Lukas Stiefelhagen tops official pre-season test at Gelleråsen
Gelleråsen Arena in Karlskoga, Sweden, played host to the official pre-season test for the 2025 NXT Gen Cup this past weekend. 18 drivers enjoyed extensive running across eight sessions, with Dutch driver Lukas Stiefelhagen setting the fastest lap of the test.
Under sunny spring skies, the two-day test not only marked the on-track start of the season but also gave drivers valuable time to work closely with their engineers and mechanics.
Stiefelhagen, who finished fourth in last year’s championship, wasted no time making his mark—topping the timesheets in the first three sessions on Saturday. Behind him, the battle for the top positions was fierce, with consistent pace from series newcomer Philipp Dietrich and returning drivers Alex Gustafsson and Patricija Stalidzane, among others.
Saturday concluded with Dietrich going fastest in the final session, setting the quickest time of the day.
Sunday brought similar warm and sunny conditions, and the story at the top remained largely the same—Stiefelhagen continued his dominant form by going fastest in all four sessions. However, the gaps between drivers began to shrink significantly, with the top 10 separated by less than a second in the eighth and final session, and the full field covered by just four seconds—an indication of how competitive the season is shaping up to be.
Several standout performances caught the eye. Germany’s Sean Terre, stepping into a race car for the very first time after honing his skills in the sim racing world, impressed by consistently running inside the top 10. Further down the order, 14-year-old Vera Jurland also made her car racing debut and focused on logging as many laps as possible—demonstrating remarkable maturity and composure well beyond her years.
Brothers Sid and Ringo Jensen filled in for two regular drivers and made the most of the opportunity. Both ran near the front throughout the test, with Sid Jensen clocking the second-fastest lap of the entire weekend.
All in all, the pre-season test was a major success, according to NXT Gen Cup founder Fredrik Lestrup:
“There are so many positives to take away from this weekend. We had two full days of running in perfect spring weather, and while Lukas Stiefelhagen clearly showed strong pace, what stood out was the depth of talent across the field. This was a crucial shakedown for both drivers and cars. With 18 cars on the grid and a unique mix of drivers across age and gender, we’re fully prepared—and very excited—for the season opener,” said Lestrup.
Official pre-season test results (Combined best times):
Lukas Stiefelhagen (NED) – 1:16.320
Sid Jensen (SWE) – 1:16.571
Philipp Dietrich (AUT) – 1:16.639
Alex Gustafsson (SWE) – 1:16.784
Patricija Stalidzane (LVA) – 1:16.813
Ringo Jensen (SWE) – 1:16.859
Maxim Dacher (GER) – 1:17.009
Sean Terre (GER) – 1:17.078
Siri Hökfelt (SWE) – 1:17.290
Lennart Wolf (GER) – 1:17.332
Bennet Ehrl (GER) – 1:17.511
Julian Würtele (GER) – 1:17.611
Benjamin Mazatis (GER) – 1:17.639
Linda Frey (LIE) – 1:17.889
Andreas Kapfinger (AUT) – 1:18.057
Theo Wieder (GER) – 1:18.168
Vera Jurland (SWE/DEN) – 1:19.291
Viviann Ehrl (GER) – 1:20.118
NXT Gen Cup races alongside DTM—kicking off a thrilling championship schedule at Oschersleben, 25–27 April. All races will be broadcast LIVE on YouTube.
2025 NXT Gen Cup Calendar
12-13 April - Official Test Days - Gelleråsen Arena - Sweden
25-27 April - Oschersleben - Germany
04-06 July - Norisring - Germany
08-10 August - Nürburgring - Germany
22-24 August - Sachsenring - Germany
19-20 September - Swedish Junior Championship - Mantorp Park - Sweden
About NXT Gen Cup
The NXT Gen Cup is the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup where young female and male drivers race the LRT NXT1, a fully electric race car based on the MINI Cooper SE road car - engineered and built by Lestrup Racing Team. The series races together with DTM and is organised through an “arrive and drive” concept, enabling the junior drivers to focus on driving and creating the foundation for a professional racing career.
About DTM
DTM is Europe’s premier and best-known racing series and celebrated its 40th birthday in 2024. As one of the most competitive racing series, DTM features seven prestigious brands in its anniversary season. The DTM has a German core, but a strong international fan base. Races are broadcasted live in 150 territories. The series is also a leader in sustainable motorsport. For the second season, all cars are powered by a sustainable fuel made of 50% renewable components. Not only the cars racing in DTM are in the centre of sustainable projects. For the events itself the ADAC as promoter of the DTM offers innovations like an initiative to reduce plastic waste and a digital carpool solution, which has been recognised and awarded by the FIA.