Weekend preview: six Ferraris on track in Indianapolis, titles up for grabs in Europe

A weekend full of events that will see Ferraris vying for a number of titles and successes in the continental championships and in the United States, where the most important event, the Indianapolis 8 Hours, will be held where two 488 GT3 Evo 2020s will fight for overall success.

GTWC America. The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series makes a stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the final round of the season, the second event of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, an eight-hour endurance race featuring six 2020 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo cars, brought to the track by four teams. The race kicks off Saturday, Oct. 8, at noon. 

In the Pro class, three cars from the Maranello marque are expected at the start. AF Corse - Francorchamps will field two crews in the number 51 Ferrari, entrusted to Davide Rigon, Miguel Molina and Pierre Ragues, and the number 71, with Daniel Serra, Antonio Fuoco and Ulysse De Pauw. The event represents the first outing for official Ferrari Competizioni GT drivers Rigon and Serra after celebrating the drivers' title in the GTD Pro class of the Endurance Cup in the IMSA championship. In the same class, the Conquest Racing team entrusts its number 34 488 GT3 Evo 2020 to the trio Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, Daniel Mancinelli and Alessandro Balzan.

Two Triarsi Competizione cars are entered in the Pro-Am class, the number 13 of Justin Wetherill, Conrad Grunewald and Ryan Dalziel, and the number 23 that will see Alessio Rovera, Onofrio Triarsi and Charlie Scardina take turns driving. The latter racked up 10 consecutive AM wins before moving up to the major class, where they were joined by the Varese-born driver. While the partnership between Andretti Autosport and Vital Speed Motorsports rounds out the grid for the Prancing Horse brand, with drivers Jarett Andretti, Jeff Westphal and Ryan Briscoe sharing the No. 218 488 GT3 Evo 2020.

Italian GT Championship. The Monza track will host the final round of the season which will decide the remaining titles still up for grabs in the Endurance series. The Ferraris still vying for the crown are all found in the GT Cup. In the Pro Am class, Easy Race’s Rocco Mazzola holds the top spot just five points clear of Fischbaum-Pavlovic. For the final showdown at the Brianza track he will be assisted by Luigi Coluccio and Vito Postiglione. The Am class will feature an all-Ferrari head-to-head between the two SR&R entries with Buttarelli-Cossu in one crew along with Castillo Ruiz and, just a point behind, the car featuring Francesco La Mazza, racing alongside Manuel Menichini and a third driver as yet unnamed.

On Saturday with two more free practice sessions from 10.30 to 11.30 a.m.. This will be followed by three qualifying sessions starting from 5.05 p.m. that will determine the starting grid for the two-hour race set to kick off at 2.40 p.m. on Sunday.

Ultimate Cup Series. The recent round in Hockenheim last month has left three teams still in contention for the Coupe GT Endurance title, huddled up within an eight-point gap. Topping the standings is Visiom, whose Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 will take to the Magny Cours track handled by Jean Paul Pagny-David Hallyday-Jean-Bernard Bouvet.  In the UGT3A category, the French crew holds second spot, just four points behind the leader.

After qualifying, scheduled from 11.20 a.m. on Saturday, the 4-hour race will kick off at 7.35 p.m. the same day.

NLS. The Racing One team is set to make a first outing of the year in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. This marks the occasion of the seventh round of the 54th edition of the Zewotherm ADAC Barbarossapreis, a 4-hour race scheduled for Saturday from 12.00 noon, which will see Christian Kohlhaas and Jody Fannin line up in the no. 39 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in the Pro Am class.

GT Cup. The track at Snetterton will bring the GT Cup season to a close and will feature the Millington Motorsport-run Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo with Roy Millington and Benny Simonsen behind the wheel. In the GTC class the pairing lie third in the standings on 310 points, compared to the 386 of the leaders. Saturday morning’s schedule includes qualifying to determine the starting order for the Sprint Race from 12.20 to 12.45 p.m. and the Pit Stop Race from 4.05 to 4.55 p.m. The programme will be repeated on Sunday with the shorter race from 11.50 a.m. to 12.15 p.m. and the Pit Stop Race from 3.10 to 4.00 p.m.