NEWS

Customers are the cornerstone of Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s success, and there is perhaps no better example of this than Kumar Prabakaran.

The Malaysian businessman is a regular competitor in Super Trofeo championships around the world as well as trackdays with one of his two Lamborghini Essenza SCV12s.

Like most amateur drivers, Prabakaran devoted his early adult life in the professional world before being drawn in by the undeniable allure of Lamborghini’s road-going collection.

From his first experience of the Pilota Corse programme, a three-day arrive-and-drive course that takes amateurs through the process of becoming a racing driver, it was clear that Prabakaran was ready to make the progression from the road to the track.

“There was a flyer from Lamborghini towards the end of 2017 asking customers if they were interested in taking part in the Pilota Corse at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” Prabakaran says. 

“I had never been there before and had never driven a racing car before, so I went there and after three days of driving the car, I came home and ordered a car for the championship. Prior to that, I had only ever had supercars from Lamborghini, and they were already very fast. 

“After the experience of Pilota Corse with the actual Super Trofeo car, I felt that the car was far superior to the supercars and that I had to give the racing cars a try at least one or two years. Initially, I was only supposed to do it for one year but, I don’t know how, every year I kept on coming back! And this year was my seventh year in the championship!”

A self-confessed Lamborghini enthusiast, Prabakaran had followed motorsport for many years without feeling the urge to get behind the wheel himself. With Pilota Corse, that all changed, and he hasn’t looked back since. Indeed, such is Prabakran’s passion for Lamborghini, that he has raced nothing other than Super Trofeo since 2018.

That’s because Lamborghini is part of his life, if that wasn’t already obvious enough.

“It all started in 2008, I had all sorts of Lamborghini cars: Murciélagos, Aventadors and so on,” Prabakaran reflects. 

“I used to have one GT3 car, I have two Essenza SCV12s, two Super Trofeos, an STO and two Aventadors. One of the Aventadors is the 50th anniversary, one is the 750 SV, I have an SVJ, one Huracán which I keep in Italy. 

“I have been passionate about Lamborghini and still am. I also drive all my cars too; I don’t keep them in storage. I believe that you have to enjoy what you own!

“And I’ve only ever driven in Super Trofeo championships, nothing else, because I am still running my business in Malaysia, and I need to keep some time for my career while I am fooling around with racing cars!”

With any brand, the relationship between the factory and the customer is of paramount importance, and Lamborghini places particular emphasis on customer interaction. For a client as dedicated and loyal as Prabakaran, it’s this aspect that keeps him committed.

“It is special because being a long-time customer of Lamborghini, and now a motorsport customer, I have become even closer to the top management of the company in the Asia-Pacific, the head office in Sant’Agata Bolognese and this partly because of the pandemic in 2020,” says Prabakaran.

“I was spending four months in Italy; I stayed in Bologna, and I used to meet up with the staff and everyone at the factory very often. And one of the best things about being close to the people, was getting first-hand information about special models coming out, and also all the touring programmes that they carry out.

“I also got good back-up services and after-sales services, which are key to the customer experience programme. Lamborghini has grown so much in the last decade even, and with every company that expands like this, it’s very difficult for them to remember everybody.

“Luckily for me, I was there quite early on, and they remember me, so the relationship is very nice.”

Prabakaran is a great example of a Lamborghini customer turned racer and finished his seventh season of competition in November on the podium in the final Super Trofeo Asia Lamborghini Cup standings.

Like many of his contemporaries, Prabakaran only ever intended to race a couple of years, practicing his new-found hobby before returning to his business ventures.

But he couldn’t drop it and is instead hungry for more. It’s why he keeps coming back, the allure of a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 is just too much to resist.

“The natural process of being a customer and then doing the Pilota Corse, was to do a race and become a racing driver,” Prabakaran says.

“I had a Pro driver with me, and I remember there being so much pressure on me, in that first race. I wanted to perform well, and it was easy for me to get into the mindset of what a racing driver needed to be.

“The problem now is that I can’t get out of it, it keeps bringing me back!”
In his first season, the goal had been to step on the podium. With that achieved, attention then went towards fighting for the LB Cup championship the following year. What started as a bit of fun quickly turned into a quest for more success and ultimately, the title.

“I only ever meant to do one year, maximum,” he says. “But now, I am close to my 100th race start, after seven years. In 2018, I said to myself that I would try it and do only one season, and then I missed out on third place in the championship by two points. So, I decided to come back.

“Last year was the first time I got third place in the championship and then this year was the first time I finished second in the championship. So, every year, I am getting better and better.”

It’s safe to say then, that Prabakaran is likely to come back to Super Trofeo Asia in 2026, as he goes in search of that elusive class title.