Ferrari enjoyed mixed fortunes in the opening hour of the Indianapolis 8 Hour race as rain showers dramatically shook up the running and triggered the first full course caution of the weekend.
Pro-Am. Alessandro Balzan took the opening stint in the no. 1 Ferrari 488 GT3 machine and quickly pitted on the 8th lap for wet tires as the rain intensified. What was initially projected to be a short burst of rain and encouraged quite a few drivers to brave the rain in slicks, leading to many drivers, including the Ferrari to be temporarily a lap down on the leaders. As that rain refused to abate, however, the wisdom of the rain tire became apparent and Balzan surged up through the field from at one point running 20th, to currently sitting in 4th.
Overall. Trevor Baek took the opening stint in the no. 6 Vital Speed Ferrari 488 GT3 and was doing a fantastic job to stay on track in the steadily worsening conditions. However as the rain intensified, aquaplaning became more and more of a concern and soon caught out the young driver, pitching him into a spin as he came onto the front straight. That sent him into the wall which seemed to damage the front suspension and triggered the only full course caution period to this point.