23 March 2018
22 March 2018 – After opening the single-driver sprint segment of the Pirelli World Challenge season at St. Petersburg earlier this month, the series will stage the opening double-header event of the SprintX championship this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. Ferrari will be represented in four classes of racing at the 3.47-mile circuit with strong two-driver line-ups for each of the four machines in the hour-long contests.
GT SX Pro–Pro. After making an impressive series debut in the opening weekend of sprint competition, scoring a pole and a podium in St. Petersburg, Ferrari factory driver Toni Vilander will return to the cockpit of the no. 61 Ferrari 488 GT3 Ferrari of Ontario, Toronto, Alberta, entry. The fast Finn will share the driving duties in the Pro-Pro class with the other Ferrari factory driver Miguel Molina for R. Ferri Motorsport this weekend.
GT SX Pro-Am. TR3 Racing took victory at COTA in SprintX competition in 2017, and will look to return to the COTA victory lane this weekend with a different driver line-up. Former Ferrari Challenge ace Wei Lu will team with Jeff Segal in the no. 31 Ferrari Of Vancouver Ferrari 488 GT3 entry. Segal will be making his Pirelli World Challenge debut, but will bring his credentials from wins on board a Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of Daytona. The race is the first foray into World Challenge for Ferrari of Vancouver, which has teamed with TR3 Racing to operate the entry.
GT SX Am. 2016 GTA Championship winner Martin Fuentes will look to continue his success from St. Petersburg with partner Caeser Bacarella in the Am class with the no. 07 Ferrari 488 GT3 for Squadra Corse Garage Italia. Bacarella has experience in a range of categories, including Ferrari Challenge, as he joins Fuentes for their first run together. In GTC SX class Marko Radisic and David Roberts will drive the 458 Challenge EVO car of Precision Driving.