AUSTIN, TEXAS (September 19, 2016): Derek DeBoer and Jeroen Bleekemolen proved to be an extremely competitive duo at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo races in Austin, Texas. The No. 66 LaSalle Solutions/BRM Chronographes/Racing for Cancer Lamborghini raced to 2nd in the Pro-AM class on Thursday, and 4th on Friday. Both races were part of the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, a convergence of multiple world-class sportscar racing series at one of the most celebrated tracks in the United States.
On Friday’s race, DeBoer took the wheel to drive the Huracán for the first time since April, when he raced the powerful Italian car at Laguna Seca. At the start of this Austin race, as the cars rushed up to the blind corner at the top of Turn 1, several of TRG’s competitors lost control of their cars. Derek was able to weave through the pack swiftly and safely, maintaining a 4th in class position. Bleekemolen took over during the driver switch, taking the car all the way to 2nd. The Dutch racer showed natural talent for the notoriously ferocious Lamborghini, narrowly missing 1st place by less than .4 seconds.
Bleekemolen and DeBoer shared a TRG podium for the first time, standing on the same balcony used by Formula 1 US Grand Prix winners. After the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Champagne and trophy ceremony, all of TRG’s guests and partners were invited on to the podium to take part in experiencing a team celebrations. One group of new partners is RingCentral, the cloud enterprise communications and collaboration application provider with offices based around the globe. The company is using TRG’s race hospitality and event weekend to provide incredible, unique experiences for their guests, such as this podium celebration. The team is looking forward to additional events planned with RingCentral and team partners LaSalle Solutions.
The following day’s race had a positive start, with both Bleekemolen and DeBoer running clean laps throughout. It appeared that the team would finish on the podium once again, but a pit stop that was just a few seconds outside of the driver change window caused a penalty to be served, placing the team in 5th.
“We nearly won the race, but had a good time,” said Bleekemolen. “It’s the first time for me in this class and I enjoyed it all the way. In the second race, we should have been on the podium. We got a little penalty for pitting a few seconds late.” Derek DeBoer added his thoughts: “That start in Race 1 was crazy! I’ve never had so little room at the start of a race. I had about three cringes where I thought it would be over for both of us. In the second race, Jeroen drove an awesome opening stint. He gave me a great car. I think we were poised to win: we nailed the pit stop! It was an honor to drive with Jeroen.” Immediately after Race #2, DeBoer left Austin to go straight to Sonoma to race in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class. Bleekemolen was also extremely busy over the weekend, as he was also racing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Both men did extremely well in what was truly a test of their endurance.
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo races were just one part of a dynamic weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. The hospitality provided to Lamborghini guests in a private, two-story suite offered traditional Mediterranean comforts: a cappuccino and gelato bar, antipasti throughout the day, full breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus multiple dining areas and a rooftop race viewing platform. TRG guests mingled with Lamborghini team owners, drivers, and other influencers in the sport, and shared Adobe Road Wines with team CEO, Kevin Buckler, in a dinner event hosted by the suite. Hosting weekends of world-class racing and networking, such as this Lone Star Le Mans event, is a key part of TRG’s success.
“This was just such a fantastic weekend for all. Lamborghini does it right and the car ran flawlessly. Derek and Jeroen made a great team and we nearly had the victory! We had a terrific group of guests and partners and it was just amazing to see how everything worked together so well. We had a great group from the wealth management side and also from our technology friends at RingCentral. Motorsports has become just THE place for high-level corporate entertainment and relationship building. There is just nothing like it. It’s fast, it’s fun and most importantly it’s effective for all of our partners involved and we look forward to continuing to build successful partnerships! I also want to personally thank Steven Robb and all our friends at LaSalle Solutions for being fantastic partners. We are helping each other to achieve our goals and I just love it when a plan works!
Next up for TRG Lamborghini are the World Finals to be held in Valencia, Spain on December 1st and 2nd. The final two rounds are also scheduled in Valencia, meaning that two drivers who want to experience racing a Lamborghini Huracán in Europe with this storied American race team have the opportunity to do so. Contact info@theracersgroup.com to learn more.