Following a wild opening race for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Global Motorsports Group’s (GMG) very own Damon Ockley took victory in the sportsman class in his first attempt.“I just wanted to drive a smooth, smart race, and it all just came together,” stated Ockley. “The cars here are very impressive, it’s a really well-run series. I’ve never driven Sebring before and I enjoyed the flowing nature of the circuit, so needless to say I’m extremely happy to walk away with a win in my first attempt.”Ockley, a veteran of the highly touted Ferrari Challenge, made his series debut today. Utilizing the driving and research tools that GMG was able to provide, the Canadian demonstrated remarkable pace in his No. 88 Lamborghini Gallardo LP-570-4 all weekend, culminating in victory.Also sharing the podium would be series’ sophomore Tom O’Gara. Returning to the track as the defending sportsman category champion, the Californian ran a relatively quiet race in his No. 69 machine, saving his most competitive times for the end of the race.“Once the adrenaline was pumping and I started following people, the pace really set in,” stated O’Gara. “Overall I’m pleased with the result, and incredibly happy with the quality of the organization. To have this many cars here and run everything smoothly takes a lot of organization and attention to details, and this team has just been remarkable.”In the professional category, young standout Andrew Palmer endured a difficult opening race in the No. 14 machine. After dominating every practice session and taking pole position, a procedural infraction would send the Pomona College student to the back of the field, putting him in the position to launch a strong come-from-behind effort.Unfortunately, light contact with another car in the process would end up damaging a tire, forcing the Chicago native to pit for a replacement, effectively taking him out of contention for the win. Nevertheless, the 19-year old’s resilience shined as he continued to push hard, ultimately falling just one place shy of a podium.“It was a frustrating day, but I know I just have to move on,” stated Palmer. “Everyone around me keeps saying ‘this is racing,’ and that I just have to put it behind me and get ready for tomorrow. I’m doing just that, and we’ll head in to tomorrow’s race ready for action.”Finally, series debutante Doug Peterson would run a relatively quiet race, threatening for the podium at certain points and ultimately settling for fifth.“It was a pretty quiet day, but a good way to learn about the series,” stated Peterson. “Everyone at O’Gara Motorsports and GMG did a great job getting me familiar with it all, and our result was pretty fair.”For participants in the series, there is very little time off as a result of the double-header schedule. Everyone will resume today at 5:40PM ET, with qualifying set by today’s finishing order.