LEEDS, ALABAMA (April 7, 2019) – Precision Performance Motorsports kicked off the 2019 Lamborghini Super Trofeo season in winning fashion following the opening rounds at Barber Motorsports Park. A breakthrough Race 1 victory for Conor Daly and Brandon Gdovic highlighted a bittersweet weekend for the No. 46 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO. Steve Dunn racked up a pair of podiums in his No. 11 Killer Dana Lamborghini with a second and third place finish in the Am category.
“Winning Race 1 of the season is what we strive for – so yes, I’m proud of the effort from the entire Precision Performance Motorsports team. Even though we had a hiccup in Race 2 with a mechanical, we still racked up points for the championship,” said PPM Team Manager, Sunny Voelker. “Yesterday Brandon had an awesome start bringing us up to the lead and Conor showed his ability to get up to speed in this new car by bringing it home P1 against a hard charge by the Change 29 car. We couldn’t have asked for more. There’s a good chemistry between all three of our drivers we’ll be in the fight for the championship in both classes.
– Race 1 –
An impressive first two corners of Race 1 saw Gdovic jump two positions to second, while Dunn built himself a comfortable gap, running third in the Am-class. Amidst Gdovic’s push forward, the leader was issued a drive through penalty, which allowed him to advance to the front.
Just as the mandatory pit window opened, Gdovic pitted the No. 46 Lamborghini and handed the controls off to Daly, who reentered in the second position. Dunn followed suit the next lap and rejoined the field third in the Am category, where he ultimately finished the race.
It didn’t take long before Daly found himself in a three-way battle with Lewis and Ockey, who he eventually dove around for the top slot. From there, Daly increased his lead margin to just under two seconds where he took the checkered flag, claiming the overall victory for himself, Gdovic and the PPM team.
– Race 2 –
A promising start to Race 2 saw Daly maneuver the No. 46 Lamborghini up two positions in the opening laps. The Indianapolis native was having a strong run for third when the No. 46 lost a wheel as a result of a tire puncture, hampering its fight for another victory. The team was quick to access the issue, allowing Daly to rejoin the field two laps down. Once the pit window opened, he handed the controls over to Gdovic who maintained his composure and drove the PPM machine to what ultimately ended up being a third place in Pro/Pro
Despite the incident the duo was able to accumulate valuable points this weekend and leave Barber Motorsports Park second in the championship standings with a three point deflect to the leaders.
Dunn bested his Race 1 finish with a second-place podium for the No. 11 Killer Dana Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO. Despite a drive through penalty following the pit window, the Colorado native was able to put his head down and earn himself a podium sweep at Barber Motorsports Park.
With Rounds 1 and 2 complete, the series continues at Watkins Glen International on June 29 and 30. A recap of this weekend’s races can be seen on NBCSN on Friday, April 19 at 1 p.m. EDT.
Driver Quotes:
Brandon Gdovic | Driver, No. 46 Precision Performance Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO – “Overall it was a good way to start the year. It has been a learning process because I have not raced at Barber Motorsports Park, but it was great to get a win in the first race of the season. We also just received this car from Italy and have not had the time to properly sort it out. I was actually looking forward to our qualifying position in Race 1 because I knew that outside line would be a good place to start so I jumped into second after the first two corners. I struggled a bit with the car, so I was just trying to keep everyone behind me. Fortunately, I was able to do so and Conor had a great stint so we were able to bring home the first-place trophy. Today’s result was unfortunate, but we’re leaving the weekend with some good championship points so we couldn’t ask for more.”
Conor Daly | Driver, No. 46 Precision Performance Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO – “It was fun to get out there and push hard this weekend. It was tough because I know this track but not really the car and Brandon is the opposite. When you look at our times, we knew we were fast but hadn’t been able to put it together until race day so it was fun to get out there and learn more about the car. The competition was a little hectic, traffic was a little wild. We struggled with some stuff in the beginning and had to work through some things, so it was nice to be able to get a win in Race 1. Even with today’s incident, it was great weekend overall. The team did a great job, Brandon did a great job at the start and I am thankful for the opportunity to drive for Precision Performance Motorsports and Lamborghini Palm Beach.”
Steve Dunn | Driver, No. 11 Killer Dana Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO – “This season has already made the biggest difference, just getting to work with Brandon Gdovic and Conor Daly. They have taught me things about the car that I genuinely trust and helped me to make a quantum leap. Now I can really drive confidently. I trust the team, the car, and how it handles. Now I’m excited and ready for the season.”