Scuderia Corsa Extends Championship Lead in Canada

A fourth place finish in Sunday’s IMSA SportsCar Championship race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park feels like a win today for Scuderia Corsa and drivers Christina Nielsen and Alessandro Balzan who demonstrated once again the team’s motto #Nevergiveup.

Halfway through the season, Nielsen, Balzan and Team have extended their lead in the GT-Daytona driver’s championship to 22 points in the 2016 IMSA SportsCar Championship. 

The no.63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari started Sunday’s race from 10th position, but strong driving from Nielsen and Balzan as well as rapid work in the pits by Scuderia Corsa enabled the 488 GT3 to jump up to fifth position in the final hour. Balzan picked up one more position in the closing minutes of the race.

With all four classes of the IMSA SportsCar Championship sharing the track, and with passing opportunities minimal on the CTMP circuit, the drivers and team were thrilled to maximize their points for the season championship.

“I am super happy with fourth place today,” said Nielsen. “It was a great comeback from how we started the weekend. This was definitely a challenging weekend to go into. We knew we weren’t in the greatest position, but it was an amazing job by the team. The strategy, the execution in pit lane, everything just fell together. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy about fourth place! We extended the points lead and that’s one of the main factors – always bring points home and stay consistent. I can’t wait to be back in the Ferrari in two weeks. No matter what, we are going to keep pushing and that’s what the team has been doing every single weekend and that’s why I am proud to be a part of this team.”

“This was such a great race by Scuderia Corsa,” said Balzan. “We didn’t have the fastest car but the team provided a great strategy and every pit stop was perfect. They gained a lot of positions during our pit stops and I was able to maintain our position until the finish. Christina gave me the Ferrari in perfect condition and she kept a strong pace while saving us a lot of fuel, which was important for our strategy. I think fourth was the best we could have done today, but for the championship it is really, really big – from the championship point of view, this feels like a win!”

Sunday’s race was another example of a complete team effort by Scuderia Corsa, with the drivers, crew and strategy playing a part in growing the team’s championship lead.

“We are happy with the results and the teamwork at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park,” said Joe LaJoie, Engineer of the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3. “The team put their heads down and did what was needed to control ourselves in such a competitive field. Christina drove smart and chose to protect the car rather than taking risks early in the race. Alessandro drove perfectly and our crew took advantage in the pits to gain as many positions as possible. We are leaving CTMP with a significant class lead for the next race at Lime Rock, another very challenging track.”

Scuderia Corsa’s GT-Daytona Ferrari will compete next on July 22-23 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut.