In Saturday’s Indianapolis 8 Hour Sky Tempesta Racing turning in the best result for Ferrari teams in the final event of the 2023 SRO GT World Challenge America season, a race also valid as the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Edward Cheever III, Chris Froggart and Jonathan Hui finished 10th overall and fourth in Pro-Am, sharing the No. 535 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 carrying a throwback paint scheme promoting the upcoming “Ferrari” movie. Cheever gained three overall positions in the final hour, and ran as high as second in the class in the race, which was slowed only once by a caution early in the event.
It was a tough day for the two Ferrari teams that regularly compete in the American SRO GT World Challenge America series. Ryan Dalziel, Justin Wetherill and team owner Onofrio Triarsi were in the hunt for a podium position for the No. 33 Ferrari 296 GT3. Triarsi was running fifth when he was clipped from behind by the overall race leader with two hours, 23 minutes remaining. Both cars spun but were able to continue to the pits, with the Florida team returning to the event 15 laps down. They soldiered on to place 18th overall, 10th in Pro-Am, with Dalziel and Wetherill taking eighth in the final Pro-Am points.
Conquest Racing’s event unraveled only seven minutes into the event, when starting driver Alessandro Balzan pitted and the No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 was taken to the garage for a technical problem at the right-front suspension part. While the car was repaired and sent back into action 25 minutes later, the team lost 17 laps and an unsurmountable deficit for Balzan, Manny Franco and the Ferrari factory driver Lilou Wadoux.
The trio had an uneventful run for the remainder of the event, placing 19th overall and sixth in the Pro class. Balzan and rookie teammate Franco placed fifth in the final Pro driver standings.