NEWS

Colin Queen’s motorsport journey is a familiar one. The Californian started go-karting at a young age, moved through the junior single seater categories before eventually making the move sideways to the world of GT racing in Lamborghini Super Trofeo this year.

That is, perhaps, where the similarities stop. You see, Queen has had to jump through a few more hoops than some of his contemporaries.

Born with a congenital heart disease, the Lamborghini Young Driver Programme member has fought as hard off track as he has on.

But such has been his tenacity and commitment, that Queen has not only been able to pursue a career in racing, but he’s also excelled.

“I was born with a congenital heart defect, which means the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped at birth.

“I had to undergo three open heart surgeries before the age of three; luckily, I haven’t had to have any since then, so I have been very fortunate.

“The doctors obviously did an incredible job and I have been able to live a pretty healthy, normal life.

“It affects the way you need to train, physically, it’s very different to how a lot of drivers will train. I do a lot of low weight, high rep, circuit training. Not as much cardio on that side, but I think I’ve trained very hard over the years and dealing with the heat of a car during a race has been fine for me.

“Heart defects are the number one defects in the world, but mine is quite rare, but I am proof that these sorts of things don’t necessary mean you can’t live a completely normal life.”

What’s clear is that Queen’s rise up the racing ranks has not been adversely affected by his condition; in fact, the Florida-based Californian’s career is taking off at a rate of knots having spent much of his early racing days away from home, in the United Kingdom.

Queen raced in the prestigious Formula Ford 1600 championship, competing at some of the best tracks in the country such as Brands Hatch, Knockhill, Oulton Park and Silverstone. He’s also taken part in the iconic Formula Ford Festival.

“I’d always been told that if I wanted to get a foothold in racing and really develop as a driver, then I needed to go to Europe and the UK to get experience on those kinds of tracks,” says Queen.

“Formula Ford was probably the perfect car and championship to help with my development, because you really need to know how the mechanics of the cars work, and it also helped get used to driving in wet weather, which happened a lot in the UK!”

A couple of seasons in the GB4 and GB3 championships followed before Queen decided to move back to the USA and forge a GT career, making his debut in Super Trofeo North America at Sebring in March.

“To me, it was a good decision to come back home. I’ve always wanted to make a career out of motorsport and our strategy was basically to go as far as we could in formula cars and, when I was ready, then I can make the move to GT racing.

“I think it’s the right time for me, and to be competing in Super Trofeo this year with Ansa Motorsports was really a dream come true.

“The team has been fantastic in getting me up to speed in GTs; I had two days in the car before the first race, so adapting to the car wasn’t so easy, but I managed to get used to it quite quickly.”

Coming from a single seater background where he was the only driver in the car, Queen admits that the idea of sharing a car with a team-mate took some time to get used to. But despite this difference, he and 2025 team-mate Enzo Geraci hit the ground running.

Twice they took an on-the-road victory in the #4 Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2, only for a penalty to deny them the ultimate top step on the podium, but Queen was happy with the pace between the pairing in their first campaign as a partnership.

“Coming from open wheel racing, it was slightly different having to share a car, but I managed it well, also having to manage the tyres too, I felt.

“The amount of time I get in the car during races, which is around 25 to 30 minutes, is very similar to what I had in single seaters, so that part remains the same.

“Enzo and I got on really well very quickly, and we never really put a foot wrong all season in terms of race pace either.”

Such was the pace shown by Queen throughout the 2025 season that the 20-year-old was selected as one of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Junior Drivers, eventually making it as one of the eight drivers to be picked for the end-of-year shootout in Misano.

For Queen, the focus on driver development and a clear career path was the main reason for choosing to compete in the North American championship.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure representing the brand and being part of the junior driver programme this year,” adds Queen.

“The opportunity given to us young drivers, by Lamborghini is fantastic and it’s one of the reasons I decided to join the championship as well. It’s been an incredible brand for me, and it’s given me a platform on which I can showcase my talent and become part of the programme.

“It’s definitely my longer-term goal to eventually become a factory driver for Lamborghini, so that’s the focus going forward.”

Queen’s story is one of determination and perseverance, even when the odds are stacked against you. A breakthrough maiden Super Trofeo campaign in 2025 rightly turned heads both at home and further afield in Sant’Agata Bolognese.