Eleven renowned teams from eight countries start at the premiere of the new LMP3 series. Both races streamed live and free on Saturday and Sunday.
The stage is set for the Prototype Cup Germany: The new series for LMP3 cars, run by ADAC and Dutch promotor Creventic, lines up for the first time this weekend (22nd to 24th April) at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. The international field features eleven renowned teams from eight different countries. They will run prototypes from Duqueine, Ginetta and Ligier when the series makes its debut on the support programme for the 12 Hours of Spa. Both races in Spa will be broadcast live and free, from 10:00 on Saturday and Sunday, on youtube.com/adac, adac.de/motorsport and youtube.com/24hseries.
There is great international interest in the inaugural season of the German LMP3 series, which is held under the licence of rights holder and 24h Le Mans organiser Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The high-class field includes teams from Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland, Spain, Finland and Great Britain. With four teams, Germany boasts the largest contingent. A total of five teams have opted for the Duqueine D08, four teams will be running the Ligier JS P320, and two will field the Ginetta G61-LT-P3. The cars have one thing in common: They are all powered by a 455-hp V8 naturally aspirated engine from Nissan.
Former ADAC GT Masters champions meet again
Reiter Engineering versus Mühlner Motorsport: What was once a long-running battle in the ADAC GT Masters now resumes in the Prototype Cup Germany. While Bernhard Mühlner and his local Spa favourites have successfully run Duqueine cars in the LMP3 class around the world for several years, Hans Reiter’s team is set for its first campaign in prototype racing, armed with a Ligier and former ADAC GT Germany champion Eike Angermayr at the wheel. Toksport WRT is a well-known team from the ADAC GT Masters. The team from the Nürburgring will field a Ligier, to be driven by Marvin Dienst and Berkay Besler from Turkey.
Role model: Franz Konrad
One of the two Ginetta cars will be run by Konrad Motorsport. Team principal Franz Konrad will share the driving duties with Axcil Jefferies. The younger starters in the field can look to Konrad as a role model, as it is now 32 years since he successfully took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans back in 1990. Back then, he and his team-mates Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace finished second overall in a Jaguar XJR-12 run by the Silk Cut Jaguar team.
From Le Castellet to Spa-Francorchamps
Wochenspiegel Team Monschau travel to the Ardennes on the back of a successful weekend in Le Castellet in the south of France, where they set the fastest time in LMP3 qualifying at the opening round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Drivers Leonard Weiss and Torsten Kratz, who will also represent Wochenspiegel Team Monschau at Spa-Francorchamps, finished the race in fourth place. They were joined in the top ten by both cars belonging to British outfit Nielsen Racing, who line up with John Melsom and Matt Bell at the wheel of their Duqueine in Belgium.