01.02.2004 FINAL GT PODIUM POSITION FOR BE RACING AS THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RIVALS LATE RACE DRAMAS

The Red Bull BE Racing Ferrari 360GT crewed by Klaus Engelhorn, Philipp Peter, Andrea Montermini and Dieter Quester, survived one of the toughest Daytona 24 Hours for many years to claim the final GT podium slot and finish 6th overall in the process. The team, drivers and car, barely missed a beat for the whole rain soaked drama filled race, which included countless full course yellows and a even red flag period when conditions became to terrible for the cars to remain on the track.

The race had started brightly for the pair of Maserati GT Lights making their debut here, but after challenging strongly, including leading the GT class during the opening hour, the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington and Risi Competizione run cars fell away overnight. Of the four Ferrari runners in GT, the JMB Racing entry disappeared from the fray early on and the pair of Mastercar entries slipped away with problems, leaving the BE Racing car to uphold Italian honour.

The race had endured constant rain overnight, and at 6.25am on lap 422, the green flag signalled the return of racing action on track, after three hours and fifteen minutes on full course yellows. The Red Bull BE Racing Ferrari 360GT , was now the only Italian car still in the hunt, holding down third in GT after being in contention all night.

Twenty five minutes and 11 laps later, the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington Maserati GT Light, running well down the order after surviving a series of overnight dramas, suffered front end damage, and dived into the pits for lengthy repairs.

With rain falling heavier than ever the track started to become awash with water again, and at 7.30am, as the morning was rolling in, the track went back to full course yellows. Five minutes later, with hastily repaired front bodywork and a new radiator, Stephen Earle exited the pits bringing the no33 Maserati back onto the track.

Barely seconds later, with conditions now atrocious, the Daytona 24 Hours was red flagged for the first time in 15 years, the cars lining up in the pit lane with the teams not allowed to work on them. At 10.23am the track was declared dry enough for the cars to return. However as the cars filed onto the track behind the safety car, the no93 Mastercar Ferrari was retired, leaving its sister no94 car as the team's remaining runner in the race.

As the race entered its 21st hour the BE Racing Ferrari, which had held third place in GT for most of the morning, lost the position to the no66 Racers Group Porsche GT3 RS which had been shadowing them for lap after lap, and barely an hour after the restart Maserati's representation was halved as the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington run GT Light retired, an on going legacy of damage caused during its accident earlier in the morning.

However as the race entered the 23rd hour, the no66 Racers Group Porsche suffered differential problems and lost several laps, allowing the BE Racing Ferrari back into the final podium slot, a position they would not relinquish to the flag.

Much further back Maserati were opening a new chapter in the marque's rich racing history as the Risi Competizione run GT Light, crewed by Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro and Matteo Bobbi, had survived everything thrown at the brand new car in this toughest of endurance marathons, and crossed the line 26th overall and 11th in GT, 64 laps down on the winning Pontiac Doran.