Ockey/Liddy Garner First in ProAm Class as Team Rebounds from Rough Start
Monrovia, California (Thursday, June 30, 2022) – For US Racetronics the third weekend of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series began with setbacks and ended in jubilation as all four entries took home trophies.
On the balmy summer weekend the field was the most crowded ever – 36 cars, up from 31 at NOLA last month. Following some encouraging practice sessions, including one in which Patrick Kujala achieved the fastest lap time of 1:45.811, Friday’s race put Am driver John Hennessy and ProAm driver Damon Ockey out of action when a miscommunication caused their cars to make contact.
The tides turned on Saturday when, after moving up from sixth to third and building up a good lead, Patrick Liddy handed off his No. 8 VF Engineering sponsored Lamborghini of San Diego to teammate Damon Ockey. A speedy pit stop and out lap helped put Ockey in a good position to finish. He remained first in ProAm class until a full course yellow flag froze the field for the final four laps, giving the pair their first victory of the season.
“We’ve had some struggles this season on the number 8 car,” says US Racetronics Team Owner Shane Seneviratne, “but things turned around dramatically on Saturday. I’m so proud of Damon (Ockey) and Patrick (Liddy). They’ve overcome their setbacks and had an amazing race. What a win!”
In the Pro class, Patrick Kujala and teammate Edoardo Piscopo surmounted a drive-through penalty to make second place overall. That achievement entailed the pair working their way up from 16th place on lap 11 into second-place on lap 15. Their consistently quick pace in the No. 50 Arrow sponsored Lamborghini of Beverly Hills kept them in the hunt for the win until the checkered flag.
LB Cup co-drivers Ofir Levy and Jon Hirshberg earned their fourth podium of the 2022 Super Trofeo season. Despite a longer-than-anticipated pit stop, Hirshberg took over from teammate Ofir Levy in the No. 13 Lamborghini of Rancho Mirage on Saturday and garnered a third-place finish in class. The pair sits solidly in second-place in the LB Cup Championship.
Am driver John Hennessy in No. 33 Lamborghini of Charlotte earned a podium finish as well in his first race weekend at Watkins Glen International. “In Am class, you’re battling for the whole race. I concentrated on smoothness, saved my tires, and took opportunities to pass.” He adds that Watkins Glen is a stunning track: “It’s fast, with unique corners and walls everywhere. With very few runoff spots, you have to be ready to catch your car.”
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series resumes August 4-7 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, as part of the IMSA SportsCar Weekend.
Quotes:
Ofir Levy – Co-driver of No. 13 MexiWood / Dakine / O’Gara Motorsport / Change Racing / USRT Lamborghini of Rancho Mirage: “The first race was tough, but we came back much stronger in the second. If we hadn’t lost 20 seconds in the pit, we’d have had a solid chance to place P1/P2. Congratulations to USRT for placing drivers on every podium in race 2!”
Damon Ockey – Co-driver of No. 8 US RaceTronics / O’Gara Motorsport / Change Racing: “Watkins Glen was a test of mental toughness. We started the weekend looking great, had a race-ending incident in race 1, but rallied back to win our class in Race 2. Liddy had a spectacular start and drive in the VF Engineering STO. I was able to jump into the car well ahead of our next in class. Only had to put down four laps before we went to full course, where we finished the race under caution due to unsafe track conditions. It’s always better to win under green, but we’ll take the win and momentum into the last half of the season! Thanks to the US RaceTronics team for all the hard work and long hours to get the car ready for race 2!”
Edoardo Piscopo – Co-driver of No. 50 Arrow Electronics / O’Gara Motorsport/ Change Racing / USRT Lamborghini of Beverly Hills – ““A bit disappointed with the overall results. We showed very good pace both in qualifying and in the races but unfortunately, we did not capitalize on our strengths. We are optimistic about the next round as we know the track very well having won in Road America in the previous seasons.”
About US RaceTronics
US RaceTronics (USRT) was founded by Shane Seneviratne in 2005 to compete in the Atlantic Championship, a formula race car series. The team finished 5th in points its first year and continued its success during the succeeding years, ultimately amassing a total of 21 podiums, 7 poles, 5 race wins and finishing 3rd in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. USRT was put on hold after series officials announced the Atlantic Series was put on hiatus.
Seneviratne fully returned to racing in 2015 after receiving an invitation to manage the O’Gara Motorsport entries in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North American (LBSTNA) Series. The team won the Team Championship, Dealership Championship, Pro Championship and Amateur Championship that season.
The success of 2015 reignited Seneviratne’s passion for racing and he relaunched US RaceTronics to compete in the 2016 LBSTNA Series. The team has won multiple North American and World Championships and expects to add to their success as they enter their seventh season in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Series.
For more information on how to become a driver with US RaceTronics, learn more about the Series, or attend a race, visit www.usracetronics.com.
About O’Gara Motorsport
O’Gara Motorsport was founded in 2014 by owner Tom O’Gara and celebrated winning the 2015 North American Lamborghini Super Trofeo driver and team Championships. The team goal is to achieve victories in the Series as well as showcasing the brands of their sponsors both on and off the track. With a vertically integrated platform that starts at the dealership and accelerates to the top levels of professional sports car racing, everyone at O’Gara is dedicated to providing a comprehensive program for anyone, from the casually curious to the dedicated racer.
About Change Racing
Founded by Lamborghini Charlotte CEO and long time real estate developer, John E. Littlefield, Change Racing is the premier championship winning team. Claiming 18 titles in various classes; Change Racing has competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series since its inception in 2013.
Most recently claiming the 2021 Amateur World Championship in Misano, Italy. Change Racing also claimed all SIX 2020 North American Championships, including the Pro, Pro-Am, Am and LB Cup class championships as well as the Team and Owner championships.
