Rookie Le Mans Experience Paying Off For Scuderia Corsa Trio

Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell admit that their rookie try at Le Mans last year was a learning experience that yielded a third-place finish in LM GTE Am co-driving with Jeff Segal in a Ferrari 458 Italia fielded by Scuderia Corsa. This year they hope to stand even high on the podium, when the trio returns in the No. 62 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari.

“It is hard to explain the magnitude of information that is required to be competitive at Le Mans,” said Sweedler. “Having one year under our belt allows us to focus on the finer points of improving our lap times, and we’ve been able to learn from all of the mistakes we made in 2015. There are no surprises this year with Scuderia Corsa, the Ferrari 458 Italia, or my teammates.”

Sweedler and Bell won the 2015 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) championship with Scuderia Corsa, and Sweedler earned an automatic invitation for Le Mans by winning the Bob Akin Award as the top Pro-Am GT driver.

They joined O’Gara Motorsport to drive a new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 for the 2016 WeatherTech Championship, but that team closed following the Rolex 24. Since then, Sweedler and Bell have been driving a Lamborghini for Change Racing, although they already had made plans to return to Le Mans with Scuderia Corsa.

“With one Le Mans under our belts, we understand the massive differences from racing in IMSA and at Le Mans,” said Bell. “We are familiar with the track, the protocol, and the demands of the race. Last year, as rookies, we were learning just how tough mentally the track and the race were. It was the most difficult race I’ve ever competed in – probably because everything was new. This year, we will be much stronger and legitimate contenders for a win.”

Segal also joined Sweedler and Bell in winning the GTD class for Level 5 Motorsports in the 2014 Rolex 24. Last year’s race with Scuderia Corsa was also his first experience racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“A year of experience is a world of difference,” said Segal. “The key word for this year is confidence. We know what to expect from the circuit, from the event, and from the logistics, which are very unique for this race. Even with a year of experience as a team, it is still a very difficult race, and it is still impossible to predict how things might unfold. With that said, I think that our collective confidence was evident from the first laps of the test. We are really just trying to refine a proven package and see where that gets us.”