Denning adds another win to stellar Lamborghini season
SJM Theodore Racing raced to a thrilling victory in race two of the Inje double header in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Round Four event.
In one of the most exciting races in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia series history, Dubliner Alex Denning hunted down the long time race leader in the final lap and opened the one-second gap necessary to cancel a pit lane penalty in the final few corners.
It was an epic conclusion to a hectic weekend for SJM Theodore Racing who leave Korea with another win to continue their record of securing a victory at each of the four double-header rounds of the series so far. Added to Saturday's second place finish in race one, SJM Theodore Racing have achieved podium finishes at each of the eight races in the series in 2025.
Starting from the second on the grid, Charles Leong adopted a no risk strategy in the opening stint as he settled into third place and kept in touch with the lead duo all the way to the pit window at the half way point of the 50-minute race. Leong made sure to keep the retain as much usable life in the tyres for the second half of the race, always mindful of the likelihood of a safety car intervention at some point.
And so it proved. Leong was preparing to hand over to Denning when a stranded car heralded a full course yellow flag and an immediate, speed limited, run to pit lane for the entire field. After a delay to clear the track and reshuffle the pack behind the safety car, SJM Theodore resumed in third place and with the field bunched for a final 12-minute sprint to the chequered flag.
Denning immediately moved into second place at the restart and set about putting lapped traffic behind him as he stalked the race leader into the closing minutes. An intense duel ensued as Denning probed left and right for an opportunity to mount an overtaking manoeuvre.
As the leader became more focused on defence, the third and fourth place drivers closed up to make it a four-way scrap for victory with the last lap board being prepared at the pit wall.
Into the final corner on penultimate lap, Denning produced a perfectly-timed lunge into the lead to head out on the final 3.908km lap in front at last. However, instead of breathing a sigh of relief, he knew he had to press on as the team had incurred a 0.9 second penalty for the minor infraction of an early release from their pit stop.
He needed to pull one second clear of the number 11 car to secure the win and the gap was still only half a second going into the second half of the last lap. A committed effort in the final corners produced the necessary gap and the SJM Theodore Lamborghini crossed the line 1.3s clear of the second placed car for a net 0.434s victory.
It was nail biting stuff and another victory founded on a combination of speed, grit and excellent team work as all involved acknowledged afterwards.
Alex Denning:
"I'm absolutely over the moon with the victory. A win that comes down to the wire is always much more exciting than an easy race and that was one to savour for all the team after a terrific collective effort.
"We put all the pressure on the leader in those final laps. This is a very difficult circuit to overtake on and we had to work to find the gap at the end. Charles did really exceptional tyre management in stint one. He gave me all the tools to do my job in stint 2 and boy was that a close one."
Charles Leong:
“I'm very happy with that win. Everything was under control from the start and it went as I expected. Maybe it looks like I'm not the hero at the start, but I was managing the tyres a lot, making sure not to overheat them, just managing during the whole stint and at the end we can see that the car was a full second faster than everyone else so I think everything was under control.
"It's very positive from everyone's side, and we'll bring the experience from this race again to the next round and we can really look forward to Sepang”
David Kennedy , Managing Director Theodore Racing: "What a phenomenal result for SJM Racing today. That was racing at its most electrifying — a heart-pounding finish that truly showcased the spirit of this team.
"This win is the product of unwavering determination, razor-sharp teamwork, and the incredible speed and precision of our drivers. Every individual gave it their all — from pit lane to paddock — and it paid off in spectacular fashion. Moments like these are why we race. Onwards to the next challenge!"
—
Photo credits: SJM Theodore Racing
