New Zealand’s Marco Giltrap and Chris van der Drift have stormed to an unassailable lead in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia with four races still to run following their victory in the weekend’s finale at Inje Speedium. The duo have claimed six of the eight races over four rounds in 2023, including clean sweeps in the last two rounds at Fuji and Inje, respectively.
The title is van der Drift’s second in the prestigious one-make series following his success in 2019 with Evan Chen.
Having won Saturday’s opener by a comfortable 45 seconds, van der Drift took the starting role in Race 2, beginning off the front row next to talented Venezuelan pro Jonathan Cecotto.
Cecotto led the race away from green with van der Drift on his tail, the duo pulling clear of the field over the opening laps until the pit window opened mid-race. Giltrap was handed the wheel and quickly overcame Cecotto’s Am driving partner over the second stint, taking a 10-second victory for the Lamborghini Auckland entry to secure the title.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia returns to action for Round 5 in Shanghai on September 8-10 before venturing to Europe for the final round at Vallelunga on November 16-17. There they will be supported by the Super Trofeo North America and Super Trofeo Europe fields for their final rounds before the World Finals sees competitors from each series battle it out for the title of world champion.
Brendon Leitch currently leads Super Trofeo Europe and will also be at November’s event, meaning we’ll see three of New Zealand’s best battling it out against one another.
Van der Drift and Giltrap will return to the track this weekend at Sepang, the former competing for Team Shanghai Yonda in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and the latter making his Thai Super Series debut.
Images: Lamborghini Squadra Corse
