Haupt Racing Team unveils new partner team in karting

The Haupt Racing Team and the Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team are joining forces. The aim of the partnership is to actively support talented drivers whilst they are still competing in karting, to ease the transition from karting to motor racing, and to open up long-term prospects in professional GT racing. The Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team offers ideal starting opportunities for this with its own karting circuit in Mülsen. HRT complements this foundation with its international GT expertise, which extends right up to the top tier of the DTM.

Supporting young drivers has always been a central part of HRT’s philosophy. With comprehensive engineering support and personalised performance coaching, the team from Drees supports up-and-coming talent both on the racetrack and during the off-season. The new partnership with the Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team fits seamlessly into HRT’s development programme and is aligned with the ADAC’s ‘Road to DTM’ programme as well as the youth development work of the ADAC Sport Foundation. As an official partner team of Motorsport Team Germany – the joint junior driver development project run by the ADAC Sport Foundation and the DMSB – HRT aims to systematically support promising young talents throughout their careers. Together, this creates a continuous development pathway stretching from karting through the various GT classes right up to the DTM.

One successful example of this support is DTM rookie Finn Wiebelhaus: following his career in karting, he won the drivers’ championship in the ADAC GT Masters and the Road to DTM classification in 2025, driving HRT’s Ford Mustang GT3. In 2026, the 20-year-old will compete for HRT Ford Racing in the DTM and, as a development driver for the ADAC Sport Foundation, exemplifies a successful rise to professional GT racing.

The Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team also brings excellent credentials to the partnership. Team principal and coach Niels Tröger, the 2023 Kart World Cup winner, shares his international experience with the young drivers on a daily basis. In 2024 and 2025, Tröger also competed in the ADAC GT4 Germany series as part of the DTM. He is supported by Fabian Kreim as technical director. The former works rally driver combines his experience from professional motorsport with in-depth technical expertise, thereby rounding off the team’s training structure.

The partnership will be on display for the first time at the mid-season round of the German Karting Championship from 17 to 19 July in Ampfing. Here, Ford works drivers Arjun Maini and David Schumacher will make a guest appearance in a kart (OK-N class). Maini currently competes for HRT Ford Racing in the DTM as well as in other top series. Schumacher was runner-up in the German Karting Championship in 2017. Both know the path from karting to GT racing from their own experience and will be sharing valuable insights with the young drivers on site.

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Niels Tröger, Team Principal of the Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team: “We want not only to offer our drivers the best possible conditions in karting, but also to show them concrete prospects for the next step in their careers. With HRT, we have a partner at our side who operates at the very highest level in GT racing and knows exactly what is important when it comes to developing young talent. This is a great opportunity for our young drivers.”

Ulrich Fritz, Managing Director of Haupt Racing Team: “Sustainable support for young talent begins in karting. If you want to successfully develop young talent, you need a professional environment and a clear path for the next steps in their careers. That is exactly what the Arena E Sachsenring Junior Team offers. With its infrastructure, its own racetrack and high sporting standards, the team creates the ideal conditions. We look forward to contributing our experience and working together to support young drivers on their path into professional motorsport.”