K-PAX Under “More Pressure” in Spa Return With Lamborghini

Photo: Xynamic

K-PAX Racing is aware of the pressure heading into this weekend’s TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa as one of Lamborghini’s top teams according to Jordan Pepper and team strategist Thomas Blam.

The American squad is making its second start in the Belgian endurance classic, although first with a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, following its full season Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup campaign with Bentley in 2020.

Since switching to the Italian manufacturer for its North American return, K-PAX won the 2021 GTWC America Pro class title with Pepper and Andrea Caldarelli, with the team currently leading this year’s points standings.

This weekend marks Pepper’s return to the Pro class at Spa since 2020 when he was part of K-PAX’s Bentley Continental GT3 program.

“We had a great first showing,” Pepper told Sportscar365.

“The way this race goes is that every detail matters. That race was especially down to weather management. Unfortunately we had two wrong calls, which could have been two right calls.

“If it went our way we would have won. If it didn’t go our way — which happened — we finished P10.

“As K-PAX we showed a great showing on our debut but the return now feels… There’s more pressure but I think more optimism for a great result.

“Obviously Lamborghini every year has been up front, delivering in the past times with FFF and before that with Grasser. Now to drive with two factory drivers here is really special.”

Teamed with Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli, Pepper said he feels they have one of the strongest lineups in the 66-car field as Lamborghini seeks its elusive first 24 Hours of Spa win after coming up short on previous occasions.

“I’ve come so close many years in having great lineups and great opportunities to go for victories,” Pepper said.

“2018 was obviously the closest one. We were battling for the lead up until the final hours when a stone went through our radiator and ended our race.

“That’s the thing with these endurance races. They’re all unknown and they are 24 hours for a reason. You have to be leading at the 24th hour when the flag gets waved.

“I think we have the potential here.

“For myself, it’s probably one of the strongest years, obviously going back to my M-Sport and K-PAX factory Bentley days when we were always in the running.

“In 2018 and 2020 we had a shot at it. I think now finally again to know that we have a legitimate, realistic chance of a win. Everyone’s talking about the lineup, the car, the team… Everything.

“We know Lamborghini is always very strong here.

“The pressure is there but I don’t think there’s any reason with the experience I have now being my sixth 24 Hours of Spa, that will help come race day, having two experienced teammates and an experienced team.

“We have Thomas, who is one of the best strategists in the world, especially in the U.S. To have him here, we saw what good he did here in 2020 when he did the race for us.

“We might be the underdogs here for a one-off race but I think we’re the ones to watch out for.”

Unlike its previous run at Spa that was entirely made up of it California-based crew, K-PAX is utilizing support from Lamborghini Squadra Corse, including several mechanics that typically work with Mirko Bortolotti’s DTM program.

A total of seven K-PAX crew members have made the trip to Spa, largely on the team management, engineering and strategy side.

“It’s way more of a collaboration with [Lamborghini],” Blam told Sportscar365. “That’s just because of the workload we have in the U.S. with our other K-PAX program.

“I think the pressure is quite a bit higher from our side.

“First of all this being a one-off the rules are quite a bit different. We’ve been thrown a couple more curve-balls in regards to the safety car procedures. They’re going to be quite a bit different than what I’ve studied all off-season.

“We were here a full season before and by this race we were already pretty comfortable racing against these guys.

“It is very different. The championship we run in the U.S. is a great championship. But this is a pretty special event. The level of competition is just insanely high with insanely good teams.

“Between that and what Lamborghini has come with and the pressure of hopefully giving them their first win here for sure adds to that.

“Any time you’re with new partners in regard to the people we’re working with… They don’t really know us.

“When we were here in 2020, it was a core group of guys that have been racing together forever. The trust level was there amongst everyone.

“It’s not that we don’t trust them or they don’t trust us but you want to obviously prove yourself to them.

“For sure the pressure is going to be very high.”

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