The new for 2022 Prototype Cup Germany gets underway this weekend at Spa Francorchamps with an 11 car, all-LMP3 grid assembled for the opening rounds.
A one-off Nielsen Racing entry for the team’s Michelin Le Mans Cup full-season pairing of MattBell and John Melsom will join 10 full-season entries in Belgium.
The team’s Duqueine D08 joins single car, full season entries from Gebhardt Motorsport and Konrad Racing (Ginetta), Inter Europol, Reiter Engineering, Toksport WRT, and Speed Factory (Ligier) and Koiranen Kemppi, Muehlner Motorsport, Race Experience and WTM Racing (Duqueine).
The Series has been devised and coordinated between ADAC in Germany and Creventic and the four-round 2022 calendar will see the races on the support card for 24H Series (as this weekend) and ADAC GT Masters events.
DSC caught up with Championship Manager Ole Dorlemann as the cars were unloaded at Spa:
“We are pretty happy in the current climate to have a season entry into double figures,” he told the DSC Editor.
The concept emerged after ADAC observed a boom in German teams joining the Michelin Le Mans Cup, which started a process that saw an approach to the ACO to gain their approval for the national series, together with the collaborative venture with Creventic who not only host two of the race meetings but are also de facto Championship organisers.
“It has been pretty smooth on the organisational front. Despite their own pressures, the ACO has been very helpful and we have coordinated the calendar to ensure that any team that also wants to do either the Michelin Le Mans Cup or the European Le Mans Series can do so.
“We were in contact with teams that have access to around 30 cars and, with a little more luck we would likely have had 2-3 more but the freight from the UAE (for the Asian Le Mans Series) was delayed and that cost us a few likely entries as the teams chose to focus on their main programmes on the ELMS package.
“We already know though that some of our current teams have active plans to add additional cars, Rinaldi and Inter Europol are looking at that and I think we may see the Nielsen car (guesting at Spa), back for more too.
“I think too that we may see more german teams stepping in, Frikadelli has shown real interest for instance.”
Either way, the Series is set to see a handful of other guest cars dipping a toe in the water later in the season, all progressing towards the Series’ next yardstick.
“We are looking for 15+ cars for the full season next year and that looks very deliverable. We already are seeing good signs that teams are using the new platform as an opportunity to learn about the cars and the racing whilst eyeing a future programme in the Le Mans Cup or ELMS.
“As another step on the ladder, I think we fill a gap. The cars are raceable at an accessible level financially and this gives teams and amateur drivers, and younger drivers, an opportunity to see what it’s about.
Prototype Cup Germany 2022 Spa Entry >>
2022 Calendar
22nd/24th April Spa-Francorchamps (B), 24h Series
15th /17th July Nürburgring, ADAC Truck Grand Prix
19th/21st August DEKRA Lausitzring, Family & Friends Festival
21st/23rd October Hockenheimring, ADAC GT Masters
