Sports Prototype Cup and LPC Championship to create a full year of action
Press Release: 19 August 2022
A partnership to expand international lightweight prototype racing
Summer and winter races scheduled across Europe
The Sports Prototype Cup has announced a collaboration with the new Iberian-based Light Prototype Cars (LPC) Championship . The two series will operate a similar ‘race within a race’ concept with different manufacturers promoting their own series under the overall umbrella of each Cup.
Next year, the Sports Prototype Cup plans to have a similar UK and Northern European focused ‘summer’ calendar to 2022, which included Zandvoort, Donington, Silverstone and Spa. The new Light Prototype Cup will include races at major Spanish and Portuguese circuits from December to March.
The Sports Prototype Cup, which is owned by the PitBox91 marketing agency, enters its fifth season in 2023, having supported major events such as two Formula One Grand Prix and the FIA World Endurance Championship. For 2023, the focus will be on racing at premium venues but sharing grids with other championships to maximise the track time and value for money for competitors, as Series Director James Bailey explained: “At Spa Francorchamps last month there were 26 prototypes on the grid, but sharing with the GT cars from the Supercar Challenge created a 50-car field, perfect for a venue as big as Spa. We believe collaboration is the way forward to offer more competitive mileage for drivers of prototypes. A diverse grid creates a mini-Le Mans feel.”
The Sports Prototype Cup will continue to have ‘races within the race’ for the Revolution A-One and Radical models, and is open to adding other manufacturer classes subject to five or more entrants from the same marque entering. “We are in discussions with other manufacturers who are interested in our concept, but we also have the opportunity to add an open class at selected rounds for cars that are compatible with our manufacturer classes” added Bailey.
The new LPC Championship is promoted by SPV Racing and Circuito do Sol, the experienced sportscar team and racing car dealer, led by CEO Raul Garcia, who commented: “Our December to March calendar on premium circuits such as Portimao, Estoril, Jerez, Valencia, Navarra, and Barcelona–Catalonia is a perfect complement to Sports Prototype Cup’s summer season on Northern European circuits. The LPC Championship will also have Revolution and Radical classes. as well as Ligier and KTM categories. We are also running a club - entry level series Nevada LPC Cup starting with the inaugural race at our race track in Portugal, Circuito do Sol, Europe’s newest motorsport venue and its more than just a racetrack - it is Europe’s first true Motorsport Resort Community.”
The two Cups will operate independently, but to launch the new partnership they will share a grid at Portimao on December 12/13. This event will have at least two hours of testing followed by a competitive day of action with qualifying and two forty minute races.