New Ferrari 296 GT3 Set For Watkins Glen Debut

Ferrari’s new 296 GT3 will make its Watkins Glen International debut with contenders in both IMSA SportsCar Championship GT classes in Sunday’s Six Hours of The Glen. The newest Ferrari GT racer will compete with two entries in both GTD Pro and GTD classes, fielded by four teams with each lineup including factory drivers. The Ferrari 296 GT3 made its competition debut in January’s Daytona 24 Hours. Both the GTD Pro and GTD classes feature cars built to international GT3 specifications, featuring respective all-Pro and Pro-Am driver lineups.

GTD Pro. Risi Competizione returns as a leading contender in the main class, with Ferrari factory drivers Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra sharing the driving duties on board the No. 62 Ferrari 296 GT3. Last year, Rigon and Serra dominated the second half of the WGI event, but a pit stop while leading for fuel with less than five minutes remaining resulted in a second-place finish – their best result of the season.

AF Corse is moving up to GTD Pro with factory pilot Miguel Molina joined by Simon Mann and Ulysse De Pauw. The team raced in GTD at both Daytona and Sebring this year, placing 13th in the later event. AF Corse also raced in GTD in the 2022 Six Hours, placing eighth in the competitive class.<

GTD. Cetilar Racing has factory pilot Antonio Fuoco joining Roberto Lacorte and Giorgio Sergagiotto in the blue No. 47 Ferrari 296 GT3. The team finished 14th at Sebring in March, returning the same lineup from their 2022 victory in the 12-hour classic while taking fourth in the team’s debut at Watkins Glen.

Triarsi Competizione makes its IMSA Watkins Glen debut with the No. 023 Ferrari 296 GT3. Factory driver Alessio Rovera joins Onofrio Triarsi and Charlie Scardina as they continue their quest for the Endurance Cup in 2023. The team led the Ferrari contingent at Daytona, taking 10th in GTD in its IMSA debut. The Orlando-based operation made its first Watkins Glen outing in 2022 in GT World Challenge America competition, with Triarsi and Scardina sweeping the Am class as part of 10-consecutive victories that took them to the championship.

The history. Ferrari has scored four overall victories in the Watkins Glen classic. Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx scored a dramatic triumph in a Ferrari 312P in 1972. Kevin Doran fielded the winning Ferrari 333SP on three occasions, winning in 1994 (Gianpiero Moretti and Eliseo Salazar), 1996 (Max Papis and Moretti), and 1998 (Moretti, Mauro Baldi and Didier Theys). In addition, Scuderia Ferrari of Washington captured the GT class in the 2003 Sahlen’s Six Hours in a Ferrari 360GT, with a driver lineup including Bill Auberlen.

The schedule. GTD Pro and GTD qualifying is set for 1:20 p.m. on Saturday. The race takes the green flag at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday, and will be streamed live on Peacock. USA Network will also broadcast live, from 2-5 p.m. (all times are local).