There was plenty going on again at the second race weekend of the Prototype Cup Germany. Here are some fascinating stories from both on the track and behind the scenes of the new racing season, which was launched in 2022.
Full grandstands: Round two of this season’s Prototype Cup Germany featured on the support programme for the ADAC Truck Grand Prix. The iconic event, organised by ADAC Mittelrhein, was being held for the 35th time and is a major highlight on the German motorsport calendar. The teams and drivers in the Prototype Cup Germany were also thrilled by the full stands, the wealth of entertainment in the paddock, and the racing trucks on the track.
Pace Truck: Another vehicle that really caught the eye was the one that guided the field in the Prototype Cup Germany through its formation laps. Appropriately for the Truck Grand Prix, it was a truck, which is otherwise used as the Pace Truck in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship (ETRC). The Iveco S-Way NP runs on Bio-LNG, and thus contributed to the sustainability of the event.
Happy chappy: Matthias Lüthen (41/Hamburg, Mühlner Motorsport) enjoyed a great race weekend at the Nürburgring. The Duqueine D08 driver not only bagged a brace of victories in the Trophy competition, but also finished second overall in Sunday’s race alongside youngster Donar Munding (20/Stuttgart). “That was the best and most successful race weekend of my career so far,” said a beaming Lüthen. “I went home full of emotion. My phone was full of messages. It was awesome.”
Ginetta trio: For the very first time, three Ginetta G61-LT-P3 were in action in the same car race. Konrad Motorsport lined up at the Nürburgring with two of the British cars, Gebhardt Motorsport with one. Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson was suitably happy: “We are very impressed by the new Prototype Cup Germany. It is a very professional racing series with leading teams and manufacturers, which embodies the spirit of customer racing. The calendar is very exciting, with familiar Formula 1 racetracks.”
Fast chicane: Unlike the ADAC GT Masters, the Prototype Cup Germany uses the flowing chicane at the end of the back straight, which is familiar from motorcycle racing. “What is special is that we can obviously drive much faster through the chicanes, which it goes without saying is great fun,” said Jacob Erlbacher (21/AUT, Gebhardt Motorsport). “However, you also have to look out for the kerbs, which makes the layout very interesting. You can do a lot right, but also a lot wrong.”
Familiar face: Motorsport glamour was provided by the spokesperson for the FIA European Truck Racing Championship. Barbara Proske worked for Mark Webber during his time in Formula 1 and FIA WEC, as well as for two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Timo Bernhard. The Austrian is a genuine sports car expert and took a very close look at the LMP3 used in the Prototype Cup Germany.
Back in ADAC Motorsport: Freddie Hunt (35/GBR) – son of 1976 Formula 1 world champion James Hunt – made his debut in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Nürburgring. “It was a fantastic weekend,” said the Reiter Engineering driver. “The last time I drove at the Nürburgring was in 2009. That was in ADAC Formula Masters. Back then, however, it did not go particularly well for me.”
Meeting of ADAC GT stars: The field in the Prototype Cup Germany at the Nürburgring was littered with drivers who have driven in the ADAC GT Masters and ADAC GT4 Germany in the past. Maximilian Hackländer (32/Rüthen, Konrad Motorsport), Klaus Abbelen (61/Barweiler, Frikadelli Racing) and Oscar Tunjo (26/COL, Rinaldi Racing) have all started in the ADAC’s popular GT3 series. Jacob Erlabacher, Mads Siljehaug (26/NOR Reiter Engineering) and Sebastian von Gartzen (29/Butzbach, Rinaldi Racing) have raced in ADAC GT4 Germany. Marvin Dienst (25/Lampertheim, both Toksport WRT), who was the inaugural ADAC Formula 4 champion in 2015, has actually driven in both GT series in the past. “The ADAC has shown in the past that it is able to establish big racing series. The Prototype Cup Germany is a mega championship,” says Dienst. “It is also nice to meet familiar GT drivers in the new series.”
Happy French guest: Pegasus Racing was making its first appearance in the Prototype Cup Germany. The team from Alsace has a grand tradition in protype racing and has raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and FIA WEC. “We are very happy that the series was launched and has been approved by the ACO,” says team principal Julien Schell. “Our headquarters are near the German border, so it is not far to the racetracks. We are seriously considering making more appearances. We have a scheduling class at the Lausitzring. However, we are currently planning to run two cars at the finale in Hockenheim. I would actually like to drive one of the two Ligier myself there.”
