Laguna Seca Weekend Notebook

Photo: Jamey Price/Lamborghini

***ANSA Motorsports has returned after COVID-related issues forced Nelson Piquet Jr. and Sergio Jimenez out of the most recent Road America round. It has resulted in a return to nine cars in the Pro class.

***Richard Antinucci is back to racing solo following his crash in practice that resulted in him getting drafted into Dream Racing Motorsports’ sister No. 22 car of Dario Capitanio.

***O’Gara Motorsport/US RaceTronics has expanded back into a four-car team for its home event, with Ofir Levy and Patrick Liddy teaming up in a Pro-Am class entry and Mel Johnson making his return in LB Cup.

***Laguna Seca marks the final North American appearance of the championship this season prior to Rounds 11 and 12, which will be contested at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on Oct. 28-29 prior to the World Final on Oct. 30-31 at the Italian circuit.

***Max Weering and Loris Spinelli are coming off a sweep of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe event at the Nürburgring last weekend, having teamed up in a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo entered by Johan Kraan Motorsports.

***Both drivers are at the wheel of separate entries in North America competition, with Weering in a Pro class MCR racing entry and Spinelli teaming up with Claude Senhoreti in the Pro-Am class No. 51 Taurino Racing entry.

***Alan Metni admitted to Sportscar365 that he will likely lose his Am class championship lead following the weekend, with the Kelly-Moss Road & Race driver scheduled to miss Race 2 on Sunday due to his Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by The Cayman Island commitments at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

***Metni, who currently leads the standings in both single-make championships, has elected to take part in Saturday’s opening Super Trofeo race before taking an overnight flight to Indy to compete in Race 2 and 3 of the weekend at the Brickyard. He currently holds a three-point lead over Luke Berkeley heading into the Super Trofeo weekend.

***Metni is the only driver to attempt full seasons of both the IMSA-sanctioned Super Trofeo and Carrera Cup series. “Quite frankly, I hope more people will be doing it,” he said on the potent It’s been a lot of fun and really rewarding for me.”  

***As part of a cross-series arrangement with the fellow IMSA-sanctioned single-make championship, Metni will score last place class finishing points in the Carrera Cup/Super Trofeo races he will miss this weekend as a result of the clashing events.

***Ashton Harrison recently turned her first laps of Indianapolis as part of the HPD GT3 Driver Academy that completed its third round last week. The Wayne Taylor Racing driver has been working with current IMSA DPi points leader Ricky Taylor in the coaching process as she expands her horizons beyond Super Trofeo machinery.

***Watch the first Super Trofeo race of the weekend today at 5:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on Lamborghini.com, Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold and IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio’s Brian Till and Jeremey Shaw will provide commentary. Race 2 gets underway Sunday at 1:35 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