NEWS
VSR WINS IN ALL THREE SUPER TROFEO CLASSES AT VALLELUNGA
Nov 12, 2023
.jpg)
PRESS RELEASE: 12th November 2023
Host of victories in all classes keep VSR in Pro and Pro-Am title fights
European Lamborghini Super Trofeo – Round 5, Vallelunga
The penultimate round of the European Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship took place at Vallelunga this weekend. VSR’s regular three cars were joined by a fourth, the 95 entered in Pro-Am and driven by Marcus Paverud and Ignazio Zanon. Michelotto and Stadsbader were once more together in the number 6 Pro entry, Anapoli and Randazzo continued in the 60 Am car and in the Pro-Am number 16 Lewandowski was rejoined by Spinelli.
Two trouble free practice sessions on a damp but drying track were crammed into Saturday morning with the Am cars separated from the Pro and Pro-Am field. Spinelli set the pace in the first session and Michelotto was second fastest in the shortened second session. Qualifying in the afternoon saw Michelotto, Lewandowski, Anapoli and Paverud set the times for VSR. Pole for the Pro and Pro-Am race went to VSR with Michelotto seven tenths faster than everyone. Paverud qualified sixth in Pro-Am and Lewandowski ninth whilst Anapoli was the second fastest Am driver.
The Am drivers were out early on Sunday morning for their first race. Starting from the front row Anapoli made a perfect start, getting alongside Badawy and claiming the lead. He stayed ahead for his whole stint, managing the gap to the rest of the field until the pit window opened. On lap fifteen he pitted and Randazzo took over the lead of the race and a seven second margin. The Italian was never headed and took the flag in first place.
Michelotto easily converted pole for the first Pro and Pro-Am race of the weekend into the race lead and setting a succession of fastest laps handed an eleven second lead over to Stadsbader when he pitted on lap eighteen. Stadsbader kept ahead and when the safety car was called out right at the end of the race victory for the number 6 VSR car was assured. In the Pro-Am battle Paverud and Lewandowski ran sixth and eighth in class until the pit window opened. Spinelli took over from Lewandowski and worked his way through field, taking the Pro-Am lead just before the Safety Car halted racing. Paverud and Zanon completed a successful first race for VSR, finishing third and claiming the final Pro-Am podium spot.
Randazzo qualified third in Am for the final race which was immediately put under Safety Car for a crash at turn two. Racing went green five minutes before the pit window opened. Randazzo was the quickest man on track before pitting and handing over to Anapoli. The car slipped down to fourth in the stops but a spin from leader Dubelly moved Anapoli up to third and he took the chequered flag less than three seconds behind the two leaders.
Spinelli took the pole for the second Pro and Pro-Am race and Stadsbader was fast enough for a place on row five whilst Zanon qualified fifth in Pro-Am. Spinelli held the lead and pulled out a significant gap almost immediately. The pit window opened on lap twelve and Stadsbader was the first to pit followed immediately by Zanon. Spinelli stayed out, eventually pitting just ten seconds before the window closed. Lewandowski took over the lead of the race and was not caught by the pursuing Pro drivers until the very last lap when he was passed by Testa and Leitch. The Pro-Am win and third overall was still a fine result and left Lewandowski leading the Pro-Am Championship by twenty-three points. Michelotto took the flag just behind Lewandowski having caught up over fifteen seconds during his stint. He and Stadsbader head into the final round just two and a half points behind the Pro leader Leitch. Paverud took the flag fourth in Pro-Am alongside the third placed car who beat him to the line by just a handful of hundredths of a second.
The final round of the European Super Trofeo Championship takes place next week just before the World Finals at the weekend.
ENDS
