Ashton Harrison wrapped up her Lamborghini Super Trofeo season with a top ten in the AM standings of the North American series, before achieving strong performances in the World Final races, with a P10 and a P8 at Jerez.
Ashton Harrison concluded her Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season with strong performances at the Lamborghini World Finals in Jerez, Spain, achieving a pair of top ten finishes in the AM class at the World Finals races.
Harrison, alongside teammate Graham Doyle, returned to the #110 DEX Imaging Huracán ST for the final round of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season. This double-duty weekend also included the prestigious Lamborghini World Finals at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. While no longer in contention for the championship, both drivers aimed to close out the season on a high note, capitalizing on their improved pace over the second half of the year.
Both drivers showcased great speed in the AM class throughout the season, including a podium finish at Watkins Glen International. Though the championship title was out of reach, Harrison and Doyle maintained a spot within the top ten in the AM class standings, a commendable achievement in such a competitive category.
For Harrison, Jerez was a significant venue, as it marked the track where she made history in 2019 by winning the Lamborghini World Finals in the LC Cup category, becoming the first woman ever to do so. However, new challenges emerged this year, including regulation changes like a new tyre compound and mixed weather conditions, which added complexity to the weekend and prevented her from fully relying on her past experience.
"I am excited to get back to World Finals with my WTR family", Harrison said before the event. "Jerez was my first World Finals race with LST in 2019 and I won the LB Cup class Worlds event - my first ever win in LST."
"This place is very special to me for that reason, but it is also such a fun and fast track", she explained. "I know WTR will give us a fast car and I can't wait to see how Graham and I do with the AM class along with our other teammates.”
Despite a tough start to the weekend in the North American finale, the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti drivers bounced back with strong performances in the World Finals, where they competed against over 30 entries from Europe, North America, and Asia, battling with top teams and drivers in one of the season’s most competitive fields.
Track activities started on Wednesday with two practice sessions and two qualifying sessions for the sixth round of the North American season.
The 45-minute opening session was a wet one, and Harrison and Doyle focused on familiarizing themselves with the track in the difficult conditions. They were seventh fastest before making up ground in the second session when they climbed to fourth in class with a 1:46.622 time on a drying track.
Harrison was then behind the wheel for the first 20-minute qualifying in the afternoon. Her 1:46.459 lap placed the #110 WTR Huracán in 18th place overall, seventh among the AM entries. Next up was Graham Doyle for Q2, and Harrison's teammate placed 24th overall, ninth in class, with a 1:48.504.
ROUND 6
In Race 1, Harrison and Doyle aimed to climb the order in very tricky damp conditions, with everyone struggling for grip.
After a start behind the safety car, Harrison tried to move forward and looked promising in the first stint as she fought in the midfield. In the second stint, Doyle took over from P19 overall and survived an off-track moment.
However, the race was very disrupted by several safety car interruptions, and the second stint ended up almost entirely under caution. Doyle picked up a couple of positions to finish under the safety car, seventh in class and 17th overall.
On Friday, the final race of the North American season required a recovery from the back after a challenging qualifying. Doyle, in the car for the opening stint, had a superb start and moved up from P23 overall to 15th, sixth among the AM entries.
He kept position after a strong stint, with a safety car being deployed just before the pit window.
Harrison took over and had an equally promising start to the stint, driving smartly and using her experience to pick up positions. She capitalized on a penalty for Starkweather and then passed Staab to climb up into third place, in contention for the podium.
As it was looking promising for a top three, a late-race contact with Staab left Harrison in the gravel, unfortunately ending the season with a retirement.
Despite the disappointing end, the duo could still finish their North American campaign with a top ten in the AM championship standings.
“A bummer to end in the gravel", Harrison commented. "Graham had a crazy good start and gained a ton of positions and put us in contention for the podium. The WTR team had us set up for success, but unfortunately contact from a competitor sent us into the gravel."
"Heartbroken for the entire team", she continued. "Heads up and refocused onto World Finals for the remainder of the weekend. Very thankful to be given the chance to drive with Graham and WTR again this year, looking forward to a successful World Finals.”
LAMBORGHINI WORLD FINALS
The World Finals, held on Saturday and Sunday, gathered the best teams and drivers from the regional Lamborghini Super Trofeo series in Europe, North America, and Asia. This event marks the culmination of the season, with over 30 entries competing in the AM and LC Cup fields.
Graham Doyle, tasked with the first qualifying session of the World Finals weekend, faced tough competition but managed a solid performance, placing 18th overall and 15th in the AM class with a lap time of 1:47.769.
Ashton Harrison took over for Q2 and showcased her experience with a slightly better lap time of 1:47.745. Her efforts secured 16th overall and 14th in the AM class, giving the #110 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti car a competitive starting position for the races, aiming for the top ten in both contests.
Doyle started the opening stint in Race 1, facing a chaotic first lap as several cars went off track and into the gravel. The safety car was deployed immediately, and Doyle kept his cool, emerging 17th after the opening lap.
When racing resumed with 40 minutes left on the clock, Doyle focused on maintaining consistency. He was passed by Leewattanavalagul for 14th in class but stayed composed, managing a safe gap to the cars behind while keeping a steady pace in the mid-1:50s.
A Full Course Yellow was triggered when Shi ended up in the gravel, presenting an opportunity for pit stops. Doyle pitted during the caution and handed over to Harrison, who rejoined the race in 19th overall and 14th in AM class.
Harrison made an immediate impact during her stint, displaying aggressive driving: she gained positions quickly, climbing to 12th in class. Just as she was building momentum, Changwoo Lee crashed heavily at high speed, fortunately escaping unhurt. This incident brought out another safety car, neutralizing the race.
When the green flag waved with just four minutes remaining, Harrison restarted in 12th place, engaging in a fierce battle with Harmsten for position. Despite pressure from Lucas Valkre behind her, she held him off and eventually overtook Harmsten to move into P11 in class.
On the final lap, she set the fastest AM-class time and closed a two-second gap to Adrian Kunzle but ran out of time to make the pass.
Post-race, a penalty for Lewandowski elevated Harrison and Doyle to P10, giving the team a top-ten finish to start their World Finals weekend.
Ashton Harrison started Race 2, determined to build on their Race 1 momentum. Starting from 15th overall and 13th in AM class, she made a sharp start, capitalizing on early chaos. A spin from Abkhazava and damage to Randazzo allowed her to jump to 10th overall by the first turn, putting her in a strong position early in the race.
Settling into the rhythm, Harrison found herself running behind Shi, maintaining a consistent pace while opening a gap to Harmsen in 11th. On Lap 6, a safety car was deployed after Haziq Zairel Oh ended up in the gravel.
The restart saw Harrison closing in on Han while avoiding incidents ahead. On Lap 9, a spin by Phuakkarawut presented an opportunity, and Harrison moved up to P9. Shortly after, Bullock spun and tagged the wall, bringing out another Full Course Yellow.
When the pit window opened, Harrison stayed out initially but found herself stuck behind Han, losing valuable time. On Lap 14, she overtook Han on track, gaining a clear gap before pitting to hand the car over to Doyle.
Doyle rejoined the race in P9 in class and faced immediate pressure from Starkweather, who passed him on Lap 16. Doyle battled hard to regain positions, passing Matic on Lap 18 to reclaim the top ten. A safety car was deployed again after Vincent Tai ended up in the gravel, bunching up the field.
In the closing stages, dark clouds gathered, bringing a threat of rain over Jerez. Doyle held his ground, avoiding errors as the track conditions worsened. The race finished under the safety car, and post-race penalties elevated Harrison and Doyle to a solid eighth-place finish in the AM class.
The WTR duo therefore collected a double top ten finish in the World Finals, bouncing back in style after an unlucky final round of the North American series.
“It’s sad to see the season come to an end, but really excited for the #110 car with Graham for us to wrap up World Finals with a P8 and a P10", Harrison said. "Mega job by everyone at WTR and the guys that have worked just endless hours to get our car ready because World Finals is always such a challenging weekend, especially on the drivers but also the crew and the cars and all the equipment."
"So, shout out to the team for always giving us their best and giving us a car that was able to compete like it did. Looking forward to what's next. I'm super thankful for the opportunity that Graham, WTR and DEX Imaging has given me to be a part of this season and really happy with the outcome and looking forward to what's to come.”
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