Scuderia Corsa after 9 hours of Rolex 24
Scuderia Corsa Ferrari #63 running top-3 through first 9 hours. Leads class over 50 laps.
#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia: Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal, Toni Vilander, Lorenzo Case
Eric Gilbert
After an action packed nine hours, Scuderia Corsa #63 continues to battle for the GTD lead. The race has seen seven yellows and a 56 minute red flag. The #64, which also held the lead, is working back through the field after being assessed a major penalty for passing on the wave-by prior to a restart in the fifth hour. All cars have pitted nine times including fuel, tires and driver changes.
The race was red flagged prior to the 3 hour mark due to a serious incident involving the the #62 Risi Ferrari GTLM and #99 Gainsco Corvette DP. Both drivers were transported to the hospital where they are under further observation but are awake and responsive.
Toni Vilander having ended his second turn behind the wheel at lap 187 holds the teams fastest lap so far at 1:48.088. During his opening 40 minute stint behind the wheel he reported the car was handling well although a warm track caused grip issues for the entire field. On his second stint he remarked that traffic issues and aggressive driving are the big concern. “The 24 is about consistency but you need luck as well.”
Lorenzo Case’ on his second turn behind the wheel has been running consistent 1:49 lap times and at the front of the GTD pack for over 30 laps.
Alessandro Balzan put up some of the fastest GTD lap times 1:48.899 and led in the third hour despite what he called a major bottleneck at turn one due to the crowded track. “The car setup is good but I need to watch out for traffic and stay out of trouble. The spotters are a big help and it is easier for them to see us at night with our lights and the red car.”
Jeff Westphal spent over an hour sitting in the car under red in the third hour and now awaits his second turn behind the wheel. He will take over from Alessandro Balzan next.
Scuderia Corsa
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