Ferrari Wins Precede Utah
Superb passing strategy is demonstrated by Tafel Racing's No. 71, which, with a lightning fast pit stop, took first place at St. Petersburg.
With three GT2 teams driving Ferraris
(see e-News Issue 14), the probability of Ferrari wins at St. Petersburg (April 5) and Long Beach (April 19) was good. At St. Pete, Tafel Racing’s Dirk Mueller and Dominik Farnbacher drove No. 71 and outran 11 different full-time entrants to take first place. Team owner, Jim Tafel described it thusly: “With 20 minutes to go there was the Lizard car and the Risi car. It was like the tumblers on a safe; it all came together.”
Next, came Round 3 at the famed
Long Beach street circuit that winds through the city and between marina and beachside vistas. Here, Mueller delivered a performance that was called nothing less than legendary, driving Tafel Racing’s Ferrari to a climatic victory with only 0.102 seconds to spare against the Flying Lizard Motorsports team of Wolf Henzler and Patrick Pilet.
The course for the Utah Grand Prix will employ the 3.06 mile perimiter or "outer circuit" for the first time in ALMS.
We now look forward to the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix in Tooele, Utah, just 35 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City, May 16-18. Expect high speed thrills as the Risi Competizione F430 GT2 entrants attempt to regain their 2007 form and compete with Tafel for the GT2 win. For the first time, the ALMS series will use the 3.06-mile, 15-turn perimeter circuit which promises to be one of the fastest ever in ALMS history.
Your local Ferrari dealer may also provide equally superb hospitality and GT Club privileges.
