After almost two months of Summer Break, the ELMS was back on the weekend of August 28, 2022 at the Barcelona circuit while the IMSA Prototype Challenge was back at the Virginia circuit.
EUROPEAN LE MANS SERIES
In the absence of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, DUQUEINE Automotive had only one car in Barcelona, the #4 of DKR Engineering. As of the collective tests and the free tests, DKR and our D08 were in the forefront. At the time of the qualification, the #4 is placed 5th of LMP3 on the starting grid.
Sunday, 11:45 am, the lights pass to the green. The DKR is in the middle of a agitated pack and avoids the collisions of the first lap. Follows very good relays on behalf of the 3 drivers allowing the DUQUEINE D08 to go up 2nd with 1h00 of the end. DKR will not let go its position and will even take back time to the leader. DUQUEINE D08 #4 will cross the line in 2nd position. That marks the return of DUQUEINE Automotive on the ELMS' podiums.
IMSA PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE
Back after two months of absence in IPC, our DUQUEINE D08 have been performing well since the free practices. For this round, 5 D08 were entered.
The #23 of JDC showed from the beginning that it would fight for the podium. 3rd and then 1st in free practices, Memo GIDLEY and Alexander KOREIBA qualified their DUQUEINE D08 in 3rd position just ahead of the second JDC car. The AWA team in the Bronze Cup qualified 10th overall.
Sunday, 8:40 a.m. local time, the field of 16 LMP3s set off. JDC and the #23 quickly moved up to second. On the restart of the last full race yellow, Koreiba, was handicapped by six cars trailing between him and the race lead. Fighting for position with the 4th car at the entrance to turn 1, the two cars touched each other, but fortunately, the #23 D08 escaped unscathed and kept its position and even managed to regain 2nd place on the last lap.
In bronze cup, Anthony Mantella, driving the #17 started 5th of his class and made an excellent race and managed to get back to 3rd of Bronze Cup and 9th of the general.
At the end of the 90 minute race, DUQUEINE Automotive had 4 of its 5 cars in the Top 10:
2nd: JDC #23
7th : FortySeven
9th : AWA
10th : JDC #40
11th : CT Motorsport
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