SONOMA, 17 April 2022

Ferrari continued its domination of the Am class in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS competition on Sunday, completing the Sonoma Raceway opening weekend with a second-consecutive 1-2 finish.

AF Corse scored a weekend sweep with Conrad Grunewald and Jean-Claude Saada in the No. 61 Cambridge Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, giving the defending championship team 14 victories in the last 15 races.

After winning Saturday’s race with a late charge, Grunewald started from the class pole. He gained two overall positions during his stint, highlighted by a pass of veteran Bill Auberlen in the Hairpin on lap 13. Saada took over the controls during the pit stop window, powering to a class win at the checkered flag. But it was not a straightforward closing stint, as tire issues made for a tricky final segment ahead of the win.

“It was sketchy out there,” he admitted, “but we made it.”

Triarsi Competizione was in position to challenge for the second straight day before a caution at the end of the pit stop window with 39 minutes remaining proved costly. Both Onofrio Triarsi and Charlie Scardina led laps in the No. 23 Ferrari of Central Florida / Ferrari of Tampa Bay 488 GT3 Evo 2020 on Saturday, and the team looked to be in good position after the pit stop.

Scardina joined the race only seven seconds behind Saada when the caution waved. But instead of allowing Scardina to close in, the overall race leader was between the two cars, giving Saada an insurmountable one-lap lead. Saada placed 15th overall, three positions ahead of Scardina.

Triarsi Competizione also fielded the No. 13 Ferrari of Central Florida /Ferrari of Tampa Bay Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 for Ryan Dalziel and Justin Wetherill, which finished ninth in Pro-Am. The race finish marked a team turnaround from Saturday, when the fuel pump failed on only the second lap of the race, putting Wetherill on the sidelines.

Triarsi Competizione had a double-duty weekend, also running in both SRO Pirelli GT America powered by AWS races. After finishing seventh in Saturday’s 40-minute race, Wetherill placed fifth on Sunday in Triarsi’s No. 37 Ferrari of Central Florida Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. Gridded in seventh, Wetherill took fifth on the opening lap and held the position throughout the event, which was marked by two lengthy cautions.

The next event for the GT World Challenge America teams will be the first race at Ozarks International Raceway in Grarvois Mills, Missouri, on May 20-22.



Race 1

OA

14

SAADA (USA) / Conrad GRUNEWALD (USA)

15

SCARDINA (USA) / Onofrio TRIARSI (USA)

NC

WETHERILL (USA) / Ryan DALZIEL (SCO)



Race 2

OA

13

WETHERILL (USA) / Ryan DALZIEL (SCO)

15

SAADA (USA) / Conrad GRUNEWALD (USA)

18

SCARDINA (USA) / Onofrio TRIARSI (USA)

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