NEWS

It doesn’t matter which paddock you’re in, Nick Persing stands out clearly. The tall figure, pristine moustache and Boise University liveried crash helmet aside, this is a driver that oozes enthusiasm for his craft and for Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

Having come through shifter karting and single seater championships in the United States, Persing made the switch to GT racing in 2023, first competing in the Pro-Am class before graduating to the Pro category last year.

A race winner as a solo driver in 2025, beating eventual champions Danny Formal and Hampus Ericsson and holding his own in the ultra-competitive Lamborghini World Finals, Persing has found his natural home at the wheel of the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2.

Like many of his contemporaries, Persing started in go-karting in a non-motorsport family, catching the bug of competition and gradually moving up the ranks.

“My motorsport story started pretty much the same as everybody’s, I got a go-kart for Christmas and I would just drive it around the house, basically,” says Persing.

“One day, I blew the motor, as one does and my father took the go-kart to get repaired and the mechanic said ‘oh, we have a race series for young kids’, and we’ve been full-in ever since then.

“I started go-kart racing when I was nine years-old and did that for quite a long time and moved eventually into formula cars. I did Formula 4 and Formula Regional Americas before we decided to make the move to GT cars because there wasn’t really a good enough ladder in single seaters in the United States.

“And Lamborghini Super Trofeo was like the perfect place to jump to, not only because of my go-karting experience but also it forces you to be able to drive a GT car, you can’t get away with driving it like a formula car, it teaches you the fundamentals of driving a GT car.”

Having finished third in the 2019 SKUSA Pro Tour karting series in the KA100 class, Persing spent the next four seasons on the open wheel ladder before taking the plunge into the relatively unknown world of GT racing, making an eye-opening debut at the demanding Watkins Glen circuit.

“My debut in Super Trofeo came at Watkins Glen, which is a scary track, and I was just blown away by the car, pulling fifth and sixth gears down the straight genuinely scared me!” reflects Persing.

“When you first get into these cars, you need to learn how to drive aggressively in order to get up to the pace you need, but to be consistent you need to learn how to dial it back and find the sweet spot with the car.

“I would compare a Super Trofeo to a shifter kart, which feels very similar. It all centres around the amount of grip that you have and essentially your power to weight ratio is what I would compare.

“And honestly, the driving style is very similar as well and if you have shifter kart experience, you could jump into a Super Trofeo car and understand the fundamentals pretty quickly. I didn’t have much shifter experience; I came from tag karting and had just started to transition to shifter karting a year or two before going to Super Trofeo, but having that experience definitely helps, for sure.”

The jump from go-karting to the 620hp V10 beast that the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 may seem like climbing Mount Everest in sneakers but, as many drivers have proven in the past, the gap is not as big as commonly thought.

Three-time Super Trofeo North America champion and 2025 Lamborghini World Finals winner, Danny Formal – Persing’s team-mate at Wayne Taylor Racing – is one such example.

It’s this kind of well-trodden path that has helped Persing become the driver he has today.

“It’s been really helpful having him as a team-mate because he does a lot to coach the younger drivers,” Persing adds.

“He’s helped me so much and he has had the biggest impact on my pace. I have to give a lot of credit to him, to get those last tenths, it’s about being perfect across a whole lap.

“Some drivers can do perfect sectors, or certain corners, but the whole lap is another story altogether. Putting the entire lap together is what makes this car so difficult to master.”

Persing has also benefitted from the expertise and know-how from esteemed outfit Wayne Taylor Racing, with whom he has been associated since making his debut in 2023. Learning from the best in the business, Persing says, has boosted both his on and off-track approach to racing.

“I have to give a big shout out to Wayne Taylor Racing; they are such a good team to be working with,” the Californian explains.

“To see how professional they and Lamborghini operate, it gives you a lot of expectation to match that level of professionalism both on and off the track. It’s a great place to grow, that’s what we found.

“And not only that, but the car is also a lot to handle, and you have to be a good driver to be able to tame it, and that prepares you very well for the next step.

“And the young driver programme that Lamborghini has is also very, very strong. In my view, it is the strongest single-make series in North America, you have the strongest drivers, the best car, it ticks all the boxes.”