The anticipation was high, but the opening weekend of the 100% electric NXT Gen Cup was a resounding success. After intense preparation, a total of 18 identical cars lined up at the start during the weekend of July 8-9. The young participants, aged 14 to 24, qualified within one second of each other on Saturday afternoon. The two sprint races were incredibly exciting: despite the narrow track at Falkenberg in Sweden, the competitors fought for every inch and, in some cases, raced three abreast on the course.
After meticulous preparation by the Swedish crew of Lestrup Racing Team and its partners, the NXT Gen Cup officially kicked off during the weekend of July 8-9. Most of the participants had already completed two test days in the electric cars back in June. It was evident then that the cars were perfectly matched and reliable. During the practice session at Falkenberg, the 18 young drivers were able to adapt to the car and test the Push-to-Pass feature. Bas Koeten stated, “First and foremost, a big compliment to the developers of this series: they have put in a tremendous amount of work in recent years. They have managed to create a competitive field, a well-organized event, and a beautiful paddock. Many eyes were on this debut race, and they have definitely lived up to the high expectations. This leaves us wanting more.”
“His debut was undoubtedly successful”
One Dutch participant was present in the field of competitors: Greaham Hofmans from Spaarndam. In the past few years, he has been active in karting and has spent the last two years racing in an electric kart. For Hofmans, this was his first venture into car racing after receiving training in the Netherlands to compete on the circuit. Jelle Koeten stated, “Greaham is the youngest member of our driver lineup. Over the past few months, we have provided him with the same guidance that all of our young drivers receive. We conducted simulator tests with him, and he joined us for various events where we raced our BMW M2s and Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup cars. He also had the opportunity to drive with a coach on the circuit. Additionally, this spring, Greaham participated in a test day with an electric F4 car from ERA Racing School at Circuit Zolder. Finally, the time came at Falkenberg: the start of the NXT Gen Cup, and Greaham performed flawlessly. There is still plenty to learn, but his debut was undoubtedly a success.”
“We are part of something special!”
Greaham Hofmans: “On Saturday afternoon, I qualified in P16, 1.007 seconds behind the leader. There is room for improvement, but I followed the wise advice of my mentors: not taking unnecessary risks, enjoying myself, and putting on a great racing show together. The tension was definitely palpable among the participants; we knew we were part of something special. In the first race, I had the most overtakes of the race and finished in P12. Race 2 was also intense close-racing: at one point, I had to avoid someone who overshot turn 1, which cost me two positions. Nevertheless, I managed to finish in P13. The Push-to-Pass feature is really cool; you have to choose your moment to use it to your advantage. It creates exciting moments in a race, both for the drivers and the audience.”
The next event will take place on July 28-29 during the ADAC Racing Weekend at the German circuit of Oschersleben. One week later, the series will move to the Nürburgring, where it will be included in the program of the prestigious DTM alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, ADAC GT4, and DTM BMW M2 Cup.