SA driver Jordan Pepper won his first Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) race this past weekend on the streets of the Norisring — a 2.3km street circuit in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany.
The Edenvale-born driver pilots Grasser Racing Team’s Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. His success comes just one week after he triumphed in the Spa 24 Hours in the Intercontinental GT Challenge alongside fellow factory drivers Mirko Bortolotti and Luca Engstler, the trio giving Lamborghini its first win of the race which has eluded the brand in a decade.
Pepper, the first South African to be signed as a factory driver for Lamborghini Squadra Corse, led from the start to finish in his Gold and black Number 63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 race car at the Norisring.
He took pole for Saturday’s opening 55-minute encounter and was able to withstand the challenge of the #91 Porsche as he came home to record Lamborghini’s first win of the 2025 season by just over three seconds.
With a 20kg of success ballast on-board thanks to his victory, Pepper started ninth on the grid for Sunday’s second race of the weekend. A multi-car incident at the exit of turn one — which forced both Thiim and Bortolotti out — caused an early red flag. After dropping a couple of places at the restart, Pepper emerged from the two mandatory pit-stops in ninth place, consolidating his starting position.
It means that Pepper heads into the second half of the DTM season sitting joint second in the drivers’ standings, just seven points behind championship leader, Austrian driver Lucas Auer and nephew of former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger in a Mercedes-AMG GT.
“It’s been a perfect two weeks and a great way to bounce back after the last three weeks. To finally get that first DTM win, after a difficult Zandvoort, is amazing and coming off a very difficult Spa in terms of physical and mental effort has been great,” said Pepper on his win.
The season resumes at the Nürburgring on August 9-10 while the Huracán’s successor, the Temerario GT3 will be officially unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11.
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