Lamborghini Super Trofeo 2024 – Round 5 Shanghai Race 1

On September 14th, the first race of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Challenge Shanghai round kicked off at the Shanghai International Circuit. The Madness Racing Team was in top form, securing podium finishes in both categories at their home event. Car number 88, driven by Andre Couto and Jason Chen, achieved second place in the Pro-Am category, marking their first podium of the season. Meanwhile, Harry He and Stephen Hong delivered excellent performances, earning third place in the Am category for the third time this season.

At 11:20 AM on Saturday, the qualifying session began with Andre Couto and Stephen Hong leading the charge. Andre Couto pushed hard during the 15-minute session, setting a personal best lap time of 2:04.679, securing second place overall and matching the season's best starting position for car number 88.

Stephen Hong showcased his single-lap pace, driving car number 77 to a lap time of 2:06.008, placing him in the top five overall and securing pole position in the Am category. In the afternoon's first race, the Madness Racing cars lined up in second and fifth positions for the start.

After a brief break, the second qualifying session commenced. Jason Chen and Harry He took over the driving duties for cars 88 and 77, respectively, to compete for the starting positions for the second race. Jason Chen improved upon his practice times, achieving a lap time of 2:08.312 and securing second place in the Pro-Am category. Harry He, driving with a steady pace, qualified fifth in the Am category.

The first race started at 4:00 PM. Andre Couto, starting from the dirty side of the grid, experienced a slight delay but quickly regained second place after the ninth corner. Stephen Hong made a strong start, moving up to fourth overall. By one-third of the race distance, the 88 and 77 cars were in second and fifth places, respectively.

With a car on track having issues, the safety car was deployed, closing up the gaps between competitors. When racing resumed, Couto maintained second place, closely following the leader. Stephen Hong showed strong long-distance pace, holding fifth place overall and first in the Am category.

Mid-race, the team chose to delay their pit stops to maximize Andre Couto's and Stephen Hong’s track time. After the pit window, Jason Chen and Harry He took over for the second half of the race.Jason Chen retained the lead in the Pro-Am category, while Harry He maintained third in the Am category.

Towards the end of the race, due to high tire wear, the 88 car lost positions but Jason Chen managed to adjust his driving and finished second in the Pro-Am category, securing a spot on the podium alongside Andre Couto.

The 77 car finished third in the Am category as the checkered flag was waved. Thanks to the excellent teamwork of all four drivers, the Madness Racing Team achieved a remarkable double podium result at their home event!

With the first race of the Shanghai round concluded, the Madness Racing Team had a strong start with both cars finishing on the podium. The second race will take place on Sunday afternoon at 11:15 AM, and the team will aim to continue their podium streak.