The Topcon Positioning Group partnership with racecar driver James Roe Jr. has grown to now include European racing, with the recent selection of Roe as a team driver in the prestigious Italian GT Endurance Championship. Solidly climbing the ranks in the IndyLights USA racing circuit, he will compete in the remaining rounds of the 2022 Italian GT Endurance Championship, held July 14-17 at the famed Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Tuscany, Italy.

“I am excited, not only at being selected as one of the drivers for Imperiale Racing’s #9 Lamborghini Huracàn GT3 Evo, but also at the opportunity to race as a partner with Topcon in Europe,” Roe said. “The construction tech industry and racing share a common bond in capturing data and effectively using it to improve precision and accuracy — be it creating a paving surface or competing at 200+ mph. As paving technology solutions continue to enhance track safety, increase track speeds, and lower operational costs, our team’s affiliation with Topcon could not be more relevant than now. We’ve seen contractors using Topcon resurfacing technology at Silverstone and the Yas Marina track redesign in Abu Dhabi, for instance, and we are pleased to be able to take the Topcon brand to new European racing audiences via the GT Endurance Racing Series. As a native of Ireland, I am particularly excited that Topcon wants to expand the success of the North American racing program with our team to its European customers.”  

Roe will continue to compete in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires series, then return to the seat of the #9 Lamborghini, racing at Italy’s Autodromo Vallelunga, near Rome, September 16-17 and the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza, north of Milan October 7-9.

While the racing venue in Italy may be something of a departure for Topcon, the company presence in the country is anything but new, according to Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems.

“We’ve been a supplier of precision products in Italy for many years and are preparing to open a newly expanded state-of-the-art customer training center in Concordia,” O’Connor said. “In addition to the construction industry, the center will focus on agriculture, a market also served by Lamborghini Tractors, the company that was the forerunner of the iconic automotive manufacturer responsible for James Roe’s #9 GT Endurance entry, bringing this latest connection full circle. We look forward to being part of James’s participation in the series and his continued success in racing. At the end of the day, we want to show our appreciation for our customers and involvement in this racing program demonstrates this.”