Lamborghinis roar through valley

By Jean Pocha, Pathfinder Correspondent

GREENOUGH -- Locals were surprised and amazed to see and hear ten Lamborghinis parked at the Clearwater weigh station and traveling along Hwy 200 and Hwy 83 last week. Lamborghini Club America chose Paws Up Green O accommodations for their annual luxury driving event. The Clearwater Weigh Station lot provided a convenient staging space for the unloading and loading of cars for two days of driving to Helena and Kalispell.

"They got gas here every day and were really nice to deal with," said Brittney Hayes, cashier at Clearwater Stop and Go. "I took my kids over to see the cars. The kids were very careful not to touch anything, and one of the drivers appreciated that and let them sit in his car."

According to Club Lamborghinis website they chose Montana for creating "memorable Lamborghini drives around jaw-dropping mountain peaks, miles and miles of alpine vistas, and stunning crystal-clear lakes."

Club member Trevin Hermosillo of SWAE, a technological innovation company in Columbia Falls, suggested a Montana trip after the club's tropical trip to Hawaii in 2021. SWAE and ROGER DUBUIS watches are sponsors of the event and their decals ornamented the cars. Decals will be removed when the cars return home.

"Most of us have not been to Montana before, even for a short trip," said Andrew Romanowski, Club President. "We thought about this big trip to Montana. Joy Loo(Director of Marketing) and her husband Ian came to Montana to check it out and they fell in love with the area. It's been a brand new experience, beautiful views, seeing the wildlife and everything. And every interaction with every person here has been extremely pleasant."

"Members travel the world to actively engage and participate in the camaraderie of the organization's events and gatherings," said the website. "All elements of this experience have been crafted to the highest of standards, were born from a passion for all things Lamborghini, and the never-ending quest for the finer things in life."

Car owners were driving Lamborghini models Huracan, Aventador and Urus on this trip. Huracan is a V-10 630 HP and the doors open like a normal car door. The Aventador is a V-12 with 759 HP with the classic scissor opening doors.

The Urus is a V-8 SUV with 641 HP. Names for the cars came from Feruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the company who was a fan of Spanish fighting bulls. Names were chosen based on the names of the top bulls, who were often given their owner's surname.

Participants trucked their Lamborghinis from as far away as New York, Florida, Michigan and Tennessee to Los Angeles, where they met up and caravanned with the semi-trucks to Montana.

"While at home, some owners use the cars for daily driving in warm climates, said Romanowski. "Others may take the cars in performance driving schools on the track, but don't race them. There are other Lamborghini models for racing."

"What's exciting about an event like this, you go somewhere for a few days, and you just completely take a break, you get away from work, and you have something that you enjoy, your passion, your Lamborghini, and you spend time with like-minded friends who enjoy sports cars," said Romanowski.