SALINAS, Calif., (May 14, 2024) — In the second leg of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America championship, Flying Lizard Motorsports celebrated several triumphs, notably clinching victory in race one with Slade Stewart, Andy Lee, and their No. 14 Sparklefarts unicorn Lamborghini. In all, the team earned three podium finishes over the weekend, from which Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen emerged the PRO-AM championship points leaders.

“The weekend started off great with fast cars, pole position in each race in the Pro-Am class and a double podium for us,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “It was unfortunate that we had so many cautions in the second race as we never got the chance to see how things would have played out but to bring home a second podium in that race was a great overall weekend for Flying Lizard Motorsports.”

Race One
Under sunny skies and cool early evening temperatures, Andy Lee started race one from pole position in the No. 14 pink Sparklefarts entry. Marc Miller started the No. 41 Lamborghini from second place, but was shuffled back as the field dove into the opening turns. Tim Pappas took the green flag from eighth position in the No. 54, and Sam Shi began the event from sixth in the Am class. It was a dicey start for the field of 41 cars, but Lee kept the lead, and Shi was able to climb a position to fifth place. The phrase “cautions breed cautions” became a reality after the field went back to green, only to go full course yellow by turn three. The caution pushed the pit window back a few minutes, and upon going green, the majority of competitors dove in immediately to change drivers or do the mandatory stop. Lee pitted from the lead and turned over to Slade Stewart, while Nemschoff took over for Miller and Pappas for Bleekemolen. While Slade Stewart extended the unicorn’s lead by 5.4 seconds, Bleekemolen immediately demonstrated the pace of the No. 54 car, surging forward to third place in class. A full course caution impeded his run, and effectively ended the race. Stewart drove to victory, earning the first PRO-AM win for him, Lee, and Sparklefarts. Pappas and Bleekemolen earned their third podium of the season, finishing in third place.

Race Two
Spirits were high in the team on Sunday, following the previous day’s successes. Bleekemolen started from pole position with Stewart in ninth, Nemschoff 11th, and Shi from third. Chaos began at the drop of the green flag when several cars had contact on the front straight, leaving two entries stranded before the starting line. Bleekemolen kept the lead and Stewart advanced up to seventh, while Nemschoff had climbed up to ninth. Shi was shuffled back to sixth place, having been temporarily caught up in the scuffle. The race finally went green and the pit window opened. Stewart and Nemschoff pitted first, allowing Lee and Miller to take over. Shi pitted next, and another full course caution came put, closing the pits, and eliminating Bleekemolen’s lead. The timing of the yellow flag and closure of pit window again ruined his run, forcing him to pit after the majority of the field. It finally happened and Pappas took over, but another full course caution again interrupted the final laps of the race. In the end. Stewart and Lee returned to the podium with a third-place finish, with Pappas in fourth, and Miller in seventh. Shi came in eighth following a challenging weekend.

Stewart and Lee’s double-podium successes brings them up to second in the PRO-AM championship standings, just one point behind teammates Pappas and Bleekemolen. Flying Lizard stands fourth in the overall team points, and their official dealership, Lamborghini Newport beach is in second place. The Lizard Lamborghini group will have one month to prepare for the next two hours, held at Watkins Glen International in support of IMSA WeatherTech’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, June 20-22.

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About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.