Ferrari 296 GT3
Experienced WEC drivers appointed
DragonSpeed’s No. 81 296 GT3, aiming to win the GTD Pro class, will take on the 24-hour race with experienced drivers including Alberto Costa and Miguel Molina.
The IMSA season-opening race, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, sees many manufacturers competing with GT3 machines. The #81 296 GT3 from US-based DragonSpeed is aiming for victory in the GTD Pro class, which is made up entirely of professional drivers.
The team will be aiming for victory with an experienced driver lineup led by Miguel Molina, Ferrari’s official driver in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), along with Alberto Costa, Thomas Neubauer and Davide Rigon.
The remaining seven 296 GT3s will be entered in the GTD class, which combines professional and gentleman drivers. AF Corse, which teams up with Ferrari in the WEC, will field the No. 21 car with Kay Cozzoli, Simon Mann, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Lilou Waddu, and the No. 50 car with Riccardo Agostini, Konrad Laursen, Arthur Leclerc and Custodio Toledo.
Additionally, Triarsi Competizione have entered cars number 021 and 023, Chetiler Racing’s car number 47, Conquest Racing’s car number 34 and Inception Racing’s car number 70 in the GTD class.
Recorded a good time at the official ROAR test
In the official test, “Roar Before the Rolex,” in which all entered cars participated, the No. 21 car in the GTD class recorded the third fastest time.
From January 18th to 19th, the official test “ROAR Before the Rolex” was held at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for this weekend’s 24-hour race.
In the GTD Pro class, Costa, driving the #81 DragonSpeed car, was eighth fastest with a time of 1’48.263. His teammate Molina was ninth with a time of 1’48.278. In the GTD class, Guidi, driving the #21 AF Corse car, recorded a time of 1’48.131, putting him third, the top Ferrari.
Two free practice sessions for all classes are scheduled for January 23, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, followed by qualifying for the GTD class from 2:10 to 2:25 PM and the GTD Pro class from 2:35 to 2:50 PM. The 24 Hours of Daytona will start at 1:40 PM on January 25 and finish at the same time the following day (all times local time).
