Weekend notebook: Ferrari wins in International GT Open and Ultimate Cup Series. Podiums in GT World Challenge America and Australia
On a busy weekend of racing, the Prancing Horse cars secured key championship podiums in the GT World Challenge America at Barber Motorsports Park and in the Australian round at The Bend. Ferrari claimed wins in every class at the International GT Open in Austria, sealing a weekend of total success. Meanwhile, the Maranello manufacturer also dominated the GT Sprint Trophy of the Ultimate Cup Series, held at Motorland Aragón.
GT World Challenge America. In the penultimate round of the season contested at Barber Motorsports Park, Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri, in the number 163 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3, secured two second places in the Am class. Marcelo Hahn and Diego Gomes made their debut in AF Corse’s second car, the number 16, finishing eighth and sixth in the Pro-Am class across the two races. The final round of the 2025 GT World Challenge America will take place at Indianapolis from 16 to 19 October.
GT America. In the seventh round of the season, Tony Davis made his debut in the number 004 Ferrari 296 GT3 of HP-TECH Motorsport, finishing fifth in Race-1 at the Barber Motorsports Park track, after an eventful contest marked by changeable weather, and sixth in Race-2. Making his debut in GT America, Davis has already confirmed his entry for the 2026 season. The next and final round of the championship will run at Indianapolis from 16 to 19 October.
International GT Open. Ferrari secured victories and podium finishes across all classes at Austria’s Spielberg circuit, keeping alive the Maranello-based manufacturer’s hopes of a final victory as the season enters its last round. In Race-1, Tommaso Mosca and Carl Bennet triumphed in the Pro class at the wheel of the number 51 AF Corse 296 GT3, thanks especially to the Italian driver’s decisive overtaking move on the final lap. By finishing sixth in Race-2, the Italian-Thai pairing moved up to third in the overall standings, 13 points behind the leader and just one ahead of Tom Enson and Tom Lebbon, who recovered from 12th place in the opening race to take second place with the number 17 Elite Motorsport 296 GT3 in Race-2.
Ferrari also celebrated two Pro-Am victories: Edoardo Bacci and Philipp Baron, at the wheel of the number 92 Baron Motorsport entry in Race-1, finished fifth place overall. Meanwhile, Ernst Kirchmayr and Giacomo Altoè competed in Race-2, where the Italian also secured pole position. The Italian-Austrian pairing at the wheel of the number 91, who repeated last year’s win at the Spielberg circuit, had finished the opening race in seventh place. Meanwhile, Baron and Bacci took sixth in Race-2.
The third Maranello entry in the Pro-Am, the number 88 of Into Africa Racing by Dragon Racing featuring South Africans Stuart White and Xollie Letlaka, endured a difficult weekend, finishing 12th in Race-1 and completing only 13 laps in the second race.
Ferrari’s Am class victory came on Sunday thanks to championship rankings leaders Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo in the number 21 AF Corse 296 GT3, who secured their seventh win of the season and moved back to the top of the standings after losing their lead when a spin forced them to retire from Race-1. Stanislaw Jedliński and Krystian Korzeniowski, driving the number 5 Olimp Racing car, finished the weekend with a fifth place and a retirement.
The next round of the series will take place in Barcelona over the weekend of 21 September, featuring another Sprint event.
GT World Challenge Australia. Arise Racing GT’s Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte claimed a double-podium finish in the Pro-Am category, driving the number 26 during the GT Festival The Bend. In the final Australian round of the series, the two drivers finished second and third with two impressive performances, maintaining the 30-point lead they had in the overall standings going into The Bend at the weekend.
Arise Racing GT’s sister car, the number 77, driven by Jordan Love and Steve Wyatt, finished seventh and tenth in the Pro-Am across the two races.
The championship will return on the weekend of 31 October to 2 November for the New Zealand round at Hampton Downs.
Ultimate Cup Series. At Aragón in Spain, Ferrari dominated with Lyle Schofield in the number 353 SR&R 488 Challenge Evo. The Irish driver sealed victories in Race 1 and Race 3, results that also secured him the UCTC class win. In Race-2, he handed over to his team-mate Emilio Rocchi, who finished sixth overall. At the same circuit, Patrick Michellier claimed victory in the weekend’s second race at the wheel of the number 73 CMR Ferrari 296 Challenge, and also collected two runner-up finishes behind Schofield.
The next round of the championship is scheduled for 9–12 October at France’s Magny-Cours circuit.