Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America competitors travel west to California

The scenic 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California, normally plays host to the season opening race for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America teams and drivers. The 2017 season brings a complete role reversal, with the winding road course near the central coast of California displaying the checkered flag for the last round of competition on U.S. soil Sept. 21-24.

Rounds 9 and 10 will showcase the fourth visit to the historic track in just five seasons of North American competition and kicks off the transition overseas to the final two rounds of series competition Nov. 17-18 in Imola, Italy, followed immediately by the World Final, where the Super Trofeo North America, Europe and Asia series competitors will converge to battle for the right to be named a world champion.

Laguna Seca is a competitor favorite, showcasing the agility of the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo on the 11-turn circuit that boasts the famous plunging “Corkscrew” complex with a significant elevation change. The series competitors will enjoy two 50-minute races at Laguna Seca. Race 1 is scheduled to start at 10:20 a.m. (PT) Saturday, Sept. 23. Race 2 will start at 11:25 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24. One practice will take place Thursday, with a second session Friday morning followed a double qualifying session that afternoon at 4:10 p.m.

Racing in the series is divided into separate podiums, recognizing the breadth of talent in the Super Trofeo field. After each race, there is a podium for the top three finishers overall and the Pro, Pro-Am, Amateur (Am) and Lamborghini Cup divisions. The championship provides exciting action for professional and aspiring professional drivers alike.

The North American series has become an important rung of the Lamborghini racing ladder, propelling teams and drivers into some of the most competitive and prestigious racing series worldwide. And as the season winds closer to its completion, the battles for class championships are escalating. The duo of Trent Hindman and Riccardo Agostini of Prestige Performance representing Lamborghini Paramus have a tenuous hold on the Pro Championship with 104 points as a result of four wins and three second-place finishes to their credit this season. They have only finished off the podium once in eight rounds of competition.

However, only 11 points behind in the Pro category is the No. 16 powerhouse of Richard Antinucci of Change Racing for Lamborghini Carolinas. A veteran of the series, Antinucci has amassed three victories and six podium finishes to his credit this year. Ashley Freiburg, in the No. 30 entry for DAC Motorsports and Lamborghini Palm Beach has blazed a trail this season in Lamborghini competition. Freiberg made history earlier this season at Watkins Glen International, becoming the first woman to stand on the overall podium of any of Lamborghini’s worldwide Super Trofeo series and is only 29 points behind Antinucci.

In Pro-Am competition, the top three in competition are separated by only 23 points, elevating competitive spirit and keeping the battles tight on track. The combination of Edoardo Piscopo and Taylor Proto, who share the No. 50 entry for US RaceTronics representing Lamborghini Beverly Hills have the points lead entering the weekend, but much like the Pro category, young Austin Versteeg is trailing only 11 points behind and is fresh off two victories at VIRginia International Raceway in his No. 7 entry for DXDT Racing and Lamborghini Dallas.

And if the points were not tight enough in the Pro and Pro-Am categories, the Amateur (Am) division is an all-out war with only seven points separating the top three in contention. Series newcomer Yuki Harata has had an impressive first season in North American competition and has only finished off the class podium once and has collected three victories in his No. 55 entry for Dream Racing Motorsport and Lamborghini Las Vegas. He leads Emmanuel Anassis in the No. 18 DAC Motorsports entry of Lamborghini Palm Beach by only four points however, so his results at Mazda Raceway will be crucial to the championship outcome.

And only three points behind Anassis is the No. 17 entry of Brian Thienes with US RaceTronics representing Lamborghini Beverly Hills. Thienes has had an extraordinarily consistent season thus far, with seven podium finishes and two early victories this year at Circuit of The Americas and Watkins Glen International. Rejoining the Amateur field at Mazda Raceway will be the duo of Pippa Mann and Shea Holbrook running for Prestige Performance and Lamborghini Paramus. The two first joined forces at Road America and finished just off the class podium in their first effort in series competition. The combination of open-wheel and sports car race craft makes these two ladies formidable series contenders.

In only its second full season of competition, the LB Cup Championship is designed to provide an optimal environment for drivers who are new to professional racing. P1 Motorsports’ JC Perez has been the dominant contender this season in his No. 71 entry for Lamborghini Palm Beach. The Florida-based driver has not finished less than second place in all rounds of competition this year with four wins to his series standings.

He leads the No. 2 entry of Ryan Hardwick for Dream Racing Motorsport and Lamborghini Atlanta by only 18 points however, ensuring that the championship hopes will come down to the wire as the series heads overseas. Tape-delayed coverage of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will air on the CBS Sports Network Oct. 15, 2017, at 3 p.m. ET. Lamborghini Super Trofeo races will be live-streamed on the following platforms: squadracorse.lamborghini.com, motortrendondemand.com and Internationally on imsa.tv and radiolemans.com. Tape-delayed coverage of each event will air on CBS Sports Network in prime time. The coverage will feature live commentary on both the broadcast and live streams.

The Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo adopts the V10 direct injection engine mounted on the road car, managed by a MoTeC control unit that delivers a maximum output of 620 horsepower. The frame is a hybrid carbon/aluminum construction with modified geometries to house an improved radiator up front and better accommodate the racing gearbox at the rear, which also provides better aerodynamics. Lamborghini and its dealers entertain VIP guests at every Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America event in the Lamborghini Village, which features lavish hospitality and amenities.