Stavelot, Belgium – July 29, 2022 – The raw emotion felt in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa paddock was unlike anything K-PAX Racing could have imagined. Andrea Caldarelli was greeted by warm embraces by the team, as it celebrated one of its most significant accomplishments in its history. K-PAX Racing will start in pole-position for Saturday’s race, after a strong Super Pole performance that cemented the team as a legitimate contender in arguably GT3 racing’s most competitive field of the year.
“Pole at the 24 Hours of Spa…,” K-PAX Racing Program Manager Darren Law said. “This is a phenomenal achievement and has so many important milestones for us as a team and Lamborghini as a manufacturer.”
K-PAX Racing laid the groundwork during Thursday qualifying, as it advanced to the Super Pole by finishing with the third-best combined qualifying time amongst its three drivers. Jordan Pepper gave a strong introduction of the No. 6 Orange1 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, setting the second-fastest qualifying time in his group of 2:16.905. Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli were challenged by on-track traffic in their sessions – Caldarelli finishing sixth (2:17.434) in the Pro Cup field and Mapelli 17th (2:17.373).
Caldarelli was slated by the team to compete with the field’s top-20 teams to set the grid. He was able to find enough space to hit each sector at a blistering pace, ultimately posting a pole-setting 2:16.221 on his penultimate lap. The lap-time set a new event GT3 qualifying record by about two-tenths of a second. Lamborghini Squadra Corse shares the glory of finishing on pole, as it is the manufacturer’s first during the 24 Hours of Spa. K-PAX Racing also becomes the first American team to earn pole-position in 74 editions of the event.
“As we constantly state: ‘This is the biggest GT3 race in the world,’” Law said. “We are competing against the best drivers and the best teams worldwide. For K-PAX Racing to qualify on pole in only our second attempt at this race and to be the first American based team to do that in 74 years is remarkable.”
“Then to give Lamborghini their first pole ever at the 24 Hours of Spa and break the [qualifying] track record is amazing and a testament to the level of support Lamborghini Squadra Corse has provided us through this collaboration. It has been a lot of effort and hard work for the team and drivers. As nice as it is to get pole, now the real work begins, this is a long race and unpredictable but a great way to start the event.”
The green flag of the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa is set to drop tomorrow, July 30 at 16:45. For event details and to follow the action, visit totalenergies24hours.com.
DRIVER QUOTES:
Andrea Caldarelli – No. 6 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “I’m super happy about the result. The team, Jordan [Pepper] and Marco [Mapelli] all did an amazing job. They were able to give me the car for the Super Pole, and as one of the last to start, it played a good role in our result. It’s going to be a long race, but it feels good to start on pole. It’s going to be quite tough with all the competitors, but we’re going to push for a great result. I’m very happy to be the first pole position in the history of Lamborghini at the 24 Hours of Spa. We’ll keep pushing.”
Marco Mapelli – No. 6 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “It was definitely a nice day for everybody, and it’s a great way to start a 24-hour race. We are confident and ready to go.”
Jordan Pepper – No. 6 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – “We’re super ecstatic about qualifying. Andrea [Caldarelli] did an amazing job. It’s a long race, but to be the first Lamborghini on pole position in history is incredible. The first part of the job is done. Now, the pressure is on for tomorrow. It’s a long 24-hour race, so we have to put our heads down.”
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