Austrian Wolfgang Payr (60, Racing Experience), who finished runner-up in the Trophy competition in last season’s Prototype Cup Germany, remains in the LMP3 series this year and will continue to race in the colours of Luxembourg-based team Racing Experience. “I had a lot of fun last year, both in the series and with the LMP3 car and the team, and am already looking forward to the season-opener this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.”
Payr is not a full professional, but a classic amateur with plenty of ambition. However, those ambitions are by no means focussed on results. “I want to learn and to improve bit by bit. If I wanted to race in a prototype and get better results, there would definitely be other series that would be more suitable for me than the Prototype Cup Germany. Some of the best LMP3 drivers in the world line up in the Prototype Cup Germany – I am sure that people like Markus Pommer and Laurents Hörr, to name just two from last year, could compete at the front of any LMP3 field in the world. I obviously find it more difficult in an environment like that, but I can learn far more than in a series, in which the standard of racing is significantly lower.”
The Austrian was always aware that, in normal circumstances, his place would probably be towards the rear of the field. “I am 60 years old now and am going up against talented 20-year-olds, who have been involved in motorsport all their lives and are no strangers to cars with a lot of downforce like an LMP3 racer. Plus, motorsport is just a hobby for me, not my job. Unfortunately, I have hardly any time for testing. That obviously means that my learning curve is not so steep. However, I can be happy with myself when I make a little progress.” What is the biggest challenge for him? “It is not easy to get the prototypes in the zone, in which the aerodynamics really work well. You need to be at a certain speed, and you need a lot of trust in the car to maintain that speed, particularly in corners. And one particular way to achieve that trust is by having many kilometres and laps under your belt. It is a process that does not happen overnight.”
Payr made his debut in the Prototype Cup Germany last year. He lined up alongside Kevin Rohrscheidt (32/Stuttgart) in the first eight races, before sharing the Duqueine with David Hauser (34/LUX) on the final two race weekends. Payr’s best result was a sixth place with Hauser in Assen, and he also finished ninth with Rohrscheidt at the Norisring. The driver from Innsbruck ended the season level on points with Danny Soufi (20/USA, Konrad Motorsport) in 15th place in the table. In the Trophy competition, he finished runner-up behind champion Marc van der Snel (52/NLD, More Motorsport).
