news: sportscars

04.03.2003  WASHINGTON FERRARI 360GT WINS GT CLASS AT HOMESTEAD


The Scuderia Ferrari of Washington's 360 GT won the GT Class in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami-Homestead Speedway. The Ferrari, driven by defending GrandAm GT Champion Cort Wagner and Brent Martini, finished second overall behind a new Daytona Prototype racer, and one lap ahead of the Daytona Rolex 24-winning Porsche. 

"It was really an uneventful race," Wagner explained. "I was able to take the GT lead on the first lap, and other than a couple of laps after our pit stop, we led the whole way. The crew was perfect as usual, Brent did a fabulous job -- I think he could have won overall at the end, but we backed off to preserve our win in GT. It's great to be back on top of the podium." 

"It's an awesome treat (to win in the Ferrari) - incredible," Martini added. " I've been thinking about this since last year - about what to race next with Cort (Wagner) - and it seemed like a great opportunity to be a part of a championship team with championship drivers." 

"We had a good day," said team manager Glenn Marquis. "We won our first five races once we got our factory Ferrari, then hit a rough patch. We're six (wins) in eight races now, and I think we have a good shot at repeating as champions." 

Sponsorship for the Scuderia Washington Ferrari comes from Girard-Perregaux, a Swiss manufacturer of fine watches and maker of a numbered limited edition chronograph celebrating the Ferrari 360 GT. The Peris Companies, one of Washington, D.C.'s top regional construction service companies, and Putnam Leasing, one of the oldest specialty vehicle leasing companies in the U.S., joined the team as associate sponsors for the 2003 season.

RESULT

1.  59  DP  Haywood, France  105 laps  2:30:56.109, 2.  33  GT  Wagner, Martini  104   +1LAP,  3.  18  GTS  Leavy, Bupp  103  +2LAPS, 4.  35  GTS  Gonzalez, Castro  +2LAPS, 5.  66  GT  Buckler, Valentine  + 3LAPS 


The Ferrari of Washington 360GT on its way to winning the GT class in Miami
The Ferrari of Washington 360GT on its way to winning the GT class in Miami

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