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PRESS RELEASE: 17th September 2023
Overall and Pro-Am podiums for VSR at Valencia
European Lamborghini Super Trofeo – Valencia
VSR headed to Spain this weekend for the fourth round of the European Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship which was held at Valencia. The number six Pro car was once again driven by Michelotto and Stadsbader, the Am number 60 car by Anapoli and Randazzo whilst there was change in the Pro-Am line-up with Artem Petrov joining Lewandowski behind the wheel of the 16 car.
Friday’s first free practice session was a washout due to heavy rain and three red flags in the second session meant the drivers got limited running before heading into qualifying on Saturday morning. The crowded track made life difficult for the drivers and after just a handful of laps had been completed the session was red-flagged for a big accident from the number 60 VSR Am car. Fortunately Randazzo escaped unscathed but his car was out for the rest of the weekend. Petrov was second quickest in Pro-Am and started race one from the fifth row with Stadsbader on row eight. The Belgian driver made up three places at the start and after a fine stint had moved up to eleventh when a Safety Car period paused the race just before the pit window. He was the first of the VSR cars to pit, handing the number 6 Lambo to Michelotto. Petrov, running well in the top six and second in class, stopped three laps later and Lewandowski took over the car. When the pit window closed Michelotto was running in eighth and Lewandowski was third in Pro-Am. The quickest driver on track Michelotto passed Bonduel and Colombini and gained a further place when Arrow was given a drive through. Meanwhile Lewandowski had pressured Au into an error and was second in Pro-Am keeping a bunch of battling Pro drivers behind him. As the race entered the final five minutes Michelotto caught and passed Testa for third – a great comeback drive for the 6 car which gained thirteen places overall. Lewandowski took the flag second in Pro-Am, just a handful of seconds behind class winner Colombini.
Michelotto was the sole VSR car on track in Q2 as a technical problem kept Lewandowski from running. He put the number six on the second row of the grid whilst Lewandowski was forced to start from the back of the forty-two car field. At the start Michelotto slotted into fourth but his stint featured two safety cars and he ran only a handful of green laps. Nevertheless he handed the car over to Stadsbader in the lead of the race when the 6 pitted. Lewandowski too had been making mega progress through the field, gaining twenty places before he stopped and Petrov took over the 16 Pro-Am entry. As the race entered the second half Stadsbader held the lead but was under pressure from Desideri and Moretti. An error from Desideri lost him time and Stadsbader held off Moretti until the second to last lap when lapped traffic got in the way and the Italian sneaked past. Petrov moved the 16 car up to sixteenth overall and fourth in class, a good day’s work from the Pro-Am crew who started forty-second.
The penultimate and ultimate round of European Super Trofeo Championship will take place in November at Vallelunga in the week before the World Finals.
