Ferrari seeks first North American victory for 296 GT3 in SRO action at NOLA

NEW ORLEANS (25 April 2023) – Coming off its first podium finish for the new Ferrari 296 GT3 in the opening event of the season, Ferrari will be looking for its first North American victory this weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park in the second weekend of SRO GT World Challenge America competition.

Conquest Racing came from the back of the Pro field to score a second-place finish in the class in the Sunday race at Sonoma Raceway, coming a mere 0.336-seconds shy of victory after a storming charge to the finish to close out the weekend. 

Two teams will be racing the 296 GT3, Ferrari’s newest challenger, which scored its first international triumph this past weekend at Germany’s Nurburgring.

Alessandro Balzan and Manny Franco return in the No. 21 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 for the weekend, which features a pair of 90-minute races set to be staged on the 16-turn, 2.670-mile circuit just west of New Orleans.

Ryan Dalziel and Justin Wetherill return in the Pro-Am class, sharing the No. 33 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3. They finished ninth and 11th in the class at Sonoma Raceway.

Last year, Triarsi Competizione won its first two races of the season with a weekend sweep that led its successful march to the Am championship with drivers Onofrio Triarsi and Charlie Scardina in a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. Wetherill and Dalziel competed in a similar car for Triarsi in Pro-Am, placing sixth on Saturday and seventh on Sunday.

Official action at NOLA opens with practice on Friday at 10:50 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. (all times CT).  Qualifying begins Saturday at 11 a.m. for the Race 1 starters and 11:20 a.m. for the Race 2 starters. Race 1 follows at 3:10 p.m. Race 2 will takes the green flag Sunday at 1:45 p.m.