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VICTORIOUS START TO THE SEASON FOR VSR

Apr 03, 2022
VICTORIOUS START TO THE SEASON FOR VSR PRESS RELEASE: 3rd April 2022

Victorious start to the season for VSR

European Lamborghini Super Trofeo - Round 1, Imola

A field of thirty-three Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo 2 cars lined up at Imola this weekend for the opening round of the season. VSR fielded two entries with D’Auria and Tribaudini competing in Pro and the San Marinese pairing of Colombini and Zonzini in Pro-Am.

Tribaudini and Zonzini took the cars out for the first of Saturday morning’s two qualifying sessions and were straightaway amongst the front runners. Zonzini took a place on row two, setting the second quickest time in Pro-Am, and Tribaudini lined up right behind him in sixth. The opening race of the season got underway later that day and Zonzini made a storming start when the lights went green, passing Williamson in the run up to the first corner and then slipping down the inside of Teekens half a lap later. As Zonzini slotted in behind leader Spinelli, Tribaudini held on to sixth place and the top six began pulling away. By lap five they were covered by ten seconds and had a five second gap to the rest of the field as Tribaudini harried Bejarano for fifth. The pit window opened on lap ten and Tribaudini pitted a lap later to hand the number 6 Lamborghini over to team-mate D’Auria. Zonzini was one of the last to stop, entering pit-lane on lap sixteen with the Eccentica liveried machine. Colombini took over the second placed car and became quickly involved in a battle with Pro driver Moretti. The Italian passed Colombini but two laps later ended his race in the gravel. Meanwhile D’Auria had overtaken Bejarano and Lee and was running fourth when a Full Course Yellow period was followed by the Safety Car entering the track. Racing resumed with four minutes left. With a train of Pro drivers on his tail Colombini, once more in second, kept his cool. Knowing Ciglia had a Drive-Through for a pit-stop infringement coming he let the Oregan driver pass and moved aside for D’Auria. A lap later the chequered flag came out and D’Auria took second overall with Colombini, in his first GT race, taking third overall and Pro-Am victory.

Qualifying for race two was undertaken by D’Auria and Colombini. Despite sitting out the end of the session after a spin into the gravel D’Auria’s best lap was good enough for a spot on the fourth row. Colombini qualified on row ten, seventh in the highly competitive Pro-Am class. D’Auria moved up to fifth at the start but the Safety Car was called out for Brunot’s crash before the end of the first lap. After five laps behind the Safety Car the track went green again, just eight minutes before the pit window was due to open. A problem for Moretti at the restart promoted D’Auria to fourth whilst Colombini began to battle with Lee and Pedrosa. A spin from the San Marino driver dropped the 78 car to the back of the field and a Full Course Yellow for the length of the pit window followed by two more Safety Car periods gave Zonzini little opportunity to recover positions when he took the car over. D’Auria pitted for Tribaudini and when racing resumed the Frenchman was quick to pass Watzinger and move into third. His battle with Gvazava for second was interrupted by a short Safety Car four laps before the end but a penalty for the Target car promoted Tribaudini to second after the flag. The second podium of the weekend for D’Auria and Tribaudini completed a successful opening weekend for the VSR Super Trofeo crews.