The Opening Weekend for the North American Single-Make Series Boasts Eight Different Winners in the Four Classes
By Mark Robinson
MONTEREY, Calif. – Facing a similar situation as a day earlier, Patrick Kujala wasn’t about to make the same mistake. The outcome Sunday was a win for Kujala, co-driver Edoardo Piscopo and the No. 50 O’Gara Motorsport/Change Racing/USRT, Lamborghini Beverly Hills Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 in the second Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race of the weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
As the finishing driver in the 50-minute race in the No. 50 Huracán, Kujala had Danny Formal and the No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Paramus Huracán bearing down in the waning moments. Formal passed Kujala at the start of Saturday’s race and the No. 1 Huracán went on to claim the Pro class and overall victory. Kujala was determined not to let history repeat in Race 2, holding off Formal this time by 0.441 seconds at the checkered flag.
“Of course, I was not happy yesterday,” admitted Kujala, the 2016 European Lamborghini Super Trofeo champion who also won a North American Super Trofeo race at Watkins Glen that same year. “When I saw him behind me today, I knew he would catch me. But I know that Laguna is very hard to overtake, so I knew as long as I don’t do any mistakes, it would be very hard for him to overtake me.
“I’m very happy with the result and very pleased with the team.”
When Kujala crossed the finish line, it also earned the third LSTNA win at WeatherTech Raceway for Piscopo, the 2017 ProAm champion.
“We haven’t tested, so leaving Laguna Seca leading the championship is everything I could have dreamed of,” Piscopo said. “It’s my third win at Laguna Seca in Super Trofeo so it’s great to be back.”
It was still a welcome finish for the No. 1 Huracán, which was knocked to the rear of the field on the first lap when it made contact with another car in the Turn 2 Andretti Hairpin. Kyle Marcelli and Formal put their heads down and battled back to wind up second.
In a clear sign of the series’ competitiveness in 2022, each of the four competing classes had different winners in the two weekend races that opened the season. A series-record 31 cars took the track as LSTNA kicked off its 10th campaign.
In ProAm, John Dubets made the pass for the lead with 11 minutes remaining and pulled away to a 12-second victory in the No. 46 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán that he shared with Bryson Lew.
“Once we caught the lead car, we knew we had the pace and we just had to get the job done,” Dubets said. “Once we got by, we just had to keep it clean and make it to the end. Very fortunate to have such good equipment under us. We have to thank PPM for that.”
Am driver Cam Aliabadi, in the No. 17 Dream Racing Motorsport, Lamborghini Walnut Creek Huracán, took the most dramatic path to victory on Sunday. Aliabadi snatched the class lead with nine minutes remaining, only to see Martin Fuentes Telich (No. 45 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami Huracán) overtake him as they came to the white flag to begin the final lap. Undaunted, Aliabadi recovered and returned the favor on Fuentes Telich, passing his way back into first place and winning by 0.795 seconds.
“That last lap, I had to nosedive,” Aliabadi said. “I lost the lead on that last turn (approaching the white flag), so coming down to the hairpin there, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna go for it.’ It felt really good.”
Slade Stewart led flag-to-flag in LB Cup but it was by no means a cruise to the class win for the No. 14 Flying Lizard Motorsports, Lamborghini Newport Beach Huracán. Stewart edged the No. 13 O’Gara Motorsport/Change Racing/USRT Lamborghini Rancho Mirage Huracán shared by Ofir Levy and John Hirshberg by a mere 0.549 seconds.
“It was a lot of fun, a lot of hard work,” Stewart said. “We’ve got a very competitive grid out there – Pro, ProAm, Am and LB. It’s a great day. I couldn’t have done it without Flying Lizard Motorsports; it’s awesome to have them back in the paddocks at IMSA.”
A recap of the WeatherTech Raceway weekend airs at 9 a.m. ET Friday, May 6 on USA Network. Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America returns to action May 20-22 at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana.