August 24, 2015 (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.) – At one of North America’s most challenging circuits, a Ferrari 458 Italia stood atop the IMSA United SportsCar Championship’s GT-Daytona podium following Sunday afternoon’s Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway.
Unique for the USCC, the Oak Tree Grand Prix featured the GT classes of IMSA’s premier championship. In dominant fashion, Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler drove the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia to their first victory of the season. The Ferrari, which was qualified in third position by Sweedler, took over the lead on the 15th lap of the two hour and forty-five minute race and never relinquished it. It was the thirteenth win for the Ferrari 458 Italia in North American endurance racing.
The victory propels Ferrari back to the lead in the GT-Daytona manufacturer’s standings, while Bell and Sweedler now sit second in the GT-Daytona driver’s standings with two races remaining in the season championship.
There was plenty more for Ferrari fans to celebrate. In the GT-LeMans class, drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer scored their fourth podium of the season in yet another race with a dramatic battle in the closing stages. The Ferrari stayed in podium position throughout the race, with Kaffer narrowly stealing second position on the final lap of the race. The duo had scored the victory at last year’s Oak Tree Grand Prix in the Risi Competizione Ferrari.
The next race for the United SportsCar Championship will be the Lone Star LeMans on September 17-19 at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas
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