The opening rounds of the new-for-2022 Prototype Cup Germany saw an 11 car field assembled at Spa Francorchamps.
Race 1
Toksport WRT took the win at the opening race of the season, Berkay Besler and Marvin Dienst bringing the #7 Ligier home 8.6 seconds clear of the #11 WTM Racing Duqueine of Torsten Kratz and Leo Weiss.
Solo-crewed Acil Jeffries lost out on a potential podium finish with a post-race penalty dropping the Konrad Ginetta down to seventh.
“After I had taken over the car from Berkay for the second half of the race, I was able to work my way into the lead and bring it home safely,” said a delighted Dienst.
Having started from pole position, Florian Janits in the Reiter Ligier was able to stay ahead of Jamie Winslow in the Ligier JS P320 from Inter Europol Competition, before the Duqueine of John Melsom and Sebastian Arenram left the track, prompting the appearance of the safety car on lap one. The race restarted on lap six. Although Janits was put under pressure by his rivals Winslow and Besler, they were unable to overtake him. The trio headed for the pits for their mandatory stops shortly afterwards.
Once all the driver changes had been performed, the trio continued to battle for the lead during the second half of the race. Marvin Dienst, who took over the LMP3 racer from Besler, first moved up from third by passing Eike Angermayr. He then applied some pressure to leading driver Torsten Kratz. However, Dienst was stopped in his tracks by a full-course yellow phase just as he was about to attack the leading Duqueine. This was necessary as Giorgio Rosa rolled his Ligier JS P320 on the track.
Dienst waited patiently until the race restarted but was then able to move into first place and pull away from the field. There was no danger of his Toksport WRT team missing out on the triumph.
There was thrilling action behind Dienst until the chequered flag appeared. Kratz first saw Angermayr approaching in his rear-view mirror, before Axcil Jefferies turned the battling duo into a trio. However, Jefferies in the Ginetta was unable to find a way past the man in front, crossing the finishing line in fourth. As Jefferies’ pit stop was 1.4 seconds too short, the driver from Konrad Motorsport received a 30-second penalty after crossing the finishing line, knocking him back to seventh position. Just before the line, Mühlner driver Donar Munding closed the gap to the group of three in his Duqueine but he was also unable to make further progress, finishing fourth thanks to the penalty imposed on Jefferies.
The #24 Reiter Engineering Ligier of Florian Janits-Eike Angermayr would instead complete the podium.
The result came after an on-track clash that left the #4 Nielsen Racing Duqueine with rear end damage after contact from the #72 Koiranen Kemppi Motorsport D08, neither would make the finish.
Race 2
Race 2 saw Toksport WRT complete the perfect start to their LMP3 history, a second win ahead this time of the #777 Inter Europol Competition Ligier of Jamie Winslow-Damian Ciosek with the WTM Duqueine this time completing the podium.
