Lamborghini created motor sport history in Asia this weekend at Inje in South Korea when the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series took place for the very first time.
This eagerly awaited Korean debut marks the third round of this year’s extraordinary championship, hosted at the country’s brand new International Circuit, Inje Speedium. Korean motor racing tasted spectacular success as Ryu Si-Won, the first ever contestant from Korea, took consecutive victories in Group B of Race 1 and 2.
Jointly hosted by Automobili Lamborghini and Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Blancpain, this race brought drivers, their friends and families from across Asia to the remote region of Inje, South Korea. Friday’s practice session was rather essential as the drivers made their first acquaintance with Inje Speedium, the shortest track in this year’s Super Trofeo Asia Series at 4.2 km. Featuring 20 corners and an abundance of elevation changes, contestants faced a challenging track with equal scope for errors and opportunities. The longest straight at Inje Speedium lies at just 640m long, leaving less room for full acceleration and more for handling and maneuverability, a challenge warmly welcomed by the feature model of this series, the 2013 Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Super Trofeo.
The early afternoon on Saturday saw a heavy downpour, the first time this season, and brought contestants a new dynamic in the 2 qualifying rounds. Clenching pole position with the fastest qualifying times, Zheng Ting and Steven Lin (#66) from China grasped the limelight at this early stage of the race to instantly put themselves ahead of the game. This weekend held particular emotional significance for Korean actor, singer and Lamborghini enthusiast Ryu Si-Won, who was greeted and cheered on by a passionate home crowd, delivering a memorable occasion to all in attendance.
Filling the VIP lounge at this stop in Inje were the Italian sensations of fine cuisine and hospitality, whilst the uncompromising décor of the Lamborghini brand and the exceptional range of luxury timepieces from joint hosts Blancpain, truly brought alive the lounge. After a weekend of impressive racing and passionate celebrations at the award ceremonies, the Super Trofeo will move on to Fuji, Shanghai and finally Macau, where the grand finale will be held. This last stop of the series will coincide with the 60th Macau Grand Prix, where the eyes of the world will fall upon this small seaboard region to bring further climax to the Super Trofeo Asia Series 2013.
