Keilwitz claimed three victories, more than any other driver pairing in the field. The duo ended the season third in the championship standings. The 24-year-old from Saxony is now under contract at R-Motorsport but has a release clause for the ADAC GT Masters weekends. He is determined to win the championship this time: “Last year, I felt very much at home with Callaway Competition. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite manage to win the title in the end. That’s why I’m very much looking forward to the new season with my new partner and to going all out for the title. It’s a difficult challenge we have set ourselves, but I’m up for it and will be giving it everything I’ve got. I think I have a good partner in Markus and that we will be among the front-runners right from the start. We are both highly motivated.”
Kirchhöfer’s new team-mate, Markus Pommer, won two races in the 2018 Super Sports Car League and was a title contender right up to the season finale at Hockenheim. The 28-year-old from Neckarsulm has now moved to Callaway Competition where he replaces record ADAC GT Masters race winner and former champion Daniel Keilwitz, who leaves the team after nine years. “My objective in the ADAC GT Masters is to win the title with Marvin,” says Pommer. “Callaway Competition have proved in the past that they are consistently capable of challenging for it. I’ve been in contact with the team for several years now, because they are based only a few kilometres from my home. This year, we’ve succeeded in putting together a mutually agreeable package.”
Team boss Mike Gramke is sounding upbeat about the campaign: “The team is well prepared for the upcoming season, and in Markus Pommer we’ve managed to sign the ideal candidate. I’m very confident that the drivers will get used to each other very soon and that we will be on the attack from the very first race at Oschersleben. Last year, we were in contention for the title up until the last race, so our target in the coming season is to provide further confirmation of our merits. If the entire team works hard from the first to the last race – which I’m absolutely convinced they will – then we should have an even better outcome to the season than last time round.”
