Lamborghini and Blancpain – Super Tropheo Asia séries

LAMBORGHINI AND BLANCPAIN MAKE A SPLASH ON WET FUJI
INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY FOR THE SECOND RACE WEEKEND OF
THE SUPER TROFEO ASIA SERIES

Super Trofeo Race Cars Take on a Wet Racetrack at the Fuji International Speedway

July 15, 2012, Fuji, Japan – Set against a misty Mount Fuji in Oyama, Japan, the Fuji International Speedway this weekend played host to 18 “Racing Bulls” scrambling for victory in the second stop of the 2012 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series. Following an exciting first race weekend in May in Sepang, Malaysia, Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini and its luxury watch partner Blancpain left the tropical heat behind and brought their passion for motor racing to the Far-East.
And the level has come up a notch for the Super Trofeo drivers, many of them trying out the Fuji International Speedway for the first time in this supporting race weekend to the Formula Nippon Series. Since its opening in 1965, the Fuji International Speedway has become a household name in the world of motor racing, seeing the likes of Michael Schumacher, Tom Kristensen and more recently Lewis Hamilton top the podium in F3 and F1 Series.
“This race weekend was a real challenge for the drivers. The Fuji track is a tough and fast track, with uphill and downhill turns as well as a very long and therefore very fast straight” said Head of Super Trofeo Asia Series Cristiano Inverni. “Despite the rain we were spoilt with two gripping races. The pure amateur teams especially improved on their performance as they are getting more familiar with the Super Trofeo race car.”
“This round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo is a particular one for Blancpain. It is the symbol of the Manufacture’s attachment to Japan and it is also the symbol of our active presence in the country” explained Blancpain Vice President and Head of Marketing Alain Delamuraz. “We are delighted to see the Super Trofeo Asia paddock stop here on the mythical and sensational Fuji race track. “
Competing on home-ground, amateur drivers Terashima and Yasuoka (#10) came with high hopes of securing a place on the podium. Having won both races in Sepang, however, pro-am team Liu and Rizzo (#37) from China still took to the track as favourites.

With headlights and windscreen wipers switched on, drivers took off in drizzly and foggy conditions for the first race on Saturday. After sliding off due to a wet track, Liu (#37) found himself in last position for a short period, only to race passed competitors and steal bsecond position from Cheng (#2) within four laps. Bo (#3) who started tenth on the grid, maintained the first position until the driver compulsory change, where pro-am driver Rizzo (#37) gained the lead and kept it until the finish line. Meanwhile, amateur team Terashima/Yasuoka (#10) accomplished their goal and finished in second position ahead of bronze winners Chen / Bo (#3). Commenting on differences between Sepang and Fuji, Chen Kenan said: “Sepang was more demanding in terms of endurance because of the heat. Fuji was cooler, but the rain required more skill on technical handling.”
With the sun piercing through, the second race on Sunday afternoon saw the pro-am racing teams lead the race, although showers in the morning made the track even more unpredictable than the previous day. Ramli (#9) from Malaysia took the lead for the first time in the Series, closely followed by Liu/Rizzo (#37) for several laps. But the favourite team from China managed once more to secure victory, 5 seconds ahead of Ramli (#9).

Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series

Already in its fourth year in Europe, the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Championship in Asia provides an exclusive platform for Gentlemen drivers, entering individually or in teams of two, to compete at the wheel of the bespoke Lamborghini Super Trofeo race car in one of the world’s fastest one-make Series. The Gentlemen drivers are divided into two categories: pure amateurs, and pro-amateurs. Each race therefore ends with two podium ceremonies: one irrespective of the driver category, and one for pure amateur drivers only. With 18 provisional teams coming from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, the Asia Series is the perfect platform to witness the brand’s extreme, uncompromising and quintessentially Italian Super Trofeo race cars.

Each race weekend is organized as follows:
– One practice session (50mn)
– One qualifying race (35mn)
– Two official races (50mn each) – compulsory driver change/pit stop from minute 20 to minute 30.

2012 Calendar

Official test: April 28 to 29 Sepang, Malaysia
Event 1: May 26 to 27 Sepang, Malaysia
Event 2: July 14 to 15 Fuji, Japan
Event 3: August 18 to 19 Ordos, China
Event 4: September 22 to 23 Guangzhou, China
Event 5: October 6 to 7 Penbay, Taiwan
Event 6: November 10 to 11 Shanghai, China

For more information/photos on the Super Trofeo Asia Series, please visit:
http://ftp.supertrofeo.com

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.

Founded in 1963, Automobili Lamborghini is headquartered in Sant’Agata Bolognese, in Northeastern Italy. There it manufactures some of the world’s most sought-after super sports cars.
With the introduction of the best-in-class Aventador LP 700-4 in 2011 and with this year’s presentation of the SUV concept car Urus at the Beijing Auto Show, Lamborghini has marked another milestone in the history of luxury super sports cars.
With more than 120 dealerships worldwide, Automobili Lamborghini is building on a succession of dynamic and elegant super sports cars including the 350GT, Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, Reventón Coupe, Reventón Roadster, Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé and Spyder, Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and the open version LP 570-4 Spyder Performante.
For more information on Automobili Lamborghini, please visit:
www.lamborghini.com
For more photos, please visit:
http://www.lamborghini.com/press
For more videos, please visit:
http://www.thenewsmarket.com/lamborghini

Blancpain, a tradition of innovation for over 275 years

In 1735, Jehan-Jacques Blancpain began his watchmaking activity and installed his first workshop on his family home in Villeret, a village in the Swiss Jura mountains. Throughout its history, Blancpain has succeeded in maintaining solid continuity in its capacity for innovation and its respect for traditional horological values. Whether by perfecting complications, designs and production methods, or by exploring new horizons, the Manufacture has been devoted for more than 275 years to taking the art of watchmaking to places it has never yet ventured. From the first models to the prestigious timepieces currently emerging from its workshops, Blancpain has forged an authentic tradition of innovation. The key to its success lies in the mastery of all fields involved in making an exceptional mechanical timepiece – from the creation of the movement and its components through to the functional design of the watch, along with the choice of materials and the extremely refined and entirely hand-crafted finishing.
Without ever straying from its precious heritage, the brand steadfastly pursues its quest for performance, precision and elegance by offering a range of exceptional timepieces equipped with the most sophisticated horological complications. The nature of its collections – including the pure lines of the Villeret, the efficient complexity of Le Brassus, and the avant-garde design of L evolution – is firmly rooted in watchmaking traditions while constantly pushing them towards new limits. In the same way, the ladies’ collection celebrates beauty and refinement, while the Fifty Fathoms collection is composed of instrument watches that are ready to face any situation.
In four years of involvement in motor sport, Blancpain has unremittingly strengthened its presence in this compelling activity: partner of Lamborghini and title sponsor of the “Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo” since 2009, official timekeeper of the FIA GT1 world championship since 2010; title sponsor of the “Blancpain Endurance Series” and official partner in the “ADAC GT Masters” championship since 2011.
For more information on Blancpain, please visit:
www.blancpain.com

Pirelli
One of the world’s largest tyre manufacturers and sole OEM supplier to Automobili Lamborghini, Pirelli partners the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia series. With a successful motorsport heritage across rally, sports cars and Formula One, Pirelli is a world leader in both original equipment and the aftermarket, with 24 factories in 12 countries around the world.
For more information on Pirelli, please visit:
http://www.pirelli.com