The
Daytona 24 Hours, which takes place from 26 to 29
January at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway will
feature the racing debut of the 458 Grand Am. The car is
derived from the GT3 version of the 458, the latest
racing model of the Ferrari sports car, developed in
collaboration with Michelotto and aimed at the American
series.
For the tifosi the Daytona 24 Hours immediately
brings to mind the edition back on 5 February 1967, when
all three steps of the podium were filled by Ferrari
drivers, highlighting the dominance of the Maranello
marque across the pond that year. The crews were made up
of Lorenzo Bandini/Chris Amon in the Ferrari 330 P4
Spider, Mike Parkes/Ludovico Scarfiotti in the Ferrari
330 P4 sports car and Pedro Rodriguez/Jean Guichet in
the Ferrari 412 P; together they produced an amazing
result, thanks to an impeccable strategy thought out by
Sporting Director Franco Lini over the last few laps,
culminating in the three cars taking the chequered flag
in line abreast.
This clean sweep, with a
win in the Monza 1000 Kms, second place at Brands Hatch
and the Le Mans 24 Hours and a third place at Spa, meant
that Ferrari won that year’s International Sports
Prototype Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari then had
to wait until 1998 to take its next win in the Daytona
24 Hours, thanks to the Team Momo 333 SP which also won
that year’s Sebring 12 Hours.
In 2012, it will fall to Scuderia AF Corse, winners of
the Le Mans Series, Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the
FIA GT3 championship, to try and replicate these
prestigious American victories, partnering with U.S.
based Michael Waltrip Racing. Its 458 Grand Am will be
crewed all year by Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip,
North American Rally Champion, Travis Pastrana and two
endurance race veterans Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman
who in Daytona will tackle the first of 13 rounds on the
busy Grand Am calendar.
"We have been looking
at expanding the organization in the sports car world
and this is a great next step," said Kauffman. "The
Rolex 24 At Daytona is a world class event with huge
historic relevance in motor sports, and bringing a
Ferrari to the 50th running is a terrific opportunity.
We raced Petit Le Mans and Le Mans itself this year, and
plan to increase our presence in North American road
racing."
"My racing career will forever be linked to Daytona,
because it was defined on those high banks," said
Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion. "I've raced at
Daytona for 25 years and I can't wait to turn left at
the end of pit road and race through the infield for the
first time. It will be special to share this experience
with Rob, Rui and Travis."
Kauffman previously
joined Justin Bell and Aguas in a podium third-place
finish at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October.
"We're going with every intention on standing on the
podium after the 24 hours," Kauffman said. "Those are
pretty high expectations for a very competitive race,
but we plan on making this a top notch effort."
