Kiwi driver Will Bamber and American teammate Elias De La Torre delivered a commanding performance at Watkins Glen International, securing a double victory in the Pro class during Round 3 of the 2025 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series.
Representing TR3 Racing and Lamborghini Miami, the pairing executed a flawless weekend that not only marked their first wins of the season but also vaulted them into the championship lead.
Heading into the weekend, Bamber and De La Torre benefitted from a productive two-day test on the new Hankook L63H tyre compound introduced for this round.
The improved grip and durability gave the duo confidence in their Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 heading into qualifying.
“We scored maximum points with pole positions and victories in both races. This was a massive result for us, our first wins of the year and my first in North America.” said Bamber.
The Kiwi highlighted the importance of their preparation, noting the adaptation required as track conditions shifted between testing and race day.
We had a lot to cover during testing, and fortunately, we found a solid balance that carried into the race weekend. Although, the conditions did catch us out with a significant shift in car balance from the test to the races,” Bamber explained.
Despite the challenges, the pair secured pole position for both races, with Bamber lauding the performance of the Lamborghini in the cool morning temperatures.
“Running flat through the Esses and watching the delta drop on the dash is an amazing feeling,” he added.
Race 1:
In Saturday’s opening race, Bamber took the start and slotted into second position behind the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing entry of Danny Formal and Hampus Ericsson.
Conscious of tyre management and track position, Bamber maintained pressure while keeping the championship in mind.
“It was important to stay in touch with the leader, look after tyres and maximise any opportunity during the pit stop. By the time of the pit stop, the No.1 car was leading by just over 3 seconds, so I knew we could still catch them,” Bamber said.
The turning point came during a late-race restart when several cars, including their main title rivals, were penalised for short pit stops.
As the Wayne Taylor Racing car pulled into pit lane on the final lap to serve a drive-through penalty, De La Torre surged through Turn 11 and claimed the checkered flag, 1.8 seconds ahead of the field, delivering their maiden win of the campaign.
Race 2:
Sunday’s second 50-minute contest was disrupted mainly by an early caution, reducing the amount of green flag racing before the pit window opened. De La Torre capitalised on the restart, launching into a commanding lead before handing over to Bamber.
“Thankfully, the start was good, the restart was even better, and Will was able to bring it home,” said De La Torre.
Following a clean pit stop, Bamber rejoined with a comfortable margin and controlled the race from the front, crossing the finish line nearly eight seconds clear of their nearest competitors. It was a statement victory that underscored their growing chemistry and TR3 Racing’s rise to the top of the standings.
“For me, it just goes down to this team,” said Bamber.
“TR3 and everybody involved in the organisation have been working so hard. This young kid here (Elias De La Torre) has got a huge future. He’s absolutely killed the start and restart, too.
“For us starting out this year, we worked together so well; I was his engineer last year, which is pretty cool. And now we’re driving together, so very special for us. We’re just going from strength to strength.”
With back-to-back victories, the duo became just the third pairing this season to sweep a weekend in the Pro class. The perfect result has propelled them into the Pro championship lead, eight points ahead of their closest rival, Nick Persing.
Brendon Leitch’s Weekend Unravels Before It Begins
While one Kiwi was celebrating on the top step of the podium, Brendon Leitch faced a far tougher weekend at The Glen.
Slated to co-drive in the Pro-Am class with Anthony McIntosh for Wayne Taylor Racing, Leitch’s weekend was disrupted before racing even began.
When McIntosh was unable to make it to the circuit for Race 1, Leitch was penalised for not having a second driver—a requirement in the Pro-Am category and was forced to start from the back of the grid.
Despite his best efforts, Leitch was unable to recover in the tightly packed field and crossed the line 35th out of 36 cars.
With McIntosh still unavailable for Sunday’s Race 2 and the rules mandating two drivers for class eligibility, Leitch was unable to participate, resulting in a DNS and leaving Watkins Glen without any points for the round.
It was a tough blow for the Kiwi, who had been hoping to reignite his season after limited running in 2025, having focused primarily on his Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia campaign earlier in the year.
With three race weekends remaining, Bamber and De La Torre are firmly in the title hunt. De La Torre remains cautiously optimistic about their momentum and Leitch will look to bounce back from a weekend of setbacks.
“We’ve had great consistent driving; we’ve kept pace and managed it well,” said De La Torre.
“We still have three race weekends to go and to focus on, lots to build on, but I think we have the team to do it.”
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series continues with Round 4 at Road America in Wisconsin from 1 to August 3.
Header Image: TR3 Racing
