Daytona Beach, Fla. (30 January 2022) – In their IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship debut, TR3 Racing has raced to the halfway point of the 60th Anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The team has made a strong first impression, taking the win in the qualifying race last weekend to score the GTD Pro pole for Saturday’s race start with the No. 63 Lamborghini of Miami Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo – GTD Pro.
Starting on the pole position, Marco Mapelli in the No. 63 Lamborghini led the field of GT entries to the green flag. Mapelli maintained the race lead through the opening laps when the first full course caution appeared. The Lamborghini team decided to amend their strategy bringing Mapelli to pit lane for a driver change to Rolf Ichenin.
On lap 98, quick handling by Ichenin kept the No. 63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo from being collected in a multi-car incident. Unfortunately, the maneuver did result in slight body work damage that would require repair on the next pit stop on lap 139. Mapelli took over the controls of the GTD Pro entry and returned to the course two laps down but the team has fought back to the lead lap and is currently leading the race with 12 hours to go.
The sister No. 19 Piloti Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo – GTD of Jeff Segal, Bill Sweedler, John Megrue, Giacamo Altoe started the race from 17th on the grid, with Sweedler manning the controls from 51st overall at the drop of the green.
Making his IMSA debut, Megrue battled door-to-door on lap 89 through the international horseshoe before contact with a fellow GTD competitor spun the No. 19 Lamborghini. Megrue rebounded to complete his 36 lap stint before handing the car over to 2014 Rolex winner Jeff Segal as the entry raced back up the order to move to the lead.
At the seven hour mark, the TR3 Racing crew utilized pit stop strategy to extend the lead of the No. 19 in the GTD category by a full lap as the field returned to green flag racing.
That advantage was reduced when the No. 19 Lamborghini was issued a penalty resulting in a stop plus 3 minute, 30 second hold. Altoe resumed racing in 10th running next to the sister No. 63 entry, with the foursome pushing up to 8th as the race hit the halfway mark.
“So far the race has had some setbacks for us, but we’ve been able to fight back from everything and are ready to keep in contention here through the night,” said TR3 Racing’s Arther Romanelli. “We just need to keep executing as a team and then we can focus on going for a result at the close of the race. So we’re happy with where we are and just looking forward to keeping a good rhythm going with both of our Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo entries and be there at the end.”
Broadcast Schedule:
12:00-3:00am – USA Network
6:00-12:00pm – USA Network
12:00-2:00pm – NBC
Commercial free coverage available via Peacock in the United States. International coverage available on IMSA.tv
About TR3 Performance:
TR3 Performance was founded by Arthur, Oliver, and Gregory Romanelli in August 2012. Frustrated with the rising costs and plummeting quality from local shops, the brothers saw an opportunity to establish a shop of their own that would live up to their high standard of excellence, where they could hold themselves to the caliber of workmanship they had sought out in the marketplace as enthusiasts. In 2015, TR3 Racing was established as the team stepped into racing at the professional level. What started out as a modest 2,300-sq.ft. enterprise has now exploded into the premier performance shop in South Florida.
About Lamborghini Miami:
Lamborghini Miami was founded in 1988, as a franchise under Prestige Imports. Founder Irv David quickly grew Lamborghini Miami to be one of the leading franchises North America. Importing the last Countach ever made and importing the first Diablo into the US market, Irv David quickly set Lamborghini Miami to be a leader in the supercar market within North America. The franchise continued to expand and grow successfully and in 2007, the franchise opened their new showroom to achieve greater heights. Tragically in the same year, on January 20th, Irv David suddenly passed on his 56th birthday. His son, Brett David, overcame the tragic loss and to cold as CEO at the age of 19. Since then Lamborghini Miami has gone to become a global phenomenon, delivering Lamborghini’s most coveted hypercars and dominating the south Florida market. In 2022, Lamborghini Miami continues their World renowned legacy with record-breaking sales and recently recognized group 4 title as one of the nation’s most successful service departments.
About Canoe Studios:
Like our studio space, our devotion to our clients and their unique visions is limitless. Exceptional customer service is the framework for how our entire business operates. We welcome everyone into our event venue studio as a valued guest and prioritize their comfort and creativity above all. The incredible studio space and creative agency we’ve established is a direct reflection of that dedication. Warm, natural light pours into every inch of our space to ensure you feel enlightened and at home. And each studio features a glass-paneled entrance so we can continue to inspire one another.
