Team Leads Championship Rankings into Road America

In the last six rounds across three states, K-PAX Racing has finished at the top of the podium five times. Nearing the halfway mark of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS season, the team will continue its strong push to gain points towards the with the Drivers, Team and Manufacturers Championship.

The series’ next stop is in the Midwest at the high-speed Road America circuit August 27-29. K-PAX Racing made its debut at Road America during its 2008 title campaign, and in 14 total appearances since, has stood on the podium seven times. In the team’s last two multi-race events at the circuit (2018, 2019), it has collected five podiums, including one victory.

“Given that we are only at the halfway point of the season, we still have a long way to go but are feeling stronger and stronger every race,” K-PAX Racing Program Manager Darren Law said. “Starting this season with a new manufacturer in Lamborghini and having a new group of drivers can take a little while for everyone to get to know each other and get comfortable. Obviously, we have had a great start to the year, every time we get on-track we learn more, and I am looking forward to continued development of the program.”

K-PAX Racing enters the late-summer series reboot in prime position for each championship across the board – a chance for the triple crown. The team is carrying a 47-point advantage (143) into the seventh and eighth rounds for the Team Championship at Road America. The two-car effort by K-PAX Racing is in close contention in the Drivers’ Championship, with the No. 3 of Jordan Pepper and Andrea Caldarelli leading the pack with 130 points; a close second is the No. 6 of Giovanni Venturini and Corey Lewis with 91 points. Lamborghini holds a 31-point lead in the Manufacturer’s Championship race (143) and is currently in position to win its first series title.

While K-PAX Racing has not competed since the series’ last multi-race event in early-June, members of the team have still been active in the sports car racing community across the world. Caldarelli and Pepper individually embarked on the historic TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. Caldarelli saw his team’s Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO up front after the fourth hour, ultimately placing inside the Top-10 in Pro Cup. Pepper, celebrating his birthday during the event, was able to help his team to a Top-10 Pro-Am Cup finish. K-PAX Racing Team Owner Jim Haughey was also in attendance for the event.

“Even though we have had a bit of a break between events, we have been hard at work behind the scenes,” Law said. “We continued testing and development work and Jim Haughey, and I had the opportunity to visit with Chris Ward from Lamborghini at their facility in Detroit. Our program has strengthened during this time both internally and with our manufacturer relationship, and we are ready to get back on track to continue with our run at the titles.”

Saturday’s qualifying sessions, as well as both races through the weekend, will be streamed live on the GTWorld YouTube channel, with audio simulcasts on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel 392 (992 on the SXM web app). CBS Sports Network live programming begins Sunday at 2:00 pm CDT; check your local listings for channel information.

DRIVER QUOTES

Andrea Caldarelli – No. 3 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “It has been a long time since last time we went on-track in VIRginia International Raceway. We didn’t finish the second race as we wanted, so I am really excited to come back with the team and at a new track. It is first time for me at Road America, so I am not sure whether or not we will be strong. However, the track looks amazing, and we should normally be good on high-speed corners. So, I am really looking forward to drive there. [Being in championship contention] is very motivating. We know we cannot make any mistakes to fight for the title, so that’s our goal for the rest of the season. Spa was very bittersweet for me. We were very competitive, but we didn’t get the result we wanted. So now, I am even more motivated to start second half of the season.”

Jordan Pepper – No. 3 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “It’s been a while since we last raced at VIRginia International Raceway, and Road America will be another new track for Andrea [Caldarelli] and I. We didn’t quite end on a good note in the last round, but we’re looking forward to getting back and hopefully getting back on the top step of the podium. It will be a busy second half of the year between testing and the races, which will help keep the momentum going race-to-race. We have a lot to work on and a lot to improve during these tests. The goal is quite simple: Get as many poles and wins as possible to wrap-up the championship. Spa in-between was such a cool experience, and I always love to be there. It was nice just to get a bit of seat-time during our big break, but I’m looking forward to getting back to those old-school, American tracks.”

Giovanni Venturini – No. 6 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “I’m really happy to come back with the team at Road America. The holidays were too long, and I really miss my car and my crew. We had really good tests last week, and I’m confident with the circuit. It’s amazing and fast – a really old school track. Our Huracán looks suited for this track, but we have to wait until qualifying Saturday to see how we work. The motivation is always high when you are racing for a team like K-PAX Racing and Lamborghini – plus if you are racing for the title. We will try our best in the last part of the season to bring at home more success possible.”

Corey Lewis – No. 6 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “We’re finally getting back to work and couldn’t be more excited to head to Road America. We are basically in the second half of the SRO championship and things are shaking up nicely for KPAX Racing as a whole. I know that Gio [Venturini] and I will be pushing to maximize our results for the remaining races.

Road America is a legendary circuit and very high-speed with big brake zones that create great passing opportunities. I feel like Road America will suite our Lamborghini GT3 EVO very well given the circuits high-speed characteristics.  It’s adamant that we as a team continue to put our best foot forward to close out the championship one-two. Also from a manufacturer standpoint, to give Lamborghini their first USA championship in the SRO Series will be a great accomplishment for the brand. It can be a massive year for K-PAX Racing to take home the triple crown.”

About K-PAX Racing
Based in Sonoma, Calif., K-PAX Racing has celebrated a total 158 podiums, 64 wins, four Driver Championships and three Manufacturer Championships, solidifying the team as a continuous championship contender. In the GT Class, K-PAX Racing has fielded Porsche 911 GT3s during the 2007 – 2008 seasons, Volvo S60s during the 2009 – 2013 seasons, McLaren 12C GT3s in 2014 and McLaren 650S GT3s from 2015 – 2017. The team made a switch to Bentley for 2018, fielding the first-generation Continental GT3 in its first season and the second-generation model in 2019 and 2020. K-PAX Racing will debut the 2021 season in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO.

About Lamborghini Squadra Corse

Squadra Corse is the motorsport department of Automobili Lamborghini. Born in 2013 within the Research & Development department, Squadra Corse provides an integrated approach to driving experiences of the brand; from driving course programs with road vehicles to motorsport competitions, through the Lamborghini Super Trofeo or championships of the GT class.

Esperienza is the first step for those who are interested in the world of Lamborghini: Its aim is to share the thrill and emotions of the super sports cars from Sant’Agata Bolognese with fans and potential customers alike, by advanced driving course programs. Esperienza Dinamica is divided into five programs in order to face every type of surface: Corsa, Neve, Sabbia, Strada, Terra. Esperienza Accademia is the program dedicated to advanced drivers, offering driving course programs not only on the racetrack but also on ice in order to improve the driving skills of the pilots.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo is an international motor racing series with drivers competing in identical Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVOs, the racing version of the production model, that features the same 5.2 l naturally aspirated V10 engine. Inaugurated in 2009, Super Trofeo hosts regional championships in Europe, Asia and North America and is divided in four categories: Pro, Pro-Am, Am and Lamborghini Cup bringing together passionate gentleman drivers and young professional pilots. At the end of each season, the teams and drivers of all regions compete against each other in the World Finals, the highlight of the season.

The most challenging tests are those which see Lamborghini’s Customer Racing Teams competing in the principal international GT championships driving the Huracán GT3. The GT3 differs from the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO through its more sophisticated aerodynamics, kinematic suspension control and other technical specifications respecting official FIA regulations. In 2017 the Huracán GT3 won the Blancpain GT Series; in 2018 and 2019 the Huracán GT3 completed a double victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in GTD Class. Lamborghini is the only company in the world to win both of the prestigious races, that are also known as 36 Hours of Florida, in two consecutive years. Another premiere in 2019: The GT3 won the Triple Crown of the Blancpain GT Series with the titles in the categories Overall, Endurance and Sprint. In 2020 Lamborghini celebrated third victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona with sensational one-two finish.

Both the Huracán Super Trofeo and the Huracán GT3 are constructed and built at the plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese on the same production line as the road vehicles. Specialized technicians of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse are present at every station along the line.

Moreover, Lamborghini Squadra Corse is trying to develop new talents in motor sports, for example through the Young Drivers Program (open for drivers under 26 that will compete in the Super Trofeo championship) and the GT3 Junior Program (for future GT drivers). Both the programs aim to offer young drivers the possibility to improve their driving skills helping them to take a career as professional pilots.

In 2018 Squadra Corse inaugurated its first One-Off, the SC18 Alston, followed by open-top SC20 in 2020. In the same year Squadra Corse unveiled Essenza SCV12 the track-only hypercar in a limited edition of 40 units, fitted with the most powerful V12 naturally aspirated engine ever developed by Lamborghini: over 830 hp.