WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Kyle Marcelli exhibited a characteristic difficult for most race drivers – patience – until it was time to pounce Friday and drive away to victory in the first Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race of the weekend at Watkins Glen International.
Driving the No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Paramus Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 he took over for co-driver Danny Formal, Marcelli zipped into the lead with just more than nine minutes left in the 50-minute race and zoomed away. It marked the third time Marcelli and Formal have won this year and second straight race following last month’s finale at NOLA Motorsports Park.
Starting from the overall and Pro class pole in the series-record 36-car field, Formal held the lead until making his mandatory pit stop for the driver change with 28 minutes remaining. Once the pit cycle completed for all teams, Marcelli trailed Giano Taurino in the No. 88 Taurino Racing by D Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán.
Marcelli bided his time on Taurino’s bumper for more than 10 minutes before smoothly sailing inside and into the lead exiting the Boot section of the 3.4-mile road course. Marcelli went on to win by 4.292 seconds over Edoardo Liberati, solo driver of the No. 27 Dream Racing Motorsport, Lamborghini Las Vegas Huracán.
“We had a good race car underneath us and I was kind of in the catbird seat,” Marcelli said of his laps behind Taurino. “I was just waiting for the right moment and didn’t want to be foolish. You really had to be methodical, and I knew if it was going to happen, it was going to happen in a slow section of the track. Just had to wait for the right opportunity and it finally came.”
Marcelli will start from the pole position in Saturday’s race that streams live on Peacock and IMSA.com/TVLive at 12:10 p.m. ET.
“Big points race for us and two poles (earned in morning qualifying), so that’s two points more,” Formal said. “Super happy and super excited for Race 2 tomorrow and hopefully we can get our first perfect weekend.”
Sebastian Carazo and Bryan Ortiz made it two wins in a row in ProAm, cruising to a 6.752-second win in the No. 47 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán. Second place went to Ashton Harrison and Tom Long in the No. 25 Harrison Contracting with Wayne Taylor Racing, Lamborghini Paramus Huracán.
“Sebastian did a great job on the first stint, stayed out of trouble, then I jumped in and it was a clean race,” Ortiz said. “I was with a pack of the Pro guys and I didn’t want to be in their race too much since we were pretty comfortable in the (ProAm) lead.”
Teammate Carazo added, “It definitely feels great being able to go back-to-back. It’s good points for the championship. We just need to keep working on it and keep being consistent.”
Shehan Chandrasoma built enough of a cushion in the Am class that he was able to survive a last-lap spin on his own and still win in the No. 19 MCR racing, Lamborghini Austin Huracán. It gave the series newcomer his second straight victory as well.
“I had no radio, had no idea where I was, how many minutes were left,” Chandrasoma said. “I just kept on and tried to do a safe speed, consistent race. I ended up having a little spin at the last lap. Apparently, I was 15 seconds ahead so I was very lucky.”
In LB Cup, Scott Schmidt crossed the finish line second but was awarded the class victory in the No. 38 TPC Racing, Lamborghini Washington Huracán when the No. 54 Dream Racing Motorsport, Lamborghini San Francisco Huracán driven by Charlie Martin and Jason Gagne-Keats was assessed a 1.5-second postrace penalty for their pit stop not meeting the minimum time standard.
It’s the first Lamborghini Super Trofeo win for Schmidt, whose best previous finish was second place in the 2020 season finale at Sebring International Raceway when he was paired in the Am class with Trevor Andrusko, his driver coach. Andrusko was in Schmidt’s ear on the radio Friday, alerting Schmidt to the impending penalty for the No. 54 in front of him.
“He said, ‘I want you on their bumper,’’ Schmidt said. “For those last two or three laps, it was just push, push, push the car. I got into (Turn) 7, got a little sideways, recovered and back at it, and finished up within that second and a half and got victory No. 1. First ever, it was awesome!”