The Mugello circuit witnessed a Ferrari 296 GT3 securing its second consecutive victory in the Italian GT Championship Endurance series. Wins were also recorded in the GT3 Pro Am, GT3 Am, and GT Cup categories, with a notable third place finish in the GT Cup. In the ADAC GT Masters, Emil Frey Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 finished fifth in the Sprint event, while Conquest Racing’s 296 GT3 placed 11th in the GTD class in Canada.
Italian GT Championship (CIGT): Following Scuderia Baldini’s victory with their number 27 Ferrari 296 GT3 at Vallelunga, another Ferrari triumphed in the second round at Mugello. This time, AF Corse’s number 50 car, driven by Riccardo Ponzio, Stefano Gai, and Mikkel Mac, claimed overall victory and won the GT3 Pro Am class. This success comes after the trio recovered from their misfortune in the previous round at the circuit near Rome. The win propels them up the overall and class standings, helped by a new rule awarding an additional 12 points to the leading crew at the 100th minute.
Giancarlo Fisichella, Arthur Leclerc, and Tommaso Mosca, who won at Vallelunga, finished seventh despite starting from pole position. Their race was hampered by a 10-second penalty for contact with AF Corse’s number 51 car, driven by Alessandro Bracalente and Eliseo Donno, who finished eighth and fourth in the GT3 Pro Am.
In the three-hour race, characterized by three safety cars and high temperatures, Leonardo Colavita, Simone Riccitelli, and Christoph Ulrich won the GT3 Am class in Double TT Racing’s number 75 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. In the GT Cup, Pietro Agoglia, Filippo Croccolino, and Gianmarco Marzialetti claimed victory in Best Lap’s number 212 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo in the Am class first division, while Luca Demarchi, Sabatino Di Mare, and Simone Patrinicola secured third place in the Pro Am division with Best Lap’s number 111.
The Endurance series returns to Imola from September 6-8 for the third round of the season.
ADAC GT Masters: The third round at the Nürburgring introduced a new format combining an endurance race and a sprint event over the same weekend. Emil Frey Racing’s number 14 Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Alain Valente and Jean Claude D’Auria, finished 15th in the endurance race and fifth in the Sunday sprint race. The fourth round will be held at the Sachsenring from September 8-10.
IMSA: Conquest Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 had an unlucky outing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship at the Canadian Motorsport Park near Toronto. Drivers Manny Franco and Alberto Costa Balboa finished 11th in the GTD class, completing 111 laps with a best time of 1’16”760. The next round is scheduled at Road America in Wisconsin on August 4.
