05.01.2004 NEW MASERATI TROFEO LIGHT RACER HITS THE TRACK AT DAYTONA 24 HOURS PRE-RACE TESTING
The brand new Maserati Trofeo Light GT racer has hit the track at the Daytona 24 Hours pre-race test session in the hands of two teams which will be running the car at the famous race later this month.
With a huge surge of interest in the Grand American series this year, mainly inspired by the new Daytona Prototype ( DP ) category, the series organisers arranged a three day test session at Daytona to allow the teams to acclimatise themselves with the legendary Daytona International Raceway ahead of the gruelling 24 marathon race on 31st January-1st February.
More than fifty cars took part over the three days which kicked off on Saturday and finished today. Italian interest surrounded the Maserati Trofeo Light, a GT class racer derived from last years one-make Trofeo Cup car, itself drawn from the Coupe Cambiocorsa road going sportscar.
Two teams, Scuderia Ferrari of Washington, the reigning GrandAm champions, and Risi Competizione, who ran a Ferrari 360 Modena in last year's ALMS series, took to the track with the new car, the first time it has been seen running in public and against its rivals. Both teams quickly got down to representative times and the sessions have proved a valuable source of feedback for a very new car.
Meanwhile, joining the two Maseratis and a massive horde of Porsche GT3 runners, has been the Red Bull backed BE Racing Ferrari 360 GT, with veteran Dieter Quester joining the line up of Klaus Engelhorn, Philipp Peter and Andrea Montermini, a line-up last seen in action at November's Bathurst 24 Hour race in Australia.
Completing the Italian flavour at the test was a second 360GT run by Ferrari stalwarts JMB Racing USA, making the switch from the ALMS series to compete in the Daytona classic. Edi Gay, Diego Alessi and Iraj Alexander all took turns at the wheel.
 |
 |