Switch from GT racing to the Prototype Cup Germany. Strong driving duos with Oscar Tunjo / Julien Apothéloz and Gabriela Jílková / Lucas Mauron. Jörg van Ommen: “Prototype Cup Germany is pure racing, just how I like it.”
Powerful new addition to the Prototype Cup Germany: JvO Racing, under the leadership of team principal Jörg van Ommen, is the latest team to make the move from GT racing to the series and will be competing with two Duqueines. Van Ommen’s team joined the ADAC GT Masters last year, becoming the most successful team of the series in terms of wins recorded, and planning was underway for a second GT3 season. “However, there were some developments that did not make sense for our project,” explains van Ommen. “So, we were looking for another area of involvement and it didn’t take long to find the Prototype Cup Germany.”
Van Ommen is convinced by the concept of the prototype series: “The Prototype Cup Germany simply features racing, nothing more and nothing less. You do not work together with manufacturers, while in GT3 some teams do and some teams don’t. Everything is a bit clearer in LMP3, each team is responsible for its own success and no-one is provided with better material, more money or more information thanks to works support, for example. The LMP3 is also a real race car. Unlike a GT car, the sole reason for its construction is to go racing. For all these reasons, I really am delighted that we have decided to enter the Prototype Cup Germany and I am absolutely convinced that we have made the right choice.”
JvO Racing has registered two Duqueines for its debut season, each with two drivers. One pairing consists of Oscar Tunjo from Colombia and Switzerland’s Julien Apothéloz, with Czech driver Gabriela Jílková and Lucas Mauron from Switzerland in the other car. “Lucas was the one who brought us together with our new investor Michael Leischnig and we are very grateful for that. But during testing he certainly showed that he has earned his seat for sporting reasons. Gabriela was very precise and consistent, as well as producing some fast driving. You can see right away that she has experience with single-seater racing. Julien works in a concentrated fashion and was on the ball right away. He was recommended to me by Bernd Schneider and I am delighted to have received this tip. Oscar has followed the path from Rinaldi Racing to us. Last year, he showed what he can do with an LMP3 car and was the fastest of our four drivers. In general, I think that one or two of them will have work on their driving style a bit, as they are coming from GT racing. However, the lap times and the way that the four drivers have developed already during testing leave me feeling optimistic about the powerful unit we have put together.”
One of the reasons for a Rinaldi driver moving to JvO Racing is the cooperation between the two teams. “Our two garages are right next to one another and we even have a connecting door. It was logical for us to get involved with Rinaldi Racing, as they already know all about the LMP3 sector. We are aiming high: firstly, we want to be one of the teams in the Prototype Cup Germany that people take notice of - and take seriously. And we certainly would have nothing against a podium or two, or even topping the rostrum. In the medium term, we would like the team to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
