Lamborghini Super Trofeo showdown in UAE

Sport360 staff 00:35 27/12/2016
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  • Ready to launch

    Prepare for the sight and sound of a full grid of 620bhp, V10 Lamborghini race cars competing in the UAE for the first time next February when the Blancpain Super Trofeo one-make series makes its Gulf region debut in

    Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

    A field of up to 30 identically prepared Lamborghini Huracan-based race cars will take part in the first ever championship in the region and will add a fourth element to Lamborghini’s race series which is held across Europe, Asia and the United States.

    “For us, the Middle East is one of the most important markets in the supercar business. We have a high level of perception of the brand there and it’s a way for us to offer something back to the Middle East,” Lamborghini’s Director of Research and Development, Maurizio Reggiani told Sport360 when breaking the news at the final round of the 2016 Super Trofeo series in Valencia.

    As head of the company’s R&D, motorsport also comes under Reggiani’s umbrella as Lamborghini sees its involvement in motor racing intrinsically linked to the development of its road cars.

    Built on the same production line as the Huracan road cars, the Super Trofeo race cars feature the same 5.2-litre V10 engine but are tweaked to develop 620bhp and are driven through the rear wheels only. It weighs just 1270kg and runs through an Xtrac six-speed sequential transmission developed specifically for the race car.

    Reggiani said: “Motorsport is for us a way to transfer technology from the track to the road. It’s the development of the entire car, transferring our race experience in aerodynamics, cooling, braking and suspension set up so we can reach the more extreme levels of road car behaviour.”

    Super Trofeo is a huge marketing push by Lamborghini, offering owners and potential customers a glimpse into the world of the Italian supercar manufacturer with a strong corporate hospitality presence as well as access to drivers and company management in a relaxed environment.

    Given that the company will launch its first SUV, the Urus, in 2018 which will double Lamborghini’s capacity from 3,500 to 7,000 units annually at a new wing being added to the existing Sant’Agata factory in Italy, the importance of the Gulf region has taken a significant upswing in management’s eyes.

    “Super Trofeo racing is part of our plan to keep Lamborghini growing worldwide and when it comes to this, the Middle East is one of the most important markets for the Urus SUV.

    “It is a car that will be perfect for that territory and the awareness of this brand must be pushed. So at every event we hold, there will be a chance for a driving experience and exposure for the Urus as well. This is not just for a motor show but for the surroundings like a race track where everyone is a potential customer,” Reggiani added.

    The company’s Head of Motorsport, Giorgio Sanna said the Super Trofeo series is aimed to bridge the gap between track days and professional motor racing while at the same time, perhaps find the next LeMans or Dubai 24-Hour winner.

    graphic

    “We began the Squadra Corse programme in 2013 and felt it was the right time to develop a motorsport department. We have the Lamborghini Academy which has a series of track days, then the Super Trofeo racing series and at the top of the tree is GT3. So we have a ladder which can take a novice Lamborghini road car owner to the highest levels of racing,” Sanna said.

    Before that, the Super Trofeo series stood on its own, having begun as a European championship in 2009 with the Gallardo which expanded into the Asia Pacific in 2012 and last year went across the Atlantic to North America.

    In 2009, it fielded a grid of 12 cars which has now grown to more than 50 for the European rounds, so the company is hopeful of a strong grid for the first round at the Yas Marina Circuit from February 9-11.

    From there, the series will move to the Dubai Autodrome for rounds two and three on February 16-18 and March 2-4. Richard Birch, General Manager of Dubai Autodrome is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Italian racing machines to his facility.

    “I think this is great not only for the Dubai Autodrome but for motorsport in the UAE. In recent years we’ve added such great categories to our calendar like the Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East, the MRF open wheel series, the Formula 4 UAE championship and of course the Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai which is a world renowned race in its own right,” Birch said.

    “We welcome the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series to the UAE and we are proud to be holding two of the three events set aside for this region, in Dubai,” he added.

    From a driver’s perspective, the chance to race Super Trofeo in the UAE can’t come soon enough. Konrad Motorsport driver Christopher Zoechling finished his debut year in Super Trofeo in fifth place and as a Dubai resident who won the UAE Rotax Max karting championship in 2004, he’s excited at the prospect of racing again at home.

    “It will be very exciting racing in Dubai with two drivers per car plus one mandatory pitstop to be taken during a 10 minute pit window, strategy will be key to winning,” Zoechling said.

    “It should be a huge grid and both tracks are fantastic. I know them both very well so it’s definitely something I’m going to look forward to.”

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