Paddock radar from Prototype Cup Germany at the DEKRA Lausitzring

There was plenty of entertainment available, both on and off the racetrack, at the third race weekend in the Prototype Cup Germany. Here are some of the exciting stories from the event at the DERKA Lausitzring.

A great deal of top-level motor racing: The Prototype Cup Germany made its first appearance in the supporting programme for the ADAC GT Masters this year. The GT3 racing cars from the German GT Championship produced a superb show in two thrilling races on the 3.478-kilometre circuit. The ADAC Formula 4, the ADAC TCR Germany and the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany also made an appearance at the Lausitzring.

A helicopter from ADAC Air Rescue was also on show at the Lausitzring © Photo: ADAC

So much going on: The motto of the race weekend in the Lausitz was the Family & Friends Festival. A record crowd of 21,500 weekend spectators saw motorsport accompanied by a range of themes from host DEKRA and the ADAC, with technology presentations and an entertainment programme for the whole family. On Saturday evening, the well-known DJ duo “Gestört aber Geil” took to the stage and got the crowd jumping.

Matthias Lüthen (R)won Sunday’s race with Donar Munding © Photo: ADAC

Firsts for two brands: The Prototype Cup Germany boasts a diverse field, featuring cars from three manufacturers. There were two firsts in the pair of races. Axcil Jefferies (28/ZWE, Konrad Motorsport) claimed the first pole position for a Ginetta G61-LT-P3 in the German championship. Matthias Lüthen (41/Hamburg) and Donar Munding (20/Stuttgart, both Mühlner Motorsport) provided the first win of the season for the Duqueine D08.

Double Turkish delight: Victory in Saturday’s race went to Berkay Besler (23/TUR) and Marvin Dienst (25/Lampertheim, both Toksport WRT) in the Ligier JS P320. Besler’s compatriot Ayhancan Güven had triumphed in the ADAC GT Masters two-and-a-half hours earlier. This was the first occasion that two Turkish drivers had won two international motor races within such a short space of time. “I have known Ayhancan for many years. We raced karts together,” explained Besler. “I was delighted that he won in the ADAC GT Masters.”

The Ginetta G61-LT-P3 from Gebhardt Motorsport in the rain at the Lausitzring © Photo: ADAC

In the rain for the first time: Saturday proved to be a special day at the Lausitzring for many drivers in the Prototype Cup Germany, as they raced their LMP3 cars under wet track conditions for the first time. They dealt effortlessly with the challenging task, with no major accidents or damage to report. “It is great fun driving a prototype in the rain,” said Ginetta driver Jacob Erlbacher (21/Böblingen, Gebhardt Motorsport), speaking on behalf of the entire field. “The key is really timing your braking point. The LMP3 cars do not have ABS, meaning that it is easy to develop wheelspin. It is also crucial to find the right cornering speed in the rain.”

Interested guest: Laurents Hörr also took a stroll through the Prototype Cup Germany paddock at the Lausitzring. The 24-year-old German driver has already claimed LMP3 titles in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and in the European Le Mans Series. He appeared in the LMP2 at the 24h Le Mans this summer. “I am here as a coach for the drivers with Koiranen Kemppi Motorsport,” explained Hörr. “I am delighted that there is now a prototype series in Germany. The aim is for me to make a guest appearance with DKR Motorsport in the finale at the Hockenheimring. However, this has not yet been confirmed.” The LMP3 star had another task at the Lausitzring. He joined Patrick Simon to commentate on both races in the Prototype Cup Germany.

Marvin Dienst (L) also competed in the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring © Photo: ADAC

Double Dienst: Marvin Dienst (25/Lampertheim) spent the most time on the circuit at the Lausitzring. In addition to driving the Ligier from Toksport WRT, he also competed in the ADAC GT Masters in a Mercedes-AMG. “The vehicle concepts are very different,” explained Dienst. “However, I was able to show that I can drive fast in both models.” A look at the results confirms this. Dienst claimed a win and a third place in the Prototype Cup Germany. He finished eighth in Sunday’s race in the ADAC GT Masters.

Danny Soufi in the cockpit of the Ginetta from Konrad Motorsport © Photo: ADAC

Competing in Europe for the first time: The second Ginetta from Konrad Motorsport was driven at the Lausitzring by Danny Soufi (19). The US driver had only previously competed in North America, having started out in drifting and in the Mazda MX-5, in which he claimed numerous titles. His primary career goal is to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To make this dream a reality, he moved to the Munich area a few months ago. “Franz Konrad recently gave me the opportunity to do some testing. That went phenomenally well. However, there is a huge difference between the Mazda and the LMP3,” explained Soufi. He followed this up with his first racing appearance at the Lausitzring. “The Prototype Cup Germany is a superb series. The level is really high and it is an impressive environment,” continued Soufi. The youngster demonstrated his ability on the first race weekend. After claiming fourth place on the grid, he was in third position for a long period.

Fast gentleman: Victories in the Trophy standings for the Prototype Cup Germany at the Lausitzring went to the Duqueine drivers Torsten Kratz (51/Mönchengladbach, WTM Racing) and Matthias Lüthen (41/Hamburg, Mühlner Motorsport). “The Trophy standings are really important for me,” said Lüthen, who also celebrated the overall win in Sunday’s race. “I returned home with two trophies, and both had the number One on them. That’s my best race weekend yet. I would like to secure the title in the Trophy standings at the Hockenheimring.”