Will Bamber’s first outing with XONINE Racing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America championship showed early promise before heartbreak struck in Race 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Teaming up with new co-driver Darius Trinka, Bamber entered the weekend beginning a fresh chapter after departing TR3 Racing, where he had enjoyed a perfect start to the season. Just six weeks ago at Sebring, the Kiwi claimed victory in both opening races alongside Elias De La Torre, leaving the opening round as championship leader.
Arriving at Laguna Seca, Bamber and Trinka immediately demonstrated strong pace, qualifying second to secure a front-row start for the opening race. Lining up alongside them on pole were De La Torre and his new co-driver Dennis Lind, who stepped into the seat vacated by Bamber.
At the start, Lind held firm under pressure, maintaining the lead into Turn 1 while Bamber slotted into second, keeping close contact through the opening lap. Hampus Eriksson settled into third as the front-runners began to establish an early rhythm.
The race was quickly neutralised when the #55 Pro class entry of Avery Towns became stranded in the gravel on the opening lap, prompting a full-course yellow. Racing resumed with 36 minutes remaining, and Lind wasted no time stretching his advantage, edging out a small but consistent gap over Bamber.
As the race approached the midpoint, the leading pair began to break away from the field, with the gap between Lind and Bamber hovering around the one-second mark, while Eriksson trailed a further 3.3 seconds back. The mandatory pit window opened with 29 minutes remaining, triggering a wave of strategic stops.
Lind was among the first to dive in, handing over to De La Torre with 27 minutes to go. Bamber responded on the following lap, bringing the XONINE entry in for Trinka to take over driving duties.
However, shortly after rejoining, disaster struck. Trinka was forced to pull the car off the track with a terminal mechanical issue, bringing an abrupt end to what had been a highly competitive run. In a quick-thinking move, Trinka reversed the car behind the barrier, allowing the race to continue under green-flag conditions.
Up front, the battle for victory took a dramatic turn in the closing stages. With just 10 minutes remaining, De La Torre—who had controlled much of the race—was spun after contact with Persing while navigating lapped traffic. The incident handed Persing the lead, although race control issued him a 10-second time penalty for the contact.
Persing pushed hard in the final laps, building a crucial buffer. Despite pressure from Tommi Gore, who briefly dropped De La Torre to third, De La Torre regained the position but was unable to close the gap sufficiently.
Crossing the line with a 10.9-second advantage, Persing did just enough to secure victory after the penalty was applied, ultimately winning by 1.274 seconds. De La Torre and Lind finished second, while Gore and co-driver Nico Jamin completed the podium.
For Bamber, Trinka, and the XONINE Racing squad, it was a frustrating end to a weekend that had shown significant potential from the outset.
Attention now turns to Race 2, scheduled for Monday 4 May at 5:35am NZST, where the team will be aiming to bounce back.
Header Image: Jamey Price/Lamborghini
