07 October 2017
Braselton, October 7 -- Saturday morning in Atlanta, Georgia broke with heavy cloud cover and scattered rainstorms which affected the morning warmup for Petit Le Mans. While the rain had let up for the start of the 10-hour endurance classic, the track was still wet and most cars started with wet-weather tires before quickly switching to dry tires in the opening minutes of the race. However, at the start of the race one championship was decided as by starting the race Scuderia Corsa and drivers Alessandro Balzan and Christina Nielsen secured the GT-Daytona driver and team championship.
GT-LeMans. Starting from pole position, Toni Vilander kept the no. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE at the front until the first pit stop to switch from dry to rain tires. Giancarlo Fisichella took over the car from Vilander, and was then replaced by Alessandro Pier Guidi. At the four hour mark, Vilander was back behind the wheel with the Ferrari in seventh position in class.
GT-Daytona. Also starting from pole position, the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 started by Matteo Cressoni secured the season championship at the green flag but was subsequently involved in an on-track incident with a Prototype class car in the opening stages of the race. The Ferrari lost three laps recovering from the incident but regained one lap before the four hour mark, by which point new champion Christina Nielsen was behind the wheel of the car in 13th position.