Last weekend Leipert Motorsport used for the first time a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo in a 24h race. The Huracán impressively demonstrated under the hot sun of southern France at Circuit Paul Ricard that it is an excellent long-distance car.
The drivers for the long-distance experienced motorsports team from Wegberg were the French speaking amateur-driver-quartet Jean-Charles Perrin (CAN), Franck Provost Leone (F), Lionel Amrouche (F) and Jerome de La Chapelle (F).
Already in the free practice sessions on Thursday and Friday everything went smoothly – in spite of 34 degrees outside. The four drivers got along very well with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Huracán on the hot southern French circuit and the Italian racing car became the permanent photo object of several motorsport fans at the track and in the pit.
In the qualifying on Friday afternoon the Huracán and his drivers reached the 4th place on the grid in the SP2 class.
However, since not everything is running as smoothly as you want, the race director put the Huracán on Saturday back to the third last row of the grid because the organizers could not read all data from the car logger due to a software problem, before the qualifying-session started.
The disappointed team and drivers accepted the decision of the race director and focused on reparation of the situation. This step proceeded also impressive as a hot knife through soft butter. After the first 4 hours driving time the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo with Perrin, Amrouche, Leone-Provost and de La Chapelle behind the wheel had fought his way from grid position 53 overall in 18th place (P4 in class SP2).
Due to the extremely hot weather the team decided per amateur driver 1 stint during daytime. After each nearly 1 hour stint the car came in for a refueling stop, after that the drivers change and – if necessarily – also a tire change. Everything went smoothly and during the night each driver drove a double stint.
Suddenly in the early morning hours – at 19th place overall (P4 in class SP2) – the brake pressure slowed down. At the pit stop, the team found that the brake pipe was leaking at the left brake caliper. This was probably damaged by external influences. During the pit stop the team checked the Huracán if there was maybe another shortcoming. They found that the cuff of the left drive shaft was broken. The team changed the brake caliper and the drive shaft and the Huracán and went again into the race after about 50 minutes of standing time – unfortunately on place 46 overall.
But their ambition spurred the drivers on and they managed the masterly achievement after the total of 19 hours driving time to reach P3 of the SP2 class – despite of nearly 1 hour repair time.
During the 23rd driving hour the driver came in for an unscheduled pit stop because he guessed the car had a rear left problem. After inspection of the damage, the team changed discs pots, brake discs, drive pins and rim. Through this 20 minute unscheduled pit stop the Huracán unfortunately lost his almost safe podium finish and had to be content with P4 in class SP2.
Team Owner Ingo Leipert:
“The first use of a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo in an endurance race was – in spite of the podium lost shortly before race end – a great success. After about 4,000 kilometers driven and reaching the checkered flag it is certain that the Huracán Super Trofeo is a safe long-distance racecar. The Huracán can compete in all areas with other manufacturers.
Lamborghini has done a perfect job in the development of the car. The collaboration with the Lamborghini crew and the spare part supply on site at Paul Ricard has worked also exemplary.
We want to thank also our four sympathetic drivers JC Perrin, Lionel Amrouche, Franck Leone-Provost and Jerome de La Chapelle, who have completed the first 24-hour race on the Huracán with us and have thereby shown us impressive, what can be done with the new product made by Lamborghini in endurance racing. “