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With Turns One, Two and Three so close together at Daytona International Speedway, the ears will be in for as much of a treat as the eyes as four teams campaign five Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am racecars at the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 28-29.
A spectacular view of the racing is just one of the many benefits for Ferrari owners with the insiders-only
VIP Hospitality Package. Ferrari owners can also expect memorable experiences, and those who plan to drive to the race should do so in their Ferraris.
Already a major force in international GT racing, the production-based 458 racecars in their first season captured Le Mans Series and FIA GT championships in Europe as well as top step on the podium at two American Le Mans Series (ALMS) races.
The VIP Hospitality Package provides a complete race immersion including exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the paddock, race transporter and a pit crew experience. Be prepared for even more excitement as Ferraris led the timesheets in four of the seven sessions in Daytona testing on January 6-8 with the No. 63 Risi Competizione car posting the fastest overall GT time at 117.321 mph. “I liked the track a lot, and first impressions of the 458 were really positive,” said Ferrari driver and ex-F1 pilot Giancarlo Fisichella. “We are all determined to be in with a chance of finishing on the podium, although of course our main aim is to actually win.”
With such a large contingent of cars entered at Daytona, Ferrari certainly hopes to add to its trophy case and history book. It was here in 1967 that Ferrari prototypes swept the first three places in this classic race. The resulting photos of the three-abreast Ferrari finish remain among the most memorable in racing history. Celebrating Daytona heritage, the track has organized a reunion of the winning cars going back to the first race in 1962, a then-three-hour event known as the Daytona Continental. Ferrari 250 GTOs won the second race in 1963 and the first 2,000-km race in 1964.
Ferrari last won the Daytona 24 in 1998 with the 333 SP, and the man who drove that car to more wins than any other driver, Didier Theys, will be Ferrari’s guest at the VIP suite. He and others from the winning team will be happy to talk about that victory as well as offer commentary on this year’s racing action.
Risi Competizione, which took second overall at the 2003 Daytona 24 with a 360 Modena GT, is fielding two cars in Daytona with an all-star driver lineup. In car No. 62, Risi regular Toni Vilander is joined by European Le Mans Series GTE-Pro champs Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella. Sharing the driving in the No. 62 car will be Ferrari test driver Andrea Bertolini, Raphael Matos of Brazil and five-time American Le Mans Series GT1 champion Olivier Beretta.
The other teams campaigning a 458 Italia Grand Am include:
• AIM Autosport Team FXDD piloted by GT racing veterans and current
Ferrari Driving Experience instructors Anthony Lazzaro, Jeff Segal and Nick Longhi as well as Emil Assentato
• Extreme Speed Motorsports Tequila Patron driven by Guy Cosmo, Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Ed Brown
• AF Waltrip, a collaboration between Michael Waltrip Racing and AF Corse, which won the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) and the FIA GT2 championship with its 458 GT. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and four-time North American rally champion Travis Pastrana are joined by Rob Kauffman and renowned road racing veteran Rui Aguas and team owner.
The comprehensive Daytona 24 VIP Hospitality Package, at $795 per person, provides all you need for racing enjoyment. In addition to a track entry pass and the premium viewing area at Turn 1, the package includes:
• Access to the Ferrari VIP Hospitality suite with premium gourmet catering for breakfast and lunch, plus beverages and snacks and closed-circuit TV race viewing
• All-night barbecue on race day
• Ferrari corral parking
Integrated with the VIP Hospitality Package, the Ferrari Team Experience takes you behind the racing scenes with:
• 458 Italia Grand-Am technical briefing
• Paddock tour
• Pit crew experience
• Transporter tour
• Meet and greet with drivers
The Ferrari Daytona VIP Hospitality Package offers unmatched access to this historic 50th Anniversary race. For more information please contact the Ferrari Concierge at 866-551-2828 or
support@ferrarisupport.com. Or register at
www.ferrarievent.com/gtracing/daytona.
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