At the Dubai Autodrome, Race 1 of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East has crowned the first champions of the 2018 edition. Thanks to the third consecutive win together with his teammate James Pull, the young Englishman Jack Bartholomew of FFF Racing Team by ACM have mathematically won the title in the PRO category, with Race 2 still to be disputed. In the AM class, the scenario is the same: the American Taylor Proto, thanks to a second place overall, is the winner in his category. In two categories, instead, the titles are still to be awarded. In the PRO-AM, Konrad Motorsport will be contending the title with Antonelli Motorsport, while in the Lamborghini Cup, Mark Proto is leading the standings but has yet not mathematically won. Everything will be decided during Race 2 on Saturday, March 3.
The third and final round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East, held on the 5.3 km-long track of the Dubai Autodrome, began in the name of uncertainty, with a light rain that required the start in Wet Race Mode, behind the safety car. Once the race officially started, the lead positions were occupied by two of the fastest drivers on the track: Rik Breukers (#66 GDL Racing), author of the pole position, and Axcil Jefferies (#11 Konrad Motorsport). But after only two laps from the start of the race, there was the first unexpected event: because of the wet asphalt, Breukers got out of the track thus enabling Axcil Jefferies to race faster (he was the only driver to lap below 1 minute and 59” and also set the best race lap time with 1’58”740) and to gain precious seconds on his direct pursuers Oliver James Webb (#26 Leipert Motorsport) and Taylor Proto (#5 FFF Racing Team by ACM). These positions remained unchanged until the opening of the pit-window for the driver change, but in the second part of the race things were reshuffled very quickly. The car #11 of Konrad Motorsport, with Carrie Schreiner who had taken over the wheel from Axcil Jefferies, had to give way first to the PRO leader Jack Bartholomew (#5 FFF Racing Team) and then to Taylor Proto (#55 FFF Racing Team).
Behind them, in the meantime, the car #76 of Antonelli Motorsport, with the new pair formed by Glauco Solieri and Daniel Zampieri, started to gain positions. The latter driver, thanks to an excellent second part of the race, managed to get the third overall position and first place in the PRO-AM, thus keeping the class ranking open till Race 2.
The chase to the checkered flag saw Jack Bartholomew pick up the win and mathematically become PRO champion. Behind him finished Taylor Proto (2018 champion in the AM category), followed by Solieri/Zampieri.
Besides the victory of Solieri and Zampieri, the PRO-AM ranking sees Carrie Schreiner and Axcil Jefferies in second place and the crew formed by Giacomo Altoé and Marco Antonelli in third position, with the Huracán #78 of Antonelli Motorsport.
In the AM class, besides the win of Taylor Proto, it is worth mentioning the second place of Hans Fabri and Kim Hauschild (#74 Antonelli Motorsport) and the third position of Andrzej Lewandowski (#67 GT3 Poland). Lastly, the Lamborghini Cup ranking sees Gerald Van Der Horst in the top position followed by Van Deyzen/Iossifidis (#71 GDL Racing) and Gabriele Murroni (#88 GDL Racing).
Race 2, decisive for assigning the Pro-Am and Lamborghini Cup titles, will be held at the Dubai Autodrome on Saturday, March 3.