European Endurance Prototype Cup: Virage unbeatable, first win for CD Sport
The third round of the 2024 Ultimate Cup European Series season saw the LMP3 championship leaders take another victory. The 4 Hours of Hockenheim went to CD Sport on NP02.
The #1 Team Virage LMP3 crew had a crazy 24 hours. During Saturday’s qualifying, Georgios Kolovos, Sacha Lehmann and Alex Gnos were reduced to spectators. An engine issue prevented the Portimão winners from taking part in the session.
As a matter of urgency, the Polish team brought a new engine and Pierre Rouen’s team worked all night to install it.
At the start of the session, everything seemed to be working and the sequence of laps would confirm this. Starting from 20th, the #1 made a great start with Kolovos taking the lead in the class, before handing over to Gnos. The Swiss driver took his car to the lead in the class, before Lehmann closed the weekend on a high. It was the perfect way to thank his team for their hard work.
#5 CD Sport, NP02: Thomas Imbourg, Jonathan Thomas
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
Team Virage remains undefeated in LMP3 this season and also achieved a one-two finish.
The #88 of Jacek Zielonka, Raphael Narac and Daniel Macia finished 17 seconds behind its sister car. Leading for much of the race, the #24 TS of Nathan Kumar, George King, Daniel Frost completed the podium.
Julien Lemoine in the #84 of ANS Motorsport had a great start, taking the lead in the opening minutes. Unfortunately, a mistake by the French driver sent him into the gravel at turn 17, losing several laps.
Julien Lemoine and Clément Moreno were fifth, just behind the #68 Haegeli of T2 Racing (Marcel Oosenbrugh, Sebastian Schmitt, Dominik Schraml).
Hockenheim smiled on the CD Sport NP02 #5. Thomas Imbourg and Jonathan Thomas showed themselves to be as competitive as at Paul Ricard and Portimão, but technical problems prevented them from obtaining a good result.
In Germany, the Franco-South African duo was finally rewarded and starting from the front row, they immediately imposed a great pace to detach the poleman, the #17 of Lamo Racing. They made no mistakes and went on to take their first victory of the season, as a relief!
#1 Team Virage, Ligier JSP320: Georgios Kolovos, Sacha Lehmann, Axel Gnos
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
The #154 NP02 of Cogemo Racing also rewarded the team’s titanic efforts with a 2nd place in class. During the qualifying session, Antoine Lacoste lost control of his prototype at turn 12. It was a hard blow that forced the technicians to change a large part of the car.
At the start, Jesse Bouhet started from 22nd place. His strong stint perfectly prepared Yohan Rossel; the 2021 WRC3 World Champion continued with the same pace to secure his first podium of the championship.
Despite a puncture early in the race, James Winslow and John Corbett fought hard for four hours to secure third place on the podium. Graff’s #7 NP02 secured its second consecutive top-three finish after its victory in Portimão.
In contention for the podium, the #71 ANS Motorsport failed to finish fourth. Engine failures interrupted the race for Karen Gaillard, Marc Faggionato and Iko Segret.
Fifth place went to the #555 Cogemo Racing (Sébastien Morales, Philippe Thirion, Denis Caillon) in the NP02 Ultimate category. Winner of the season opener, Graff’s #9 was forced to retire after being unfortunately involved in an accident caused by the #6 ARC Bratislava LMP3.
#7 Graff, NP02: James Winslow, John Corbett
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
Ultimate GT Endurance Cup: Ferrari Solo
The No. 1 Ferrari of Team Visiom has once again taken victory in the Ultimate Cup European Series. The reigning champions dominated the 4 Hours of Hockenheim, taking their third consecutive victory after those at Paul Ricard and Portimão, in the Trofeu GTE.
It was no easy task, however, as Lamborghini and Vortex were also present. In qualifying, the Pegasus Racing Huracan Super Trofeo took pole on a damp track, but in the race, gearbox problems arose at the end of Anthony Nahra’s stint. Julien Schell was sent back out, but the team founder returned a lap later to retire for good.
The brand’s second car, the #77 ARC Bratislava Huracan driven by Miroslav and Adam Konopka, suffered engine problems just when it was on course for victory.
#1 Visiom, Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo: Jean Paul Pagny, Jean Bernard Bouvet, Romain Iannetta
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
Even the Vortex 2.0 of the brothers Arnaud and Olivier Gomez did not see the checkered flag.
First victory of the year for the GP Racing Team in the Porsche Cup category; the very solid Gabriel Péméant, Loïc Teire and Anthony Beltoise preceded the 2B Autosport 911/992 #14 of Karl and César Vandewoestyne and the #7 of Yann Penlou, Olivier and Romain Favre.
The BMW M4 GT4 from Espace Bienvenue won the UCS4 category. The Vortex 1.0 of Christophe Derouineau, Stéphane Gouverneur and Jimmy Luminier took the lead in UCS3.
In the battle between the UCS Light Class Alpines, the #19 Chazel Technologie Course A110 driven by Benoit Marion, Julien Bounie and Olivier Martinez got the better of the #110 of Guillaume Masset, Stéphane Lipp.
Departure
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
Ultimate GT Sprint Cup: Mercedes and Ferrari on the rise
As at the start of the season, the Ultimate GT Sprint Cup welcomed several manufacturers to Hockenheim and in Germany it was a local one that was the first to step onto the podium. At the wheel of his Mercedes AMG GT3, Amaury Bonduel (BDR Competition Grupo Prom) won the first race of the weekend hands down.
The next day, Ferraris returned to triumph, first with Lyle Schofield (SR&R) and then with Kévin Parsa (Racing Spirit of Léman). Bonduel completed his weekend with a second overall victory.
SR&R came close to a winning streak in the Cavallino Tridente Cup. The victory of the #91 Racing Spirit of Léman 488 in Race 3 deprived Manfredi Ravetto’s men of a poker, with Schofield and Lourenço Monteiro having won twice in this category reserved for Ferrari and Maserati.
#89 GP Racing Team, Porsche 992 Cup: Gabriel Péméant, Loïc Teire, Anthony Beltoise
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
In the Porsche Cup, the Vandewoestyne brothers celebrated again. With three victories at Paul Ricard, Karl witnessed the success of the youngest member of the family, César, for the first time. The eldest then used his speed to win Races 2 and 4.
Jérémy Faligand, who had shone in Portimão during the Troféu GTS, also savoured victory again in Race 3. The Spa Biz driver had the best possible reason to thank his team, which repaired the entire rear end of his 992 GT3 Cup after it went off the track at high speed during qualifying.
Alfredo Hernandez (BDR Competition Grupo Prom) and Eric Mouez (CMR) shared the victories in UCS2.
Jules Doncieux (DRIV’N) dominated the UCS Light category with four first places. Finally, the Audi R8 GT4 of Philippe Thalamy (Speedcar) won three times in UCS4. The Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin GT4 Vantage Evo driven by Baudouin Detout, won the final event.
Action on the track
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
Ultimate Formula Cup: Soldavini and Richer once again on the shields
Juan Francisco Soldavini (Art-Line Virage) and Enzo Richer (Formula Motorsport), both triumphant in Portimão in the second round of the championship, won again in Germany.
The Argentine was the first to shine. In qualifying, the Art-Line Virage driver took pole position. In Race 1, his pace allowed him to win in style.
On Saturday, Richer tried to answer him. In the rain, the Luxembourger tried to pass the race leader, but failed. With the exception of a crossing of trajectories at turn 2, Soldavini never gave up the lead to his rival.
Unfortunately, his weekend ended with a retirement in Race 3 due to a mechanical problem, forcing him to pit at the end of the first lap. Richer, who had taken the lead at the start, set an incredible pace to distance the second-placed Aubin Robert-Prince (Formula Motorsport).
The Formula Motorsport driver had no choice, having been handed a 30-second penalty for crossing the white line when exiting the pits. After a series of qualifying laps, he built up a 47-second lead to take his second win of the year, returning from Hockenheim with two podiums and a win.
Action on the track
Photo by: Ultimate Cup
In the Gentlemen category, Aubin Robert-Prince (Formula Motorsport) logically dominated with three wins. The Swiss shared the top 3 with Frédéric Boillot of Race Motorsport (2nd in Race 1 and Race 3, 3rd in Race 2).
Walter Rykart (Formula Motorsport) and Gilles Depierre (Rever’Team) also occupied the top positions on the podium.
In FR2.0, Arthur Aegerter (Lamo Racing) made a great start to win Race 1, but unfortunately, the young Frenchman made a mistake on a wet track in Race 2 that deprived him of victory in the final race of the weekend. Alain Bucher (Lamo Racing) won the category on Saturday.
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