Scuderia Corsa Pre-Mazda Raceway Report

After a weekend in Long Beach where Scuderia Corsa raced only a few miles from its partner dealers in the Los Angeles area, the team will now compete in front of the friends of its Northern California dealer - Ferrari Silicon Valley.

At this weekend’s round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca, Scuderia Corsa will remain a two-car program as the no. 68 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi and Daniel Serra will race in the GT-LeMans class and the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari driven by Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan in the GT-Daytona class. It will be a unique weekend with a pair of two-hour races held on Sunday – one for the Prototype and GT-LeMans classes, and the other for the Prototype Challenge and GT-Daytona classes.

Nielsen and Balzan have jumped to second position in the GT-Daytona driver’s championship, and Scuderia Corsa is now second in the team championship, after their victory at Sebring. The challenging of chasing the championship as well as racing in front of so many Ferrari Silicon Valley guests is at the front of the driver’s minds.

“I’m very glad to have a win this year, and to have it at Sebring was absolutely amazing,” said Nielsen. “It’s always important to remember that if you want to win championships, it’s not always about race wins, it’s about race points. This is pretty much a home race for the team, so to be able to do well in front of the people who really matter is a big deal. It’s a big thing for Giacomo (Mattioli) as well. They’re going to bring clients out, so when there’s a Ferrari audience watching, you want to do especially well.”

Adding to the experience for the team’s guests, the no. 68 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GTE will make its first start at Laguna Seca. Scuderia Corsa’s foray into the GT-LeMans class has shown promising speed out of the drivers and cars, which the team hopes to convert into a strong finish in front of the Ferrari Silicon Valley and partners onsite to cheer for the team.

“There is extra motivation for Daniel and I because it is an important weekend for Scuderia Corsa and Ferrari Silicon Valley,” said Pier Guidi. “Laguna Seca is a challenging place but because it places so much importance on high speed cornering, it will be a good circuit for the Ferrari 488 GTE.”

“This is a special weekend for us,” said Giacomo Mattioli, Scuderia Corsa team owner. “The very first debut of Scuderia Corsa was at Laguna Seca in 2012 so it always brings great memories to race here. This weekend is a wonderful opportunity for all of our friends and partners to enjoy the Laguna Seca facility – we will have over 50 clients driving their Ferraris from Ferrari Silicon Valley to Laguna Seca – and they will be treated to great hospitality, see our beautiful Ferrari 488s up close and in person, and watch exciting racing. There is a great feeling within the team after winning at Sebring in GT-Daytona and the performances we’ve had so far in GT-LeMans. Our team is coming with expectations to put on a great show in Sunday’s races.”

The first race on Sunday, featuring the GT-LeMans class, will be broadcast live at 2:00 PM ET on FOX Sports 1. The second race, featuring the GT-Daytona class, will be broadcast live at 6:30 PM ET on FOX Sports 2. A rebroadcast will be shown Monday, May 2 at 12:30 AM ET.