First woman in the Prototype Cup Germany: American Courtney Crone will be at the wheel of a Ginetta G61-LT-P3 for Gebhardt Motorsport.

In 2023, the starting grid for the LMP3 series organised by the ADAC and Creventic will feature a female driver for the first time. American Courtney Crone lines up in a Ginetta G61-LT-P3 for Gebhardt Motorsport as the series enters its second season. “It is an honour to be part of Gebhardt Motorsport in its Ginetta LMP3 car in the Prototype Cup Germany,” says the 22-year-old. “The history of Gebhardt Motorsport and the success the team has enjoyed are very impressive. I am looking forward to the first race of the season at the famous Hockenheimring.”

The Californian will contest her first race in Europe at the circuit near Heidelberg. Crone is also yet to get to know the G61-LT-P3, which was developed in Great Britain. “The Ginetta will be a new challenge for me,” she says. “In the same way, I must also learn the European tracks.”

The young driver is by no means new to prototype racing. After her time in Formula sport, during which she started in the American Formula 4 series, she has regularly taken part in LMP3 races run by the American IMSA organisation since 2021. The 2023 season in North America has started promisingly for Crone. In January, she landed her Duqueine D08 on the podium at the opening round of the IMSA Sports Car Challenge at Daytona International Speedway.

Her new team, Gebhardt Motorsport, can look back on a long tradition, which dates back as far as the Group C era in the 1980s and 1990s. After that, the team from Sinsheim took a 20-year break from modern motor racing. The comeback came in 2022, when Gebhardt entered the Prototype Cup Germany. The best result in the inaugural season was sixth place at the Lausitzring and the finale at the Hockenheimring.

“The break from modern motorsport taught us that we have a lot to learn. However, the final race of the season at the Hockenheimring showed us that we are moving in the right direction,” says team principal Fritz Gebhardt. “Let’s see what happens this season. We see great potential in Courtney and are pleased to have her in the team.”