K-PAX Racing proudly announced Friday its 2022 Indianapolis 8 Hour line-up. The team, after clinching the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS Championship early in the penultimate rounds of the season at Sebring International Raceway, will stage its regular two-car Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO effort at the famous Brickyard with an expanded driver line-up to meet the requirements of the endurance race format.
K-PAX Racing will recruit from the Lamborghini Squadra Corse driver core for its third-running of the event. Andrea Caldarelli and Michele Beretta will continue their partnership in the No. 1, adding Marco Mapelli to the car’s rotation to complete an all-Italian lineup. Jordan Pepper and Misha Goikhberg will also complete the 2022 season as teammates, with help from newcomer Franck Perera. The sound team-manufacturer relationship that has been built in back-to-back championship seasons will reflect in an Indy line-up highlighted by four factory drivers.
“We are all really excited about our line-up in both cars for the Indy 8 Hour,” K-PAX Racing Program Manager Darren Law said. “Both cars have a strong driver pairing and both stand a chance to take the win. Last year we came home third, and we hope to reach the top step of the podium this year. The competition is always extremely fierce in these events with so many factory drivers, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”
Mapelli has made sporadic appearances in the team’s endurance endeavors since its shift to Lamborghini in 2021. Mapelli made his team debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he will see two new drivers accompany him this season for the race. The six-year Lamborghini driver notably joined K-PAX Racing earlier this season in Belgium for the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, where he worked closely alongside Caldarelli – ultimately setting the pace as the top-Lamborghini in the field. Mapelli also has developed a strong relationship on and off the track with Beretta, starting from a very young age in Northern Italy where the two lived in the same area.
“I’m really looking forward to rejoining K-PAX Racing,” Mapelli said. “Last year (Indy 8 Hour) was our first race together – an up-and-down weekend but overall, it was nice to work with this group of people. They’re very motivated and professional. Especially after Spa, I’m looking forward to seeing the guys in the U.S. and fighting through the weekend.”
“Andrea and I have been teammates for many years, and we got split-up this year because we’re not doing endurance in Europe anymore. We’ve done Daytona, Sebring and lastly, Spa with K-PAX Racing. Michele’s family owns a meat business here in Italy, and they have been supporting me since I was young. I think every time Michele’s dad points his finger at me, it’s because it’s my fault that Michele started racing. I’m really looking forward to teaming up with him.”
Perera will make his debut with K-PAX Racing. The Frenchman has been a Lamborghini factory driver since 2018, and in his first race with the honor that year, became a winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Perera first competed in the U.S. full-time during the 2007 and 2008 race seasons, where he was crowned vice champion in Champcar Atlantic and raced in open-wheeled. While he has yet to compete alongside Pepper, Perera has a strong rapport with Goikhberg. The two teamed up stateside in a Huracán GT3 EVO for the 2021 season.
“It will be my first time working with Jordan,” Perera said. “He is a really young and talented driver, and he is doing good job. I’m sure things will go well together. Misha is different story: I know him from 2021 spending the season together in IMSA with GRT, so I’m happy to see him again. I’m sure we have good package to fight in front during the race weekend.”
K-PAX Racing, its drivers and Lamborghini will have the opportunity to earn points in both the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli (IGTC) and Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS (GTWCA) series. The No. 1 Huracán GT3 EVO will be the Italian manufacturers’ designee to earn points in IGTC, while also seeking to secure its second consecutive title in GTWCA. Simultaneously, Pepper and Beretta will be vying for runner-up in the GTWCA Drivers’ Championship. Both series will share the event, hosted by SRO Motorsports Group.
“Having just captured the SRO GT World Challenge America Driver and Team titles last weekend, we have one more we are fighting for and that is to help Lamborghini claim the Manufacturer title,” Law said. “They have been such a great partner to us and have provided us with so much support, we would love to add this to our and their resumes.”
Source. K-Pax Racing
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