The 2008 race season opened for First Racing and James Ruffier Racing in Nogaro. A total of 23 cars appeared with the aim of scoring the first points of the year. However, the race was over in the first corner for the most successful Lamborghini Gallardo team Dubreuil / Briche (First Racing). In qualifying the two drivers were able to clinch a slot on the front row, unfortunately, however, Bruno Dubreuil’s race on Saturday ended in retirement after an accident.
Piers Johnson and Adam Jones started their 2008 British GT Championship campaign with the fastest time in the opening practice session. They beat the best Ferrari of Lester / Simonsen by more than a second. Qualifying for the first race proved once again just how closely matched the GT3 field is - fifth position on the grid for Oliver Morley (Tech9 Gallardo), 14th for Piers Johnson (Team Modena Gallardo).
Four podium finishes boost Lamborghini. The Australian GT Championship grid continues to grow. Twenty-eight GT3 cars appeared for the third event of the 2008 season which was part of the Formula 1 GP support programme. Mark Eddy and Ross Lilley, second in the Drivers’ Championship prior to the Melbourne, represented the colours of the Lamborghini bull. Qualifying gave cause for optimism. Both Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 cars were classified in the top ten. Mark Eddy claimed third position on the grid only four tenths-of-a-second off pole, Ross Lilley qualified ninth.
A significantly larger field arrived at t he second round of the Australian GT Championship in Adelaide for the Clipsal 500. Although Ross Lilley was the Lamborghini Gallardo camp’s lone fighter in Eastern Creek, he received support this time from debutant Mark Eddy, who had acquired the car of Bryce Washington. In qualifying the two matadors positioned themselves at the front of the field in 4th place (Lilley) and 6th place (Eddy).
Ross Lilley contested the first round of the Australian GT Championship in Eastern Creek as sole Lamborghini representative. As part of the A1 GP Series supporting programme three sprint races were scheduled for the mixed GT field. Lilley, who only entered the series at the end of the 2007 season with the GT3 Lamborghini Gallardo, claimed sixth position on the grid for the first race.
The first event in 2008 with Lamborghini participation was the Grand Prix of Sao Paolo. Paulo Bonifacio and Sérgio Burger took to the grid for this 1,000 kilometre race in a Reiter Engineering built Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, in which they had successfully entered the Brazilian GT3 Series last year. The team finished the year as championship runners-up. Bonifacio / Burger held a position in the leading group throughout the predominantly wet and rain affected race and took the lead on the 191 of 233 laps. The duo won by two laps from the Maserati team Longo / Serra and Camara / Guerra / Jacomo in an open prototype after almost eight hours on track.
The Lamborghini teams are in action once again this coming weekend as part of the A1 GP event support programme at Eastern Creek where the Australian GT Championship begins. As usual, three sprint races, 2 x 20 minutes and a single 30 minute race, are on the programme. Three teams roll-out with the GT3 Lamborghini Gallardo to start the season. Championship runner-up Bryce Washington, Ian Palmer and Ross Lilley are the drivers. Various Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche and Lotus Teams number among the competition.
