NEWS
PRO-AM VICTORY FOR BASZ AND LEWANDOWSKI AT MONZA AS PRABAKARAN TAKES LB CUP PODIUM.
Apr 18, 2021
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Basz and Lewandowski take Monza Pro-Am win
European Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Round 1
VSR’s 2021 season kicked off this weekend with a double-header at Monza. The team entered three Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo cars in three different classes. Super Trofeo debutants Michael Dörrbecker and Mattia Michelotto paired up in the Pro class whilst reigning Pro-Am Champions Karol Basz and Andrzej Lewandowski returned to defend their title. Kumar Prabakaran took charge of the team’s third car and competed in the LB Cup class.
The first qualifying session saw Basz continue where he left off, setting the overall pole with a scintillating lap of 1’46.794. Michelotto was fifth fastest and Prabakaran earned himself a place on row fourteen, fourth in LB Cup. A perfect start by Basz saw him take a commanding lead from van Berlo and Pulcini as the field streamed into the first corner. By the end of lap two he had a three second gap over the chasing pack. On lap four a puncture for Di Folco promoted Michelotto, whose pace was matching the leaders, to fourth overall. The pit window opened on lap eleven and Prabakaran pitted immediately for his obligatory stop. The other two VSR cars stayed out until lap fifteen and then pitted together. Lewandowski took over the lead of the race but by lap seventeen had the Pro car of Guzman all over his tail. He held off the Mexican for two more laps as behind them Dörrbecker, who had maintained fourth, was battling with Cecotto. On lap twenty Cecotto ran into the back of Dörrbecker at the first corner, taking the VSR car out of the race and earning himself a drive through penalty. A lap later there was more drama as Guzman slowed with a puncture returning the lead of the race to Lewandowski. The Polish Am driver had a 1.5 second lead over the 2020 Vice-Champion Gilardoni and the pace to stay ahead. With five minutes left on the clock the gap was up to over two seconds but disaster struck on the penultimate lap when Lewandowski became the next driver to succumb to tyre problems. He coasted back to the pits and was quickly fitted with a new right rear but the time lost meant he could only finish seventh in class. Prabakaran took the flag in his first European race in twenty-third place, fourth in LB Cup.
Race two saw Dörrbecker start from row four with Lewandowski two rows further back and Prabakaran on row thirteen. After the start Dörrbecker ran in tenth and Lewandowski twelfth, fourth in Pro-Am. The top four Pro-Am cars, with Dörrbecker in the middle, were covered by a mere three seconds for most of the first stint. The pit window opened on lap eleven and with teams, after the dramas of Saturday, obliged to change tyres during the mandatory stop, VSR pitted Lewandowski immediately. Basz took over the car and during the pit window his speed allowed him to move to the front of the Pro-Am field. A lap later Dörrbecker stopped and Michelotto took over, exiting the pits just behind Basz. Prabakaran pitted for his new tyres on lap twelve just before a Safety Car period neautralised the race and closed the pack up. The track went green again with eight minutes of racing left but with no over-taking Basz and Michelotto ran nose to tail until the flag. Basz finished sixth overall, first in Pro-Am and Michelotto was seventh. Prabakaran finished third in LB Cup, taking a podium finish in his first experience of European racing.
The second round of the Championship will take place at the end of May in France at Paul Ricard.
ENDS
