After the checkered flag, it was the 296 GT3 of Conquest Racing, the only Ferrari team that participated in the entire IMSA season, that climbed to the second step of the podium in GTD.
Albert Costa, Manny Franco and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli shared the #34 Ferrari, which took 14th position in the GTD class with two hours and 34 minutes remaining. At that point Costa got behind the wheel, opting for slick tires after a downpour.
Just 12 minutes later, another sudden downpour ended the chances of two more Ferrari teams. Costa continued, waited 40 minutes for the red flag and then held firm in the final sprint to the checkered flag, making up numerous positions.
“It was fantastic, we didn’t make any mistakes and our guys made an incredible pit stop to get us back in the fight,” Costa said.
“I am proud to be part of this team. “We have learned from our mistakes in previous races and this is the result of hard work and determination.”
“At the end there was a thin dry line and it would have been very risky and easy to make a mistake. But we managed to achieve a great result from a championship perspective.”
#57 WINWARD Racing Mercedes AMG GT3: Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje, #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3: Manny Franco, Albert Costa Balboa, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO: John Potter, Andy Lally , Spencer Pumpelly
Photo: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsports Images
In his first professional race at the Glen, Franco said he was pleased with his best result of the season.
“The car improved a lot from testing to qualifying thanks to the small changes. The cool temperatures balanced the car. “It is the first time I have raced a GT3 here, after having participated in the Ferrari Challenge two years ago,” says the American.
“It is very difficult to mentally manage traffic. I had a lot of fun. We chose the moment to stop in the pits to change tires.”
While Conquest was able to celebrate, for the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 of official drivers Daniel Serra and Davide Rigon the end of the race was affected by contact.
Serra started the race from the GTD PRO pole position, but the team was put in difficulty several times in the joint game between slick and rain tires.
The Brazilian led for the first stint, but dropped to fifth place at the first pit stop, before climbing back up to second place.
Rigon switched to rain tires when precipitation arrived and the race went into “caution” mode due to an accident.
The Venetian was third on slick tires with 1h40′ left when he encountered another sudden downpour. Under the yellow flag he went off the track, crashed into the wall and suffered damage to the rear suspension. Upon returning to the pits, he was forced to retire.
#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3: Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsports Images
Miguel Molina, winner of Le Mans in mid-June, finished seventh in GTD with the #21 AF Corse Ferrari, shared with Simon Mann and François Heriau.
Mann was second at the halfway point. He returned to the pits to hand the car over to Molina with two hours to go, during the transition from wet to slick tires.
Molina was then caught in the downpour which caused him to spin around and stop at the edge of the gravel. Unable to move until he was pushed by race officials, he lost a lap before rejoining. Thanks to a wave, he regained the lead lap and finished seventh under the checkered flag.
Onofrio Triarsi qualified second in the Central Florida/David SW 296 GT3 #023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari, also driven by works driver Alessio Rovera and Charlie Scardina.
Triarsi held second position for the opening half hour, before an unscheduled green flag pit stop. He handed the car over to Scardina, but a penalty for an unauthorized tire change caused the team to lose a lap and they were unable to recover it despite pushing for the remaining five hours. Triarsi crossed the checkered flag in 13th position.
One minute after Triarsi’s early stop, Roberto Lacorte, in the #47 of Cetilar Racing, was hit by an LMP2 car entering Turn 8.
#023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3: Onofrio Triarsi, Charles Scardina, Alessio Rovera
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images
The Tuscan crashed into the wall – causing extensive damage – and ended up spinning in the gravel. The driver was uninjured, but his Ferrari was forced to retire before recent Le Mans 24 Hours winner Antonio Fuoco and Giorgio Sernagiotto had a chance to drive.
Finally, it is worth highlighting the success in the LMP2 category of the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nicklas Nielsen, who shared the Richard Mille AF Corse prototype with the other official Ferrari driver, Lilou Wadoux, and with Louis Perez Companc.
Conquest Racing will return for the next IMSA race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on July 14. The other four Ferrari teams are also expected to participate in the next Endurance Cup race, scheduled for September 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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