Antinucci Dominates Race 1 in Valencia

Photo: Lamborghini

Richard Antinucci has scored a dominant win in Friday’s penultimate round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America series season in Valencia.

Antinucci took the No. 116 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo to a 39.765-second victory over the Pro-Am class-winning No. 146 DAC Motorsports entry of Brandon Gdovic in a distant second.

It came after a late-race incident for Shinya Michimi, who fell from second to fifth but charged back up to third at the checkered flag to take the final step on the overall podium.

Antinucci, in his first Pro class start of the year, took over the lead following the mid-race pit stops, after Patrick Kujala handed over the pole-sitting No. 117 US Racetronics car to Am driver Brian Thienes.

Reigning Lamborghini World Final champion Kujala, pulling double-duty this weekend between the North American and Europe series, held a six-second lead in the Pro-Am class entry prior to pitting at the 25-minute mark.

Thienes faded to 5th in the end after an off-course excursion and a 1.410-second post-race time penalty added to the car for not meeting the minimum pit stop time.

“At the end of the day, I’d say it was a controlling first stint, managing and then cruising in the second stint,” Antinucci told Sportscar365.

“We have a bit of a view towards the World Final, so we’re trying to prepare as best as we can to be sharp by then.

“A big thanks to Change Racing for having me out here. I’m having a blast and it’s a great start.”

The No. 110 Prestige Lamborghini of Trent Hindman and Craig Duerson came home fourth overall and second in Pro-Am, following an impressive opening stint by Hindman, who charged from 7th to 3rd.

Luis Rodriguez Jr. made it a double victory for Change, taking top honors in the Am class with a 7th place overall finish in the No. 129 entry.

The No. 103 DXDT Racing Lamborghini of Ross Chouest, meanwhile, picked up the class win in Lamborghini Cup, in 14th overall.

Toshiyuki Ochiai and Afiq Yazid claimed top honors out of the Super Trofeo Asia contingent, which ran alongside the North America series in a combined race.

The No. 212 Aran Racing entry finished 6th overall and first in Asia Pro-Am.

The 12th and final round of the Super Trofeo North America and Asia series gets underway today at 1:35 p.m. local time (7:35 a.m. ET)

RESULTS: Round 11 (North America/Asia)

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John