NTE/SSR, NTE Sport Look to Stand on Podium Steps at Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 3, 2022) — Lamborghini customer racing team NTE Sport takes on the scenic Road America and its 4.048-miles fivefold this week for a packed weekend of racing in Wisconsin. The NTE/SSR WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Lamborghini and the four returning NTE Sport Super Trofeo North America Lamborghinis will be contesting the IMSA Fastlane Sportscar Weekend and are looking for vindication.
“It will be great to be back at Road America with such a group of strong cars,” said NTE Sport owner Paul Mata. “The team has been chipping away at this season and are really starting to show a powerful stride. We have some new drivers to our program this week and I’m looking forward to what we can do over the course of the event.”
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Jaden Conwright and Marco Holzer have again paired up in the NTE/SSR No. 42 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo for the group’s first sprint race since WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May. At the most recent outing for the team in last month’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, Conwright, Holzer, and Don Yount stood poised to earn a strong top-five finish when dangerous weather conditions brought out a red flag. The race resumed an hour later, but the sanctioning body adjusted the minimum required drive times, resulting in penalties throughout the field. The NTE/SSR Lamborghini fell victim to one of the assessed penalties, finishing outside the top ten positions.
With three races remaining in the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the NTE/SSR squad remains more determined than ever to earn a result reflective of the team’s results. This weekend’s two-hour, forty-minute race will host 37 entries in the entire field, with the GTD class standing as the largest field, boasting 11 competitors.
The flowing 4.048 miles and 14 turns of Road America never fail to deliver exciting racing action across the five classes, making the historic road course a fan and participant favorite. While this event marks Conwright’s first time racing at the circuit, one of Holzer’s career highs happened at Road America, when he dramatically secured a pole position with Flying Lizard Motorsports in the American Le Mans Series in 2012.
On-track activities begin on Friday, August 5 for the IMSA WeatherTech competitors. The field will enjoy two practice sessions before setting the grid for the start of the headlining race, the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar Weekend. The race will air live on Peacock on Sunday, August 7, beginning at 10:40 AM Central, and air on the USA Network from 11:00 am to 1:30 PM.
DRIVER QUOTES
Jaden Conwright
I’m looking forward to this coming event at Road America. I’ve never been to the circuit before, but it looks like a very quick track that’ll benefit our Lamborghini Huracan with all its high-speed corners. The last sprint round that we competed in was at Laguna Seca, so I’m looking to continue our momentum. The level of GTD has been very high throughout 2022, but I have full faith in Marco and NTE Sport that we’ll deliver the results that match our expectations.
Marco Holzer
I‘m really looking forward to being back at Road America. It’s my favorite track in the world. I achieved my first ALMS pole position here, and I really hope that luck finally comes to us this weekend. At Watkins Glen, we were set to finish on the podium, but the red flag ended those hopes for us. This weekend, we have the right package of team to make it happen. I can’t wait to be back.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
Last month at Watkins Glen International earmarked the team’s first Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America event as a quartet. Race one and two results included a pole position start, one podium, and five additional top-five in class finishes.
As the NTE Sport’s 2022 Super Trofeo program ebbs and flows, the crew continues to dial in the four Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2s. Having just completed testing at Road America two weeks ago, the group is situated to continue its momentum from the strong performance it delivered in New York in June.
Two more Lamborghini Super Trofeo rounds remain for the North American season, both in August. The championship finale will be the first weekend of November and continues overseas at The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near the city of Portimão in Southern Portugal.
Fred Roberts is returning to Road America with NTE for the next round in the championship in the No. 89. Roberts joined NTE after a short pandemic-related racing hiatus from GT4 America. Finishing third in LB Cup, securing him a podium finish in his debut Super Trofeo race and then a top five finish in his second race, Roberts heads to Wisconsin set to maintain success and pursue progress.
In the No. 66, Jeff Courtney continues his partial-season effort in the Lamborghini. Courtney’s GT4 America wins and podiums demonstrate his growth potential for the car and series. With Road America being his home track, competing this week will lend to what could be a great advantage for him.
New in the NTE No. 43 Lamborghini, Lucas Petersson and Ashley Freiberg look to be a robust duo. After a strong start in UAE F4 and British F3, Petersson will be resuming his racing career after travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He was able to adapt from karts to cars quickly and recorded two race wins, one pole position, and five podium finishes among other accomplishments.
Not new to Super Trofeo or NTE Sport, Freiberg was the first woman globally to podium in the Super Trofeo series in 2017 and co-piloted the McLaren GT4 for three races with NTE in the Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2020. A history of racing achievements lend to what should be a strong reunion at Road America for Freiberg, NTE, and the Lamborghini.
Tiger Tari, will be stepping into the No. 18 Lamborghini for his professional driving debut with Todd Archer. Tari, who owns Star Spangled Racing and has partnered with NTE for this season’s GTD-class Lamborghini, has previously competed in sprint and endurance club races, including with SCCA and the World Racing League. Archer competed in many amateur and semi-pro racing events over the course of 15 years, leading to his earning his IMSA license in 2019. Beginning his IMSA WeatherTech Championship experience in an LMP3 at the end of 2021, he has continued with the LMP3 platform through the 2022 season. Favoring endurance racing, Archer has also competed behind the wheel of the LMP3 in the 10 Hours of Petit Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The Super Trofeo round fours double-header will provide action packed racing on Saturday August 6 at 9:50 AM CT and Sunday August 7 at 1:55 PM CT and will be live streamed on www.imsa.com/tv.
DRIVER QUOTES
Tiger Tari (LB Cup) ][ No. 18 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
I’m really looking forward to making my professional debut in Lamborghini Super Trofeo this weekend at Road America. When Star Spangled Racing got involved with NTE Sport to start this year, we got to know Chris Ward and the Lamborghini Squadra Corse team and really respect how they run this series. I don’t have a lot of experience in this car or at Road America so I’m jumping into the deep end. I’m happy to have Todd under the tent with us and I’ve already seen the great work our crew guys do every week for Paul and NTE, so I know I’ll have a good car. Jaden was a big help coaching at our test and our engineer Michael has our setup dialed in. I’m looking forward to getting off of the pit box and behind the wheel to compete this week.
Todd Archer (LB Cup) ][ No. 18 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
It is truly a rare opportunity to be able to race with such a great friend (Tiger) and such a professional team of people. The track is an American Icon and being able to try and tame it with an amazing car in the Trefeo series is such a rare opportunity. However, it’s now time for us to focus and fight for a podium spot. Also having one of my daughters with me on a race weekend is special but having her with me on her birthday makes me feel like I’m dad of the year. Happy birthday, Bailey!
Lucas Petersson (Am) ][ No. 43 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
I am thrilled to be making my return to racing with a team like NTE Sport, their reputation and overall chemistry within the team amplifies my excitement for the upcoming race weekend. I am excited to showcase the hard work we have all been putting in.
Ashley Freiberg (Am) ][ No. 43 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
I am extremely excited to be back behind the wheel with the NTE Sport crew. The Lamborghini Super Trofeo was one of the most fun and challenging cars I’ve driven, and I’m so grateful to have another opportunity to race one again. Road America is a great track for these cars, I’m looking forward to experiencing the Evo 2 there!
Jeff Courtney (Am) ][ No. 66 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
Road America is my home track, and what a great track it is! I was unable to attend team testing a couple of weeks ago, so I am hoping to benefit from what they learned and continue to improve on my performance in the Lamborghini. It will be really fun to have friends and family around for this event.
Fred Roberts (LB Cup) ][ No. 89 Lamborghini Super Trofeo
I’m really happy to be getting back into the Lamborghini with such a strong first event behind us. Seat time in the platform will be important to continue getting to know the nuances that make it such a unique and fast car. Our goal is to stay clean, run hard, and keep learning. We’re pretty excited about our updated RPM Canada livery, too!
