Lamborghini Super Trofeo 2024 – Round 1 Sepang Race 1

On May 4th, 2024, the first round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Challenge season opener took place at the Sepang International Circuit. The Madness Racing Team's four drivers performed excellently in the first race of the event. Car number 88's team, consisting of Jason Chen and Andre Couto, clinched the Pro-Am category championship, bringing home the team's first championship trophy. The team's other car, number 77 driven by Stephen Hong and Harry He, secured fourth place in the Am category, gaining valuable racing experience.

On Saturday morning, heavy rain fell over the Sepang circuit, making the track exceptionally slippery. This meant that the drivers faced a wet qualifying session. At 9:45 AM, the first qualifying session of the season began with all cars using wet tires. Andre Couto and Stephen Hong were the first to go out for their initial runs. Couto, driving car number 88, set multiple fastest laps and secured the fourth position overall with a time of 2:19.497, also claiming the pole position for the Pro-Am category. Stephen Hong maintained a steady pace and successfully completed his first-ever Lamborghini Super Trofeo qualifying session, placing fourth in the Am category.

In the second qualifying session, Jason Chen and Harry He took over the cars. Due to the continuing wet conditions, their goal was simply to complete the session safely. Jason Chen ultimately secured second place in his category with a time of 2:24.555, while Harry He finished fourth.

After a break at noon, the season opener of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Challenge officially began. As the red lights went out on the gantry, signalling the start of the race, Andre Couto, starting from fourth position, unfortunately got caught between other cars in Turn 1, causing damage to car number 88 and losing some positions. However, Couto quickly recovered and began to chase aggressively. Meanwhile, Stephen Hong in car number 77 had an excellent start, gaining two positions to reach tenth place overall and third in his category.

During the first half of the race, Andre Couto continued to make progress, overtaking several cars to regain positions lost in the first lap incident. As the race progressed, the team decided to extend the stints of their starting drivers to improve track position. After mandatory pit stops for driver changes, car number 88 rose to third place overall, maintaining a comfortable lead in their category. Car number 77 also remained stable in the top five of their category.

In the final 10 minutes, Jason Chen, driving car number 88, maintained a strong pace to hold onto third place overall. Despite pressure from behind, he chose not to defend aggressively in order to secure the category win. Ultimately, Madness Racing Team's car number 88 crossed the finish line in fifth place overall, with Jason Chen and Andre Couto claiming victory in the Pro-Am category.

In the closing stages of the race, Harry He in car number 77 executed a brilliant overtaking maneuver, reclaiming fourth place in his category and tenth overall. Car number 77 performed consistently throughout the race, finishing tenth overall in the team's debut, with Stephen Hong and Harry He securing fourth place in the Am category.

On Sunday morning, Madness Racing Team will face the second round of the season, with the entire team striving for success. Let's look forward to the exciting performances of all four drivers!