Podium Success for Lamborghini in New GT Super Sprint Challenge at Shanghai Circuit 09.05.2021: • Xu Jia second in opening GTSSC race at Shanghai International Circuit • Ray Lou leads Super Trofeo Class after two races • New all-Am series marks Asian debut for Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo in GT2 specification

•    Xu Jia second in opening GTSSC race at Shanghai International Circuit

•    Ray Lou leads Super Trofeo Class after two races

•    New all-Am series marks Asian debut for Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo in GT2 specification




Lamborghini celebrated success on the podium in the opening round of the new GT Super Sprint Challenge (GTSSC). Sunday’s two races saw six Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo entries and a further four Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo cars running in GT2 specification take to the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit for the season-opener of the five-round, 10-race, all-Am series.



Xu Jia, in the no. 99 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo, finished second in the opening race. Although the Climax Racing driver crossed the line in third, he was later promoted a place following a penalty to the race winner.



Xu’s teammate Hu Yuqi was second on the GT3 Am podium and celebrated a fifth-place finish overall, while Grid Motorsport’s Bei Siling was third in the category. In the GT3 Am Masters category, Yao Liangbo of Phantom Pro Racing finished third on the podium.



Ray Lou of TRT Racing took top Super Trofeo Class honours in race one, with fellow team mates Adolf Lee and Kang Zhilong second and third on the podium, respectively. Its own points-scoring championship within the GTSCC, the Super Trofeo Class is for competitors racing the GT2 specification of the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo.



In the second race of the weekend, Yao won the GT3 Am Masters category, crossing the line sixth overall after 12 laps of intense racing. The Super Trofeo class win went to Kang, with Lou joining the TRT Racing driver on the podium in second place. Lou’s first and second-place finishes this weekend give him the edge in the Super Trofeo classification, just ahead of Kang.



Race 1



Xu was the fastest of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo entries during Saturday’s single qualifying session, earning himself a place on the second row for the opening race of the season. Xu got off to a strong start gaining two places on the opening lap and had his sights firmly set on the race lead.



 But following a brief safety car period, Xu lost out in the battle at the restart, dropping down the order to fourth, before gaining a place in the closing stages of the race.



In the Super Trofeo Class, Lee topped the time sheets in Saturday’s qualifying session, but with teammates and class rivals in Lou, Dino Sun of 300+ Motorsport and Kang starting just behind, the race was sure to be competitive.  Lou in the no. 66 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo got the edge on the opening lap and would go to win the class and finished eighth overall.




Race 2



With the results from race 1 setting the grid for race 2, Xu’s success earned him an enviable spot on the front row for the second race of the day, while Hu started the second 27-minute sprint from the third row. Bei and Lou lined up alongside each other on row four.  



Xu came under pressure at the start, dropping a place before contact with a rival forced an early retirement. At the end of the opening lap, Lou led the Super Trofeo class and was running sixth overall, with Bei and Hu rounding out the top ten.  Hu continued to push and a couple of laps later had climbed up to sixth overall. However, Hu’s hopes for a second class podium were dashed when another car made contact with him, prematurely ending his race four laps from the flag.



Yao, who had taken an early Am Masters lead, continued his strong pace, leading the class while moving up to sixth overall in the closing stages. In the Super Trofeo class, Lee found a way past Lou, before Kang took the lead ahead of both his rivals.



Round 2 of the GTSSC is set for June 12-13 at Zhuzhou International Circuit in China’s Hunan Province.




GT Super Sprint Challenge Round 1 results


Race 1

GT3 Class

2nd overall and AM+/#99. Xu Jia/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
5th overall and 2nd Am/#63. Hu Yuqi/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
7th overall and 3rd Am/#840. Bei Siling/Grid Motorsport/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
10th overall and 4th Am/#23. Tang Ruobin/Climax Racing/ Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
13th overall and 3rd Am Masters/#67. Yao Liangbo/Phantom Pro Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
17th overall and 8th Am/#19. Zhou Liyuan/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo



Super Trofeo Class

1st/#66. Ray Lou/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
2nd/11. Adolf Lee/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
3rd/#818. Kang Zhilong/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
DNF/#181. Dino Sun/300+ Motorsport/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo




Race 2

GT3 Class

6th overall and 1st Am Masters/#67. Yao Liangbo/Phantom Pro Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
9th overall and 4th Am/#19. Zhou Liyuan/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
10th overall and 5th Am/#23. Tang Ruobin/Climax Racing/ Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
12th and 6th Am/#840. Bei Siling/Grid Motorsport/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
DNF/#63. Hu Yuqi/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo
DNF/#99. Xu Jia/Climax Racing/Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo



Super Trofeo Class

1st/#818. Kang Zhilong/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
2nd/#66. Ray Lou/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
3rd/#11. Adolf Lee/TRT/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
DNS/#181. Dino Sun/300+ Motorsport/Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo
           



Emanuele Camerini- photos Lamborghini