Cetilar Racing and an unfortunate 24 Hours of Daytona

The 24 Hours of Daytona were unlucky and bitter for Cetilar Racing, the team supported by Cetilar busy with the Michelin Endurance Cup series of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

After 44 laps, just over 100 minutes, a contact in the early phases prevented the Ferrari 296 GT3 number 47 with Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Sernagiotto, Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Balzan from continuing the 2023 edition of this famous race.

Undoubtedly a bitter withdrawal in the all-Italian team’s third consecutive participation (drivers, car and technical management by AF Corse) in the greatest Florida classic, now in its 61st edition.

Having ended a week ago in ninth place at the GTD Roar before the 24, valid for qualification for the 24 Hours of Daytona, Sernagiotto started on Saturday afternoon and in the first stint drove constantly close to the top-10. A 60-minute shift for the driver before the pit-stop, when Lacorte took over the wheel.

But due to the consequences of the initial contact, he soon had to return to the pits for a long stop. Back on the track, Lacorte immediately had to stop again. At that point the withdrawal from the race was inevitable.

It was a shame, because the whole team had worked very hard until then, developing a unique Maranello car which made its début in the race, with a total of 104 laps over the various practice sessions for a total of 595 km.

The Cetilar Racing team’s work in the States will continue at full speed, looking ahead to the next appointment when they will be raring to go. This is in fact the 12 Hours of Sebring, held on the weekend of 15-18 March and where, last year, Lacorte, Sernagiotto and Fuoco won a brilliant and well-deserved class victory. They will then continue with the next two rounds at Watkins Glen and the Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta.