Cetilar Racing looks to the States, announcing a new star-spangled challenge in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GT series for next season. A challenge once again branded #47 Ferrari (488 GT3 Evo), with the full-fledged support of AF Corse being reconfirmed as well as the same crew, composed by Roberto Lacorte, Giorgio Sernagiotto and Antonio Fuoco, that this year proved to be great protagonists in the LMGTE Am of the FIA World Endurance Championship, while Andrea Belicchi will continue to play an essential coordinating role on track.
Four are the appointments that the only “all made in Italy” team of the category will face in 2022. The four great classics of endurance. Starting with the 24 Hours of Daytona scheduled at the end of January and preceded by only one week by the Roar Before the Rolex 24. For the Cetilar Racing team this will be the second consecutive participation in the Florida race, after a very positive appearance at the beginning of 2021 with the Dallara LMP2 car, finishing sixth in its class. A result that came after a very long pit stop caused by a gearbox problem, occurred during the ninth hour, and that deprived Lacorte, Sernagiotto, Fuoco and Belicchi (in his capacity as fourth man for the occasion) of a probable victory, after leading the race in the early stages.
As regards Daytona, the three drivers for Cetilar Racing will be joined by the newcomer Alessio Rovera, 26-year-old racer from Varese, winner of this year’s FIA WEC in the LMGTE Am class driving another Ferrari by AF Corse.
The calendar of events will continue with the 12 Hours of Sebring (also in Florida), over the weekend of 18/19 March. At the end of June, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen will be run in New York State. The last stop will be at Road Atlanta (Georgia), at the beginning of October, when the Petit Le Mans will take place.
“The decision to participate in the four most important endurance races of the IMSA championship next year is the result of several factors”, Roberto Lacorte said . “The first and most important being the desire to live a new championship as protagonists. For Cetilar Racing it will be a high-level, stimulating challenge, rich in history, tradition, and interest. The 24 Hours of Daytona of last January, which we took part in with the LMP2 prototype, was a very nice experience that left a sour taste in our mouths. We therefore promised ourselves that we would come back, and in doing so we decided to extend our presence to the other great classics of the stars-spangled calendar, which we look forward to facing in a very competitive category such as GT. I want to highlight that ours is not a farewell to the FIA World Endurance Championship, but only a goodbye. Finally, I warmly welcome Alessio Rovera, a young and undoubtedly talented driver, who will join us for the Daytona race.”
“The four great American classics are an integral part of the history and legend of our sport. In the wonderful path that Cetilar Racing has been following these years, they are a fundamental milestone”, Giorgio Sernagiotto added.”I also believe that with such a competitive crew and the inclusion of Alessio Rovera in the team for the 24 Hours of Daytona, as well as the extraordinary support of AF Corse, we can certainly have our say in terms of absolute performance, and we know well how competitive Ferrari is in this type of races. I’m aware that it won’t be easy, due to both the kind of American races and the fact that we will be facing tracks that are conceptually different from the European ones. But the experience at the beginning of 2021 keeps me very positive. I would like to thank Roberto Lacorte for his vision and his great passion.”
“I’m very excited by the idea of participating in the four most important endurance races in the United States”, Antonio Fuoco stated. “It’s an experience I wanted to do, and living it with Cetilar Racing, a team I have established a very special feeling with, is even sweeter. By the way, my first race with Cetilar Racing was the 24 Hours of Daytona, last January, and given how it ended we want to make up for it with interest. Daytona, Sebring… these are fascinating tracks, rich in tradition, and at the same time technically difficult. It’s a really stimulating challenge that I can’t wait to take on.”
“After running the 8 Hours of Indianapolis, I’m looking forward to discovering another historic circuit like Daytona for my second time in the States”, Alessio Rovera said. “I’m joining a new team, completely Italian, and this adds further motivation. I’ll reach 2022 after an important season. Working well together since the first day, on track and in the pits, will be essential.”
Source. Cetilar Racing/Photo. Fabio Taccola
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