This release originally appears on ScuderiaCorsa.com.
LOS ANGELES, California (August 7, 2016) -
Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan gave a big boost to their GT-Daytona championship hopes with a third-place finish on Sunday afternoon at Road America.
On a track where they expected to struggle due to a straight-line disadvantage, Nielsen pulled off a remarkable qualifying effort of fifth place before she and Balzan drove to third place by the time the checkered flag fell. On a late-race restart, Balzan had the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 in fifth position and took advantage of two opportunities to drive onto the podium.
This was the fifth IMSA podium of the season for Scuderia Corsa, after victories at Sebring and Watkins Glen, a second-place at Laguna Seca and a third place at Detroit.
“We relied on Scuderia Corsa’s team effort today,” said Nielsen. “It was amazing what the guys did in the pit and I can’t describe how lucky I feel to be with guys who are so supportive. They were on it – they brought their A-game this weekend. It was tough with the top speed, but the team set up the car really well. This is a dream season – two wins, a second place and two thirds. I couldn’t be happier, honestly.”
“We had a really fantastic result today,” said Balzan. “I didn’t think we had a car for the podium. But thanks to the great work by the guys in the pits, and Christina also did a great job and gave me the Ferrari in very good shape, we were in a great position to finish in fifth position. And then we got a little bit lucky with some of the other cars going off and we were able to move up and get the podium after a very crazy last few laps. It’s a really great day for Scuderia Corsa”
Not only did Nielsen and Balzan finish on the podium for the fifth time this season, but they finished ahead of their closest championship pursuers to grow their championship lead to 15 points.
“We came in this weekend knowing that it was going to be a challenging race track due to the limitation of the top speed of the Ferrari based on the current Balance of Performance,” said Giacomo Mattioli, Scuderia Corsa team owner. “However, the team and drivers executed perfectly, giving us a very good starting position and a podium result. This allowed us to gain two more points as we are getting to the final stretch of the last three races of the season.”
The next race for the IMSA SportsCar Championship will be August 26-28 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.
About Scuderia Corsa
2016 24Hours of Le Mans GTE-Am winner, 2015 24Hours of Le Mans Podium, 2015 IMSA GTD and 2013 Grand-AM Rolex GT championship-winning team Scuderia Corsa was founded in 2013 by Giacomo Mattioli and Art Zafiropoulo.
Follow Scuderia Corsa on Twitter @Scuderia_Corsa, on Facebook at Scuderia Corsa, Instagram at #Scuderiacorsaferrari and ScuderiaCorsa.com
Team Sponsors:
Ferrari Beverly Hills / Los Angeles / Silicon Valley / South Bay - North America’s premiere Ferrari dealership group specializing in new and pre-owned sales, Classiche designation work, collision repair and factory trained service and original parts. Pacific Western Bank is a Los Angeles-based commercial bank with over $21 billion in assets. Pacific Western provides commercial banking services, including real estate, construction, and commercial loans, to small and medium-sized businesses through 80 full-service branches throughout the state of California. Its CapitalSource Division delivers cash flow, asset-based, equipment and real estate loans, as well as treasury management services to middle market businesses on a national basis. The Square 1 Bank Division, headquartered at Pacific Western’s Durham, North Carolina branch, offers a comprehensive suite of financial services focused on entrepreneurial businesses and their venture capital and private equity investors, with offices located in all key innovative hubs across the United States. Pacific Western Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ: PACW). Ferrari Palm Beach - Providing the exclusive Palm Beach market with a premium inventory of new and pre-owned Ferraris, state-of-the-art facilities and technicians for expert maintenance and repair. Wide World Ferrari - Located in Spring Valley, New York, offering Ferrari customers a premium selection of new and pre-owned Ferraris, expert authorized service and exclusive Ferrari certified body repair. Zonin USA –Zonin USA is wholly owned by Casa Vinicola Zonin S.p.A. in Italy, a company of seven generations of wine makers with eleven estates located in the most prestigious wine growing areas in Italy. Hublot - A champion of innovation, Hublot revolutionized the watch industry with the introduction of the Big Bang, a multiple award winning timepiece created using a combination of precious metals with rubber. Since then, the Swiss brand has become universally known for the concept, “Art of Fusion.” From in-house watch complications to world-class collaborations, Hublot is constantly evolving and looking to the future. PassTime - PassTime GPS has been in business for more than 25 years in the global transportation industry. Our wireless GPS products are available to auto dealers, auto finance companies, auto leasing companies, insurance companies and fleet transportation provider’s in the USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia Pacific. SONIC Tools - SONIC Tools is the North American subsidiary of Sonic Equipment, the world’s market leader in premium hand tools and tool box systems for both commercial and consumer use. The company’s mission is to elevate efficiency in the professional workshop through its premium hand tools and unique tool organization solutions. Sonic Tools’ precision-crafted tools, toolboxes and wall systems are found in the world’s most progressive automotive enterprises, and personal garages.
Technical Suppliers
Motegi Racing - through technical partnerships with leading professional racing teams, Motegi Racing Competition and High Performance Tuning wheels are designed and engineered for performance. Motegi Racing is a Wheel Pros brand. Wheel Pros products are sold worldwide in more than 20 countries on four continents and through a U.S. network of more than 10,000 active dealers. AERO™ Advanced Paint Technology is the world’s only ultra-durable, film-based paint solution. AERO is 50 percent lighter than traditional paint, has 100x superior durability, is strip-able, and has virtually zero carbon footprint. AERO the future of paint. Sabelt - leading manufacturer of seat belts and safety harnesses for production and racings cars, race suits, shoes and helmets, carbon seats for automobiles and child restraint systems worldwide. AllState - Allstate Roadside Services strives to provide the industry’s best roadside experience for our partners, their customers and our service providers.
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Picture Credit to Bob Chapman, Autosport Image