Photos: K-PAX Racing
Lamborghini factory drivers Andrea Caldarelli and Giovanni Venturini have been named to K-PAX Racing’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS effort for the 2021 season, alongside ex-Bentley works driver Jordan Pepper and Lamborghini junior Corey Lewis.
The four-driver squad will lead the California-based team’s full-season return to GTWC America competition with a pair of Pro class Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evos.
Caldarelli, the 2019 GTWC Europe champion, will pair with Pepper in the No. 3 Lamborghini, with Venturini and Lewis in the No. 6 entry for the full seven-round championship that kicks off at Sonoma Raceway in March.
“We are all very excited about the potential this season,” said program manager Darren Law. “All four drivers are of championship caliber and have the credentials to prove it.
“Having three factory Lamborghini drivers will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program and I have no doubt Jordan will be up to speed quickly. This past season he did a phenomenal job, He is very talented, he is fast and also has great racecraft.
“He proved to us this year that he is the right driver for this program. We are all looking forward to testing and getting the race season started.”
South African Pepper, who drove with the team in GTWC Europe competition last year, will be making his debut behind the wheel of a Lamborghini following the conclusion of Bentley’s factory involvement in GT3 racing.
“When the opportunity came up that K-PAX Racing was going to switch to Lamborghini, Darren asked me if I wanted to join the team and drive – something I could not say ‘no’ to,” he said.
“Jim [Haughey]’s team is one of the best teams I’ve ever had the privilege of driving for.
“It was a tough first year, but I really enjoyed myself in 2020. This was a partnership that I did not want to let go, and it was something I wanted to continue. When the chance was there for 2021 and beyond, it was something I could not miss.”
Lamborghini star Caldarelli, who serves as team principal at FFF Racing Team, is expected to pull double-duty between the American and European series this year.
“It is going to be an amazing experience for me to race with such a high-level team,” he said.
“It will be very exciting, but we will have a lot to learn. At the same time, we will definitely deliver great results. I will try my absolute best to offer all my knowledge about the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, in hopes that we can win this championship.”
Venturini, meanwhile, is entering his sixth season as a factory driver and is a former champion in International GT Open.
“It’s my first time in America but I’m sure with the help of my teammate Corey who has a lot of experience in all of these circuits I’m sure will be quite easy to learn everything,” said the Italian. “The team is ready and I’m sure will be a successful season.”
While also new to the series, Lewis holds the most experience in North America, with the 29-year-old Pennsylvanian having been a part of Lamborghini’s success in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, winning last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Michelin Endurance Cup title with Paul Miller Racing.
“I’ve worked very closely with Andrea and winning the 24 Hours of Daytona with him last season, he’s been great to work with,” said Lewis.
“I’m looking forward to working with K-PAX Racing, and having worked with Andrea in the past and also having Venturini, it will speed up the new car process and dial things in quickly. All-around, it’s one of the better line-ups we could have.
Seeing the developmental process from the first-generation Huracan GT3 Evo, the driveability and technology have been night-and-day.
“Every year we continue, as a brand, increasing performance. I think through the accolades and the race results we’ve shown, the Huracan is a very strong car. Moving forward, I feel we will be very dominant.”
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