Frikadelli Racing will join the grid at the finale of the Prototype Cup Germany, which takes place at the Nürburgring in mid-October. The team’s Ligier JS P320 will be driven by Klaus Abbelen (63/Barweiler) and Felipe Laser (34/Leipzig). Both started at the Nürburgring last year and impressed with a fine third place.

“We all very much enjoyed our outing in the Prototype Cup Germany in 2022, so we are back for more. We are also currently considering whether to expand our portfolio in 2024 and possibly compete in the Prototype Cup Germany as well as the Michelin Le Mans Cup. As such, our start at the Nürburgring is also something of a little test,” says Klaus Abbelen, team owner and driver. Abbelen and his team-mate Felipe Laser currently race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, which regularly features fields of 30 or more LMP3 cars. The two Germans finished eighth at the opening round in Barcelona, their only top-ten result to date. With one race remaining, they currently lie 18th in the table.

63-year-old businessman Abbelen used to race motorcycles in the 1980s, but then took a break for professional reasons. He returned to motorsport in 1989, but this time on four wheels. In 2005, he formed his own team – Frikadelli Racing. The Nürburgring has now been his home circuit for many years – not only because he and the Frikadelli Racing team are based in Barweiler, not far from the iconic racetrack, but also because Abbelen has contested countless races there as a driver. “I love being at the Nürburgring and believe it is the circuit, at which I produce my best performances.” Like the track in the Eifel Mountains, he also enjoys LMP3 race cars. “The cars are not easy to set up and it is a real challenge for the drivers to take full advantage of the aerodynamic potential of the LMP3 racers. You need a decent amount of courage in the fast corners. But I like that challenge.”

Abbelen shares the car with Felipe Laser. One of the 34-year-old’s biggest successes came at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours, when he triumphed at the wheel of a Frikadelli Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, alongside Earl Bamber, David Pittard and Nicky Catsburg. “As a racing driver and Porsche instructor, Felipe spends a lot of time in the car. As such, he has a wealth of experience. And he has great control over the LMP3 car, particularly in damp conditions. Plus, we get on very well as people.”

So, with what goals does Klaus Abbelen come into the event at the Nürburgring, having finished on the podium at the same venue with the same line-up 12 months ago? “We must first adapt to the conditions in this year’s Prototype Cup Germany, which is something that the established teams did a long time ago. We are definitely at a slight disadvantage in that regard. We want to try to get through the races without any mistakes, and will obviously do our very best. It would be great if we could be among the top three teams again – I believe we are definitely capable of doing so.“