Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Pro-Am Title Battle Goes To The Wire As Season Concludes
The 2011 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Pro-Am Drivers’ title battle went to the last race of the 18-round season, illustrating the competitiveness of the one-make series. After the final chequered flag it was Switzerland’s Cédric Leimer taking the Pro Am title in Barcelona, Spain, on 30 October 2011, joining Autocarrozzeria Imperiale S.R.L. on the podium to take the teams’ title.
Talented gentleman driver C. Leimer went into the weekend as one of three title contenders, with Italy’s Matteo Zucchi and Austria’s Gerhard Tweraser also in contention, but a win and two second-place finishes saw C. Leimer crowned champion.
Joining the season’s awards ceremony was Italian Fabio Babini, who secured the 2011 Pro Drivers’ title during the penultimate race weekend in Hockenheim.
New faces for the finale included the FIA GT3 European Championship’s Bernard Delhez and Dimitri Enjalbert, who claimed victory in race one to start their Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo experience in style, as well as France’s Auto Hebdo journalist Romain Bernard, who earned a podium finish in race two alongside chief Lamborghini test driver Giorgio Sanna.
Former Indy Lights racer Carmen Jorda and Italian Superstars Series’ Francesca Linossi, joined the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo in Spain with the latter earning crucial points to confirm Autocarrozzeria Imperiale S.R.L. as Teams’ Champion.
“I’m very happy to be Pro-Am Champion,” said C. Leimer. “I’m really surprised to have won the title; at the beginning of the weekend I was hoping to finish second or third.
“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet that I am the champion. I want to thank everyone at Autovitesse Garage R. Affolter for their support this season.”
Qualifying
Reiter’s Dutch duo of Peter Kox and Nico Pronk sealed pole position in qualifying, posting a fastest lap time of 1:52.789, while Zucchi boosted his chances of securing the Pro-Am title by taking second on the grid with Babini.
Round 16
The debutant pairing of Enjalbert and Delhez stunned the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo grid by taking victory in their first race with the series. Starting from sixth, Delhez climbed up to third by the beginning of the pit window.
Enjalbert assumed control and proceeed to move up to second behind C. Leimer, who led the race despite taking an early drive-through penalty. The French racer then overtook his Swiss counterpart two laps from the end of the race for victory, with pole-sitters Kox and Pronk taking third.
“It was a fantastic result, especially considering we haven’t raced together for about six months,” said Enjalbert. “Both Bernard and I love Lamborghini cars, so to have come here and won is a fantastic feeling.”
Round 17
In a spectacularly close finish, Autovitesse Garage R. Affolter’s C. Leimer secured race two victory by just 0.064s to overhaul Zucchi at the top of the Pro-Am Standings after the Italian retired due to damage sustained after contact with Simone Iacone in the #20.
The Swiss racer clinched the win from Gerhard Tweraser, bravely fending off the Austrian racer in the closing stages, while Sanna took third alongside Bernard.
“Wow, what a race!” exclaimed C. Leimer. “I could see the #22 go back to the paddock and I feel sorry for Zucchi as I had the same problem at Spa. But that’s racing!”
Round 18
Tweraser made up for the disappointment of missing out on title glory by winning the final race of the season. The Austrian overtook pole-sitter C. Leimer on lap eight, before his co-pilot Filip Sladecka took to the track.
Slovakian Sladecka went from strength to strength, holding off C. Leimer, who won the title courtesy of finishing ahead of third-placed pairing Zucchi and Babini.
“Unfortunately this victory is just a little bit too late,” said Tweraser. “We did what we could but our performance in race one cost us the championship, however I’m delighted to have fought for a title in my first season of sports car racing.”
The Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo will return in 2012 and 2013, with a sister series launching in Asia next year.
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