Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo; A Real Bull Fight in Monterey

The 2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo cars during practice at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Photo Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo; A Real Bull Fight in Monterey
By: Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images 

A few weeks ago, Monterey, California experienced a real bull fight. Not in an arena nor on the streets of that fabled city, but in the oak and grass covered hills of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo started its 2015 North American season with the first two rounds on May 2nd and 3rd.

This is the third season for the North American event which is also held in Europe and Asia . The 2015 season features twelve rounds at six circuits with the finale being in October at Sebring International Raceway. The series is divided into two classes of cars; the 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo and, new this year, the Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo. Within the Huracan Class there are Professional, Professional-Amateur, and Amateur drivers. The Gallado Class only has Pro-AM and Amateur. Each day of racing consists of both classes being on the track at the same time for a 50-minute sprint race.

Up to this year, the 2013 Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo was the only model competing.  This car has a V10 motor making an impressive 570-horsepower. Other features found on the four-wheel-drive Gallardo Super Trofeo, aside from the mandatory safety adaptions,  include a paddle-shift E-gear transmission, Ohlins race shocks, Brembo brakes, a carbon fiber aerodynamic package that includes a rear wing with ten adjustable positions, MTA data acquisition, air jacks, and center wheel locks.

The Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo adopts the standard V10 Direct Injection engine with a Motec control unit that delivers a maximum of 620-horsepower. The frame is a hybrid carbon/aluminum construction with modifications to allow a larger radiator up front that allows for the racing gearbox at the rear and also making the car more aerodynamic. One of the major differences between the two cars is that the Huracan is two-wheel drive.

Richard Antinucci was the hard charger on both days setting qualifying lap records of 1:23:860 (96.074 mph avg.) on Saturday and 1:23:527 (96.457 mph avg.) on Sunday.

Richard Antinucci in the PRO Class and Overall Winning #50 O'Gara Motorsport Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Saturdays race was highly contested and may have ended differently if an incident in the corkscrew complex with 6-minutes remaining had not caused a full-course caution that effectively ended the race. Richard Antinucci was able to take the overall and  Pro honors in his #50 O'Gara Motorsport Huracan, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli  in the #07 STR car was first in the Pro-Am class, and the father/son team of Jim and Josh Norman took the Amateur Class win.

Cedric Sbirrazzuoli in the #07 STR PRO-AM winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The father/son team of Jim and Josh Norman in the #71 BAD Lambo Racing (Park Place) AMATEUR winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan heading to Turn 9 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

In the Gallardo Class Dylan Murcott took top honors in the #84 Mitchum Motorsports car being the highest placed Pro-Am driver and Bryan Hixon in the #23 Mitchum Motorsports car was the highest placed Amateur..

Bryan Hixon was the highest placed AMATEUR driving the #23 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Dylan Murcott in the Class winning #84 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Sundays race started under a partly cloudy sky that turned into full sun with cooler temps than on Saturday.
This race was highly contested between Antinucci and Sbirrazzuoli. Antinucci was forced to do a drive through penalty due to a short pit stop which dropped him from first to fourth place.  He was able to pass both the third and fourth place cars in one pass placing him second behind Sbirrazzuoli.  The race ended with just 0.0436 seconds separating the two. Being in only his second Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Sbirrazzuoli was very happy with his overall victory and his second Pro-Am win in two days. Sundays results were; Cedric Spirrazzuoli first overall and first in Pro-Am in the #07 STR car followed by Pro driver Richard Antinucci in the #50 O'Gara Motorsports entry with Ryan Ockey being the top placed Amateur driving the #89 O'Gara Motorsport entry.

Ryan Ockey in the #89 O'Gara Motorsport AMATEUR Class winning Lamborghini  LP 620-2 Huracan as he exists the corcscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Thomas Pichler was the top finisher in the #63 STR Gallado with Brandon Gdovic in the #46 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado  taking the highest place for an Ameteur.

Brandon Gdovic was the highest placed AMATEUR driving the #46 Mitchum Motorsports Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Thomas Pichler  in the Class winning #63 STR Gallado at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Image Credit: 2015 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

For those interested in following this series, races three and four will be at Watkins Glen on June 27 and 28th.


TAGS: Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, Gallado, Huracan, LP 570-4, LP 620-2