This January, Lamborghini will join Volkswagen Group siblings Audi, Porsche and maybe even Bentley at this year’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for the first time ever. Competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD category with multiple customer racing teams and Squadra Corse’s support, the Lamborghini’s aim to increase motorsport notoriety for the brand within the United States. This announcement is sure to be the first of many announcements, as IMSA adopts traditional GT3 regulations for the 2016 season.
Read more about the Huraćan GT3 below.
- Huracán GT3 Customer Teams to represent Lamborghini Squadra Corse in first 24 hours of Daytona appearance
Sant’Agata Bolognese. The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will make its North American GT3 racing debut with confirmed entries into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class in 2016.
The official debut will be in the 24 Hours at Daytona on Jan. 30-31 with multiple customer teams, continuing Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s tradition of customer support. There will be no factory entries, but all customer-racing teams will have factory support.
Lamborghini’s move into GTD comes as the class adopts the 2016 FIA GT3 specifications for all of its entries.
“We are only focused and committed to customer racing,” Automobili Lamborghini Head of Motorsport Giorgio Sanna said. “For us, GT3 is the pinnacle of our strategy. We are excited to make this next step in North America as our motorsport program competes for the first time in Lamborghini history in the 24 Hours at Daytona and in multiple full-season GTD efforts.”
The 585-horsepower Huracán GT3 was born from a desire to offer factory-built and supported cars to customers worldwide. It is the first GT3 car to be fully engineered, developed and assembled internally by Automobili Lamborghini.
The move to GT3 racing in North America is the exciting next step as the Lamborghini Motorsport program continues to build its racing ladder. The GT3 program is the top step of an impressive pyramid, which includes Lamborghini Esperienza and Accademia and three Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series worldwide.
There are direct connections between two of the confirmed GT3 entries and Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America, which is in its third season. Change Racing and O’Gara Motorsports both will add Lamborghini Huracán GT3 programs in addition to their existing Super Trofeo North America efforts in 2016. In addition Konrad Motorsport, a powerful Super Trofeo Europe team, has confirmed participation in the 24 Hours at Daytona with the Huracán GT3.
Change Racing has been in the fold since the North American series inception in 2013. Change Racing is a past team champion and has fielded the driver champion two years in a row, in addition to winning the 2014 Pro-Am Super Trofeo World Finals.
“I’m very proud to have the opportunity to grow our relationship with Lamborghini and compliment our Super Trofeo program with a GTD effort for 2016,” Change Racing Team Principal Robby Benton said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to build a resume and footprint in the North American Super Trofeo Series and this is a logical next step for us. Lamborghini Squadra Corse has a very talented group supporting its customer-racing program. I have a lot of confidence in Lamborghini Squadra Corse and its vision for 2016.”
O’Gara Motorsport team owner Tom O’Gara has been involved with the Super Trofeo series in North American since 2013, but this is the first year for the team as a solo entrant. The team leads the championship in the team and Pro and Amateur driver categories.
“We are very excited that O’Gara Motorsport will be participating in the inaugural season of the Lamborghini GT3 program in North America,” O’Gara Motorsport Team Owner Tom O’Gara said. “We’ve won several races this season and have led the championship since the first race of our inaugural season of competition as a team. I’m confident that our GTD team next year will continue to showcase their hard work and commitment to achieving the winning tradition that we expect in our organization. We are also happy to create an opportunity for drivers to advance their careers after achieving success in our Super Trofeo program. Our team and I are looking forward to this next challenge.”
Konrad Motorsport fields a three-car effort in Super Trofeo Europe this season. This will be a return appearance to the 24 Hours at Daytona for the team, which is no stranger to endurance racing, but the first with Lamborghini.
“I’m very happy to be back at Daytona with such a famous brand as Lamborghini,” Konrad Motorsport Team Owner Franz Konrad said. “We do have a strong relation with Lamborghini that started back in 1991. We know Daytona well. We have raced there 16 times including the last three years. We also managed to win our classes and we are confident we can keep up our positive streak. Here in Europe we race in Super Trofeo and we are very happy with the product. The natural choice was to move on to GT3 racing. We will line up a car with the possibility of adding a second one.”
The Huracán GT3 will be eligible for all GT3 racing in North America.
The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will be introduced in both North America and Asia, after having already proven itself in Europe this season running in the Blancpain Endurance Series with Grasser Racing Team, where it has won the season opener at Monza (Italy) in April.
LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN GT3 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Chassis
Alu-Carbon hybrid chassis
Full integrated, FIA-compliant roll cage
Curb weight: 2,731 pounds
42/58 front-to-rear weight distribution
Powertrain
585-Horsepower V10, direct-injection engine (subject to FIA BOP)
Sequential six-speed gearbox
ECU by Bosch Motorsport
Safety
Carbon frame 8862 specification seat
FT3 Type Fuel Tank
Six-point safety belts by OMP
7-nozzle fire extinguisher system
Aerodynamics
Developed by Dallara within the FIA performance window
Bodywork
Comprised of composite materials (CFK KEVLAR and Glass Fiber)
Quick fixing system of all body panels
Electronics
Engine Control Bosch 6.4 with data logging, traction control, shift control, display control
Dashboard TFT by Bosch
Front and rear lights are LED
Multifunction steering wheel
Suspension
Front and Rear suspension developed by Dallara
Double wishbone suspension
Two-way adjustable dampers
Hydraulic power steering
Racing brake system with balance bar
The braking system is made up by 380 x 34 mm steel discs at the front (six pot), and 355 x 32mm steel discs at the back (four pot)
Adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars
18-inch mono-lock wheel by APP Tech
Price: 369.000 Euro (without taxes)
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