Marcelli, Formal Claim Season Opener Win for Prestige, WTR

Photo: Jamey Price/Lamborghini

Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal have claimed victory in the opening Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race of the season Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Marcelli took his No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 to the win over the No. 50 O’Gara Motorsport/Change Racing/USRT entry of Eduardo Piscopo in the 50-minute contest.

It came amid a race-ending full course caution for the No. 45 TR3 Racing Lamborghini of Caesar Bacarella, who got stuck in the Turn 5 gravel trap after contact with the No. 3 WTR entry of Randy Sellari while battling for second in the Am class.

While starting on the outside front row, Formal jumped into an early lead ahead of pole-sitter Patrick Kujala and extended his margin over the Arrow-sponsored Lamborghini until the mid-race pit stops.

Marcelli held a 7.5-second lead over Piscopo prior to the race’s first yellow for the No. 54 Dream Racing entry of Jason Keats, who beached his LB Cup entry in the Turn 2 gravel.

The race restarted with 9 minutes and 30 minutes left on the clock and saw Marcelli maintain his advantage over Piscopo until the second yellow that led to the checkered flag.

The No. 27 Dream Racing Lamborghini of Eduardo Liberati completed the overall and Pro class podium in third followed by the No. 88 Taurino Racing by D Motorsports pairing of Loris Spinelli and Giano Taurino in fourth.

Ashton Harrison and Tom Long picked up Pro-Am class honors in their No. 25 WTR Lamborghini, with Harrison propelling the entry to an impressive fifth place overall finish.

Precision Performance Motorsports’ David Staab and Nikko Reger took top honors in the Am class following a late-race pass by Reger on Sellari, while the win in LB Cup went to the No. 9 TPC Racing pairing of Wesley Slimp and Tyler Hoffman.

The second race of the weekend gets underway Sunday at 9:40 a.m. PT (12:40 p.m. ET).

RESULTS: Race 1

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