Salt Lake City, Utah (11 August 2018) – Ferrari teams swept the top two divisions Saturday while also getting closer to confirming a championship in the third at the Utah Motorsports Complex as the Pirelli World Challenge Sprint X series closes out its 2018 campaign with a pair of weekend races.
Toni Vilander and Miguel Molina won in Pro-Pro for R. Ferrari Motorsport, while Wei Lu and Jeff Segal triumphed in Pro-Am.
The 2018 SprintX season concludes with Sunday’s one-hour race on the demanding 14-turn, 3.048-mile Outer Course. The race will have a mandatory driver change, with Sunday’s grid set by the fastest laps from Saturday’s event.
SprintX GT Pro-Pro
Vilander took the lead late in his opening stint driving the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari of Ontario, Toronto, Alberta/Zekelman Industries Ferrari 488 GT3. He pitted with 28 minutes remaining and turned the car over to Molina – who was able to retain the lead and hold it the rest of the way.
“I had a good car when I left the pits, but with cold tires I had some tricky moments,” Molina said. “But they radioed and told me we had a good gap, so I took it easy. I started to push in the closing laps to get a good start for tomorrow’s race. I’m really happy with the win; everything is going in a good way, and it’s a nice feeling. Toni did an amazing first stint, overtaking [Rodrigo] Baptista on the track. It was a good race, and I’m happy.”
Molina and Vilander enter the finale leading the SprintX GT Pro-Pro championship by 22 points, 199-177.
SprintX GT Pro-Am
Wei Lu and Jeff Segal ended a streak of five consecutive second-place finishes by winning in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari of Vancouver Ferrari 488 GT3. They enter the final race with a six point gap to overcome in the race. Lu led throughout his opening stint. Segal took over in third but drove to the lead with 22 minutes remaining.
“You’re always thinking about the championship, but I know it’s out of our control,” Segal said. “All we can do is win races. We’re halfway there. It was difficult today at the end. Ryan Dalziel was putting on lots of pressure, but it wasn’t too difficult, because Wei gave me the car in first place. What more can you ask for? All I had to do was not mess up.”
Risi Competizione returned to the World Challenge after an extended absence with a fourth-place finish in Pro-Am in the No. 82 Biocube Ferrari 488 GT3 driven by Pierre Mulacek and Anthony Lazzaro.
SprintX GT Am
Championship-bound Caesar Bacarella and Martin Fuentes finished second in GT Am, carding a podium result following an incredible season that has featured eight consecutive triumphs in the No. 07 Squadra Corse Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3. They now hold an insurmountable 62-point lead over David Askew entering the finale.
Qualifying Saturday Morning
Ferrari drivers captured a pair of pole positions in Saturday morning’s qualifying. Wei Lu paced the Pro-Am class in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 with a lap of 1:50.266, while Caesar Bacarella led the Am class with a lap of 1:52.200 in the No. 07 Squadra Corse Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3.
Toni Vilander was third overall and in Pro-Pro in the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari 488 GT3, 1:48.502. Pierre Mulacek took fourth in Pro-Am in the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 with a lap of 1:56.345.
Sunday’s Schedule
Sunday’s lone event for the Pirelli World Challenge SprintX GT class will be the one-hour event at 3 p.m. MT. Both live streaming and live timing will be provided at
world-challenge.com.
The 2018 Pirelli World Challenge season concludes at Watkins Glen International on August 31-Sept. 2, featuring a pair of Labor Day Weekend races for the GT and GTA classes on the classic 3.4-mile circuit.