25 June 2018
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (24 June 2018) – After getting strong starts in the 50-minute race, Ferrari drivers Daniel Mancinelli and Martin Fuentes came home with podium finishes in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Road America Round 7 of the Pirelli World Challenge.
GT
Starting fifth in the No. 31 TR3 Racing Oprena Ferrari 488 GT3, Daniel Mancinelli got off to a brilliant start, gaining two positions on the opening lap of the fabled four mile circuit in Wisconsin. He held third position for the remainder of the 50-minute race, which was won by Michael Christensen.
Mancinelli made a strong bid for second on the final lap, coming up 0.680 seconds short behind Alvaro Parente. Despite missing the opening two races of the season, Mancinelli now has captured three podium results on the season in 2018 GT competition.
Toni Vilander started fourth in the No. 61 R. Ferri Motorsport Ferrari of Ontario Ferrari 488 GT3 but lost a position on the opening lap. He held fifth for the remainder of the race, coming up 0.390 seconds short of taking fourth from points leader Scott Hargrove on the final circuit. Saturday’s runner-up finisher, Vilander remains second in the point standings.
GTA
After dominating the race, Martin Fuentes missed a bid for a weekend sweep in heartbreaking fashion on the final lap. The driver of the No. 07 Squadra Corse Garage Italia Ferrari 488 GT3 lost the lead in traffic coming to the checkered flag, coming up 0.008 seconds short of the victory.
Prior to the finish, Fuentes lost the lead only briefly at the 14-minute mark, but completed a crossover pass to move to the lead the rest of the way until the dash to the checkered flag. Fuentes now has four victories and three second-place finishes in 2018 GTA competition, and added to his points lead with only two races remaining.
Watkins Glen Finale Next for GT/GTA
Only two rounds remain in the 2018 GT/GTA season, set to be staged at Watkins Glen International on Sept. 1-2. The next Pirelli World Challenge competition for Ferrari teams will be the SprintX Rose Cup Races at Portland International Raceway on July 14-15.