By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
    Leapmotor presents its range at Automobile Barcelona, Spain
    May 14, 2025
    Alfa Romeo sporting glory dominates “Fuori Concorso”
    May 13, 2025
    Market Art Fair Stockholm and BMW Sweden present Gregor Hildebrandt as artist for BMW Art Commission 2025
    May 13, 2025
    Driving Trade Forward: AfCFTA, AGOA,BRICS and the Tariffs – All On The Menu At Automechanika CEO Breakfast
    May 9, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Nissan production, sales, and exports for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Honda Production, Sales and Export Results for April, 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Škoda Auto marks 55 years since production of the Skopak began in Pakistan
    May 29, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
    Kia and LG Electronics Partner to Showcase New PBV Concepts for Work and Play
    April 4, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
    Sourcing Guide Right-Hand Drive American SUVs and Pickup Trucks in Africa
    April 29, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
    May 29, 2025
    Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
    May 29, 2025
    All-New Nissan MICRA EV debuts ahead of European launch
    May 28, 2025
    BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7
    May 20, 2025
    Toyota Debuts Stylish, Powerful 2026 C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle
    May 18, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Lærke Rønn, Alexia Danielsson, Rasmus Vendelbo, Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, 2025, Porsche AG
    The schoolgirl who’s just won her debut GT race
    May 28, 2025
    Porsche with new qualifying record and ongoing points streak ahead of China
    May 28, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team looking to reinforce championship lead in Shanghai
    May 28, 2025
    Opel Mokka GSE Rally: A New Star in Electric Rallying
    May 28, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    MAN development team for autonomous driving is ‘Engineering Team of the Year’
    May 29, 2025
    Scania to start deliveries of new electric buses to northern Sweden
    May 29, 2025
    From left to right: Jens Böther, Regional Council; Nikolas Wenzel, Managing Director of MOIN; Claudia Kalisch, Mayor of Lüneburg; Alex Meier, Depot Manager; Nils Richert, Daimler Buses
    Daimler Buses builds a completely new electric bus depot for a customer for the first time
    May 28, 2025
    600 km range and superfast charging – meet Volvo’s new electric truck
    May 20, 2025
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 on a long-haul route of over 1,500 kilometers
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 
    May 18, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    GR Supra pushes performance limits with A90 Final Edition and Lightweight EVO
    May 28, 2025
    The new BMW M2 CS
    May 28, 2025
    Defender upgraded: The unstoppable 4×4 is now even more distinctive 
    May 28, 2025
    From vision to Veyron: the evolution of a Bugatti icon
    May 17, 2025
    The new Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series
    May 13, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
    Artificial intelligence: Audi boosts production efficiency
    May 28, 2025
    Greater efficiency and productivity with artificial intelligence – generative AI in BMW Group Purchasing
    May 19, 2025
    Aston Martin debuts Apple CarPlay Ultra for iPhone users
    May 16, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now purchase and pay for e-Vignettes directly from their vehicle
    May 15, 2025
Hot News
SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
Larry ten Voorde (NL), Proton Huber Competition (#1), Janne Stiak (D), Team75 Bernhard (#15), Huub van Eijndhoven (NL), Uniserver by Team GP Elite (#23), Jennifer Leising, Team Manager Team75 Bernhard, Laurin Heinrich, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Champion 2022, Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland 2024, Sachsenring (D)
Motosport

Janne Stiak crowned youngest winner in Carrera Cup Deutschland history

Motosport

Strong line-up for Intercontinental GT Challenge title decider

Latest News

Chery Tiggo 9 excels in Euro NCAP crash safety evaluation

Latest News

Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale makes its debut at the “Salone Auto e Moto d’Epoca”

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Motosport

Lamborghini records historic maiden IMSA GTD Pro victory in season-ending Petit Le Mans

Iron Lynx trio of Bortolotti, Pepper and Perera take maximum points as Forte Racing finishes second in GTD

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: October 15, 2024 12:47
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
5.1k Views
8 Min Read
Share
8 Min Read
SHARE

Lamborghini claimed an historic first-ever WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship GT Daytona Pro victory as factory drivers Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Franck Perera won the season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

The crew of the #19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 led for large portions of the 10-hour race, picking up maximum Michelin Endurance Cup points at the four-hour and eight-hour markers before moving back into the lead of the race at the final round of pit-stops.

- Advertisement -
Ad image

It is the first victory in IMSA’s GTD Pro category, the first in GT3 for Lamborghini and Iron Lynx and marks the second year in a row that Lamborghini has prevailed in the Petit Le Mans following Forte Racing’s triumph last year. The former, with Devlin DeFrancesco, Loris Spinelli and Misha Goikhberg at the wheel, just missed out on back-to-back wins following a late full course caution.

The #45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti trio of Graham Doyle, Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal finished an encouraging fifth in GTD, while the #83 Iron Dames of Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting salvaged 13th after a difficult race.

Meanwhile, the GT Prototype Lamborghini Iron Lynx SC63 trio of Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli and Romain Grosjean endured an up-and-down race after an incident, but ultimately collected more points with eighth place, along with the fastest lap of the race.

Free Practice and Qualifying – GTD and GTD Pro

With the top 12 cars covered by just over a second, the competition could not have been fiercer in GTD Pro, with the #19 of Bortolotti, Pepper and Perera ending FP1 as the fastest car, 0.059s quicker than second place. The remaining two sessions focused on getting the car prepared for qualifying, after which it ended up sixth on the grid for the grid. In GTD, after some early issues for the #83 of Bovy qualified seventh, three places ahead of the #78 defending race winners Forte Racing with Goikhberg at the wheel. The #45 WTRAndretti machine enjoyed its best qualifying performance of the year in fifth, with Formal ending up just under eight-tenths off pole.

Race – GTD and GTD Pro

With Perera at the wheel of the #19 Huracán at the start, Lamborghini fought strongly in the opening stages, gaining one position to fifth before the first of two early full course cautions. With fuel consumption and tyre management key in the following lengthy green flag periods, the #19 bided its time before Pepper worked his way through the traffic to hit the front. The South African held a lead of over seven seconds before switching with Bortolotti for his first stint. All three drivers reported a good balance and the Huracán edged away to a 27-second margin by the four-hour marker, picking up the maximum Michelin Endurance Cup points at that stage of the race. After initially going off strategy to gain a fuel advantage over its rivals, the #19 then joined the #62 Ferrari on sequence, and emerged from the final round of stops in the lead. Pepper then held on at the final restart to take an historic maiden GTD Pro victory and the first for Lamborghini and Iron Lynx.

In GTD, the #78 Forte Racing crew of Goikhberg, Spinelli and DeFrancesco ran up at the front for the majority of the race, with the former showing superb consistent speed during his time at the wheel. DeFrancesco took over and stayed inside the top five positions as strategy become ever more critical. By the time Spinelli got behind the wheel, victory was a very real possibility but fell under pressure from the Conquest Racing Ferrari at the final restart with 30 minutes to go. Having dropped to second, Spinelli tried desperately to get back into the lead but to no avail and was denied back-to-back Petit Le Mans victory by just seven-tenths.

The #45 WTRAndretti overcame a drivethrough penalty after contact and spending much of the race off the lead lap to eventually finish a season’s-best fifth. Doyle, Marcelli and Formal kept their nerve and finally got their lap back before the final restart, to end their campaign on a high. For the #83 Iron Dames, it was another frustrating race having lost multiple minutes to replace the splitter after contact with another car. The all-female crew nevertheless made the finish in 13th.

Free Practice and Qualifying – GTP

The final weekend of the season kicked off on Thursday with the first of three practice sessions, including some much-needed night driving. The team focused on setup optimisation during the opening session with Caldarelli setting the eighth-quickest time, just over a second off the ultimate pace. The #63 also completed 57 laps, the second highest of the GTP field. The car struggled in the second session slightly, finishing 10th but worked well in the comparatively cooler conditions of the evening’s FP3 session, despite a minor spin for Grosjean which caused a red flag. The #63 finished second quickest, with a time of 1m11.988, just three-tenths of a second away from the best time. In qualifying, the pace was intense, and Caldarelli took the car to 11th, ending up just two-tenths outside the top 10.

Race – GTP

Caldarelli took the start in the #63 and stayed out of trouble in the early stages but began to struggle with the balance of the car over the notorious bumps of the Road Atlanta circuit. It moved up two positions to ninth following problems for other cars in front before Grosjean jumped aboard for a double stint and maintained 10th position despite a slight brush with the #83 Iron Dames Huracán. The car then unfortunately lost three laps after being hit from behind with Cairoli at the wheel, which subsequently pitched it into the wall, damaging the front-end.

The team replaced the rear deck after the diffuser broke as well as the front nose, although Cairoli had to bring the car down pitlane for a drivethrough penalty after it was deemed that too many mechanics were working on the car’s repairs. As night fell, the car became far easier to drive and, with Grosjean back at the wheel, set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1m11.981. A technical issue in the final half an hour hampered the car’s chances but it made it back onto the track to take the chequered flag in eighth.

TAGGED:#19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2Franck PereraJordan PepperLAMBORGHINIMirko BortolottiPetit Le MansRoad AtlantaWeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship GT Daytona Pro

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Latest News

Beyond design, mastering the air

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
November 21, 2023
Motosport

Daniil Kvyat unveiled as latest addition to Lamborghini Factory Driver roster

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
April 17, 2023
Volkswagen Group is pushing for automated driving
Latest News

Volkswagen Group intensifies collaboration with Mobileye

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
March 20, 2024
Latest News

Lamborghini reaches a historic milestone: over 10,000 cars delivered

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 16, 2024
Latest News

Lamborghini unveils the Huracán STO SC 10° Anniversario

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
November 21, 2023
Latest News

Urus SE unveiled in Johannesburg

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
November 11, 2024

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner