Laguna Seca Super Trofeo Notebook

Photo: Jamey Price/Lamborghini

***A total of 32 cars are set for this weekend’s pair of Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, following the consolidation of Valkyrie Velocity’s three entries into two cars for the season opening races.

***It is the first year in Super Trofeo history that there will be more than 100 cars competing worldwide, when factoring in the grids for the Asia (20 cars) and Europe (49 cars) single-make series. Super Trofeo Asia kicked off its season last weekend in Sepang, with the Europe season beginning at Paul Ricard early next month.

***Swedish open-wheel rising star Lucas Petersson has been confirmed as Giano Taurino’s co-driver in the No. 88 TR3 Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 in the Pro class, which now sees a total of five entries this weekend due to Nate Stacy moving to the top category.

***Stacy, a former IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class champion, is one of more than 30 drivers that are set for their Super Trofeo debuts. Three of Pro class entries, meanwhile, are entered by Wayne Taylor Racing by Andretti Autosport.

***While racing solo this weekend, Sportscar365 understands that Stacy is likely to share his car with a yet-to-be-announced co-driver beginning with next month’s Rounds 3 and 4 at Watkins Glen International.

***The No. 20 NTE Sport Lamborghini has seen the late confirmation of Keawn Tandon and Shehan Chandrasoma as drivers for this weekend as part of the team’s two-car operation that sees Fred Roberts in the LB Cup class.

***While Super Trofeo stalwarts Dream Racing is not on the grid, the series has welcomed two new teams in World Speed and Valkyrie Velocity this year. Sportscar365 understands that an additional new team could join the series later this season.

***Aside from the switch to Hankook tires, there are no other technical changes to the Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, which is in its second season of competition.

***Automobili Lamborghini America motorsport senior manager Chris Ward  told Sportscar365 that new EVO2s are sold out until the end of the year, although it’s understood that previous-generation Evo specification cars can still be upgraded to EVO2 if desired.

***A change in the global Super Trofeo sporting regulations sees drivers in the Pro class limited to a maximum of three seasons. While it’s understood to not have taken anyone out of the Pro class in North America this year, Loris Spinelli has switched to the Pro-Am category of Super Trofeo Europe as a result of the change.

***Defending Pro champions Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal, meanwhile, are entering their third season in the top class. The duo’s No. 1 Lamborghini is sporting a new red livery with backing from Harrison Contracting Co. and Lamborghini Palm Beach.

***Marcelli and Formal are taking part in this year’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races with Super Trofeo graduate Ashton Harrison in a Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Andretti Acura NSX GT3 Evo22, with an eye of potentially moving full-time into GTD competition next year.

***While the majority of the drivers are new to the Hankook Ventus Race tire, Formal has previous experience racing on a similar version of the tire in TA2 competition in his native Costa Rica from 2016-18.

***Formal told Sportscar365: “It’s a cool little advantage there. Obviously the TA2 that I drove was 380 horsepower, no traction control and with a H-pattern [gearbox]. But I have some experience [with the tire] that has helped in working with the engineers and giving my input from when I raced back then.”

***Round 1 is set to get underway at 2:20 p.m. PT (5:20 p.m. ET) with live coverage available on Peacock and IMSA.tv with commentary from IMSA Radio. The second 50-minute race of the weekend gets underway Sunday at 9:40 a.m. PT (12:40 p.m. ET).

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