28 August 2016
Danville, 28 August 2016 – Despite one Ferrari 488 contending for a podium position and the other leaving this weekend’s IMSA SportsCar Championship race at Virginia International Raceway as the championship leader, Sunday afternoon’s 2 hour and 40-minute race would ultimately be frustrating for both of the Ferrari teams.
GT-D. In the GT-Daytona class, the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 of Alessandro Balzan and Christina Nielsen arrived at VIR as the championship leader. Both drivers faced a myriad of challenges in Sunday afternoon’s race, including an extra pit stop for a damaged rear tire while Balzan was behind the wheel. At the checkered flag, the Ferrari crossed the finish line in eighth position. However, following the race, the no. 44 Magnus Racing Audi, which was second in the GT-Daytona championship, was excluded from the race results. Balzan and Nielsen now have a 20-point lead in the championship.
GT-LM. For the second straight race, the no. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE of Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander was taken out of a podium position in the closing stages of the race. From its qualifying position of fourth, the Risi Competizione Ferrari ran the majority of the race in third position before a late-race caution bunched the field together. As the field took the green flag for the final time, Fisichella was hit into a spin by the car immediately behind him, and the Ferrari would take the checkered flag in seventh position.
Next round. The next round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship will be at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on September 15-17.