DKR Engineering enters Prototype Cup Germany. The team from Luxembourg will call on the talent of Robin Rogalski and Valentino Catalano. Team principal Kendy Janclaes: “Our goal is to win the title.”

Founded in 2004, the DKR Engineering team has been competing in Prototype racing since 2017, during which time it has won the LMP3 class in the Michelin Le Mans Cup on four occasions, the LMP3 class in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) once, and the LMP2 class in the Asian Le Mans Series once. The team from Luxembourg, led by team principal Kendy Janclaes, is now entering Prototype Cup Germany, and can call on the services of talented youngsters Robin Rogalski and Valentino Catalano. “We would have liked to have raced in Prototype Cup Germany last year, with our German driver Laurents Hörr. However, Laurents had the Gold FIA status, and Gold drivers were not yet permitted in 2022,” says Janclaes. Drivers with a Gold classification are now eligible to compete. However, because DKR Engineering had not initially planned to enter Prototype Cup Germany, Hörr moved in a different direction and joined Finnish team Koiranen Kemppi Motorsport. “Together with his partner Matthias Lüthen, he is sure to be one of our toughest opponents,” says his former team principal.

In the meantime, DKR Engineering has also opted to start in Prototype Cup Germany, in which it will line up with two talented youngsters. “Both our drivers have Silver status, which is perfect for us. Valentino Catalano may only be 17 years old, but he raced in the ELMS last year and started for us in the Asian Le Mans Series in the winter. As such, he already has LMP3 experience and is definitely fast. Robin Rogalski is four years older than Valentino and comes from a GT3 background. He is bound to need a little time to adapt his driving style to the LMP3 cars. However, that is totally normal when anyone makes this kind of switch. Once he has internalised the differences, it will not be a problem for him.”

While German-Italian Catalano moved from karting to French and then German Formula 4 before switching to the LMP scene in 2022, Lübeck-born Pole Rogalski was a latecomer to the world of motorsport. The successful break dancer was 16 before he began his motor racing career in the KIO Picanto Cup in Poland. In 2019 and 2021 he won the Audi Sport Seyffarth R8 LMS Cup, a one-make cup with identical Audi R8 GT4 cars. Last season, he lined up in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 in the GTC Race series, in which he also enjoyed success.

“Our goal in Prototype Cup Germany is to win the title, although it will definitely not be easy. After all, we are not the only ones with good drivers – the other teams also have some really good drivers in their cars,” says Janclaes, who is accustomed to success. He is by no means afraid of the opposition and has great faith in the talent of his two protégés, who will be at the wheel of a Duqueine. Incidentally, DKR Engineering will come up against another team from the small country of Luxembourg in Prototype Cup Germany: Racing Experience. “We know each other and get on well. It is nice that we will both be flying the flag for Luxembourg.”