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IMSA ace Spinelli joins factory Lamborghini driver roster for 2024

The 27-year-old Florida-based Italian joins Sandy Mitchell, Marco Mapelli, Franck Perera, Leonardo Pulcini and Jordan Pepper among Lamborghini’s GT3 ranks.

The expanded factory driver roster complements the new LMDh line-up of Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat.

Spinelli raced a Lamborghini Huracan EVO2 in IMSA SportsCar Championship competition with Forte Racing’s US RaceTronics squad last year, with the highlight being a GTD pro-am win at Petit Le Mans alongside regular team-mate Misha Goikhberg and Patrick Liddy.

His personal highlight last season was taking GTD pole – ahead of all the Pro drivers too – by four tenths of a second at Watkins Glen.

“This is a dream come true, for sure,” he said. “It’s been a big goal for me since 2015 to achieve this result, I am really proud to be part of Lamborghini Squadra Corse.

“I have always had a really good feeling with the car, the personnel involved in this programme, and I cannot wait to get started in 2024.”

#78 US RaceTronics Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Misha Goikhberg, Loris Spinelli, Patrick Liddy (Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images)

A decorated karter in his youth, Spinelli won the european and world championships in the shifter category before making the transition to car racing in 2015. He won the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Pro championship in 2017 and has amassed multiple victories and class titles in both the European and North American categories.

More recently, he dominated Super Trofeo Europe in 2022, winning the title with a round to spare.

Next season, Spinelli will again contest IMSA’s premier series with Forte Racing alongside Goikhberg.

“The first time I drove the Super Trofeo car, I had such an amazing feeling, and it has given me a lot in the past; then this year, we won the Petit Le Mans which was the most important result in my career,” he added.

“I have had the opportunity to work with Marco Mapelli in Daytona earlier this year and I have learned a lot from him, as I have done with the other factory drivers, but especially Marco.

“We have had a good relationship since I started in Super Trofeo, so this is a huge opportunity for me to learn even more going forward.”

#78 Forte Racing Powered by US RaceTronics Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Misha Goikhberg, Loris Spinelli (Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images)

Lamborghini’s head of motorsport, Giorgio Sanna added: “We are thrilled to promote Loris to factory driver status for next season.

“His speed demonstrated in both the European and North American Super Trofeo seasons over the past few years, combined with the experience gained with the Huracan GT3 last season, have demonstrated the validity of our young drivers’ program within Lamborghini Squadra Corse.”

In addition to becoming the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm’s latest factory driver, Spinelli also came out on top in the season-ending GT3 Junior driver shootout, a selection between the most talented GT3 drivers that was held at Vallelunga following the Lamborghini World Finals event.

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