Ferrari Will Have GRAND-AM GT Fans Seeing Double Through 2013 Season

Operating under the theory that two entries trump one, Ferrari will have a pair of 458 Italia GT cars in GRAND-AM’s Rolex Sports Car Series in 2013. Consider that throwing down the gauntlet to the competition since AIM Autosport Racing with Ferrari is the reigning GT champion. AIM’s No. 69 returns – but with a different driver roster – and will be joined by the No . 61 Italia fielded by R. Ferri Motorsport. The cars will compete in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona and going forward chase the 2013 GT title.

Reigning co-champion Jeff Segal moves from last year’s No. 69 cockpit to the R. Ferri entry, which he’ll share with former GRAND-AM champion, worldwide racing star and NASCAR veteran Max Papis.

Last year’s second GT titleholder Emil Assentato will again be behind the wheel of the No. 69 Italia. He’ll share the ride with Anthony Lazzaro, who joined the team in 2012 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona and Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. Lazzaro participated with AIM during Daytona testing earlier this month.

“This is a great opportunity for AIM Autosport to be able to expand our program from one to two cars,” said Ian Willis, AIM co-owner and lead engineer.

Andrew Bordin, the No. 61 team co-owner with Remo Ferri, president of Ferrari of Ontario/Alberta, believes the pairing of Papis and Segal brings championship potential. “We’re excited at this driver pairing of Max and Jeff. Each of them brings so much experience to the team, having both been involved with Ferrari in the past years.

“We know that we have the right combination.”

“Our expectation is to continue the pedigree of Ferrari cars,” said Ferri, who hopes to build a hub for Ferrari on the eastern side of North America. “It is part of our DNA and it is a great part of my life. We are now ready to take it to the next level.”

For Papis, it is a homecoming on several levels. Ferrari brought him to the United States to race in 1996. The MOMO racing team’s car was owned by Ferri.

“It’s a perfect match for my attitude towards the sport,” he said. “As you know, I’m a guy who likes to attack and who likes to make things happen and I believe that Ferrari has the same mentality. So for me, being back in a car that really meant a lot more than just racing … is going to give me a lot of motivation.”

Lazarro welcomes the opportunity to compete with a proven team.

“The pressure to perform is always there. You place it on yourself and I don’t see why we can’t pick up where we left off,” he said. “I’d rather be stepping in a championship winning car than a car that hasn’t won at all.”