GEBHARDT Motorsport is facing a challenging double program: The racing team from Sinsheim will be competing at Spa-Francorchamps this coming weekend and in the IMSA championship at Virginia International Raceway.
GEBHARDT Motorsport from Sinsheim is completing a global racing program in the LMP3 class this year. Last year's championship-winning team from the Prototype Cup Germany faces a special challenge this coming weekend, as the team will be competing in both the Michelin Le Mans Cup at Spa-Francorchamps and the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Virginia International Raceway. As Oscar Tunjo and Valentino Catalano normally compete in both racing series, GEBHARDT Motorsport is reshuffling its driver line-up.
Danny Soufi makes his debut at Spa-Francorchamps
Oscar Tunjo is concentrating on his debut with the new Duqueine D09 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at Spa-Francorchamps. The Colombian, who is considered one of the fastest LMP3 drivers in the world, will receive some quick support. Danny Soufi from the USA, who won the Prototype Cup Germany championship early this year, will be competing for the former Group C team led by Fritz Gebhardt for the first time on the Ardennes rollercoaster.
The Michelin Le Mans Cup will be held on the traditional and popular circuit in Belgium, with a two-hour race starting at 15:55 CEST on Saturday. Qualifying will take place beforehand at 11:25 CEST. Fans around the world can follow both qualifying and the race on the official livestream on YouTube.
After a difficult start to the season, GEBHARDT Motorsport recently demonstrated its true potential in the Michelin Le Mans Cup as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans support program. In the two one-hour races in the legendary endurance classic, the team finished in the points, with Catalano and Tunjo even climbing onto the podium in the second race.
Alexzander Kristiansson makes his debut in the USA
The Virginia International Raceway is hosting the fifth race weekend of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The circuit is considered a true driver's track and one of the most spectacular tracks on the North American racing series calendar. GEBHARDT Motorsport will be lining up at the start with two Duqueine D08. The fast German Valentino Catalano travels to Virginia as the championship leader. So far this season, the ADAC Sports Foundation driver has scored a total of four wins.
Replacing Tunjo in the second car will be Sweden's Alexzander Kristiansson. The talented Scandinavian normally races for GEBHARDT Motorsport in the Prototype Cup Germany, where he recently secured his first podium finish at the Nürburgring. “I am very grateful to Fritz Gebhardt for this opportunity,” said Kristiansson, looking forward to his debut in the USA.
As part of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge will complete three races. The race that was recently canceled at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will be rescheduled for this coming weekend. The races will start on Friday at 22:50 CEST, on Saturday at 18:20 CEST, and on Sunday at 13:30 CEST. All races can be watched live worldwide on the official YouTube stream.
“We have a challenging weekend ahead of us with races in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge,” said Fritz Gebhardt. "Our goals are clearly defined: in the US, we want to extend our lead in the standings and take another step towards the championship. Meanwhile, we want to continue our progress with the new Duqueine D09 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. With Danny Soufi, we have a top driver in the team whom we are already very much looking forward to working with. I am also delighted that Alexzander Kristiansson, who comes from the Swedish Ginetta Cup, is making the move to the USA with us. He has made great strides this year!"
