Scuderia Corsa Ferrari earns first victory at Kansas Speedway

Kansas Speedway, Kansas. After 2 hours and 45 minutes of action packed racing at the Kansas Speedway SFP Grand Prix, Alessandro Balzan and his #63 Ferrari 458 Italia took the checkered flag for Scuderia Corsa’s first victory in the tenth race of the 2013 Grand-AM Rolex GT season.

The win also retains Ferrari to the lead of the manufacturer championship, puts Alessandro Balzan back to leading the driver championship and Scuderia Corsa at the top of the team points.

#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458: Leh Keen, Alessandro Balzan

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

Alessandro and Leh did an incredible job and I am very happy for Ferrari leading the Championship! I am looking forward to racing at our home race track in Laguna Seca!” Balzan, who shared driving duties with two-time Grand-AM Rolex GT champion Leh Keen, took the lead with almost 30 laps remaining and never looked back, building a commanding lead over the rest of the GT field.

Of his first victory on American soil and his first time at Kansas Speedway, Balzan said, “it’s an incredible moment and I am so proud to have given Scuderia Corsa its first victory, particularly in such an important moment in the championship.

The team and the car have been impeccable and we had the best strategy. Leh has been a tremendous help in better understanding this track. We are definitely looking forward to the last two races at two tracks that now we know!”

Kansas Speedway offered fans and racing teams ideal weather conditions for the evening race but three yellow flags and major debris from numerous incidents wreaked havoc on cars and team strategies at this fast course known for offering drivers few places to overtake.

Leh Keen, who qualified the #63 in second position, kept the #63 near the front for much of the first half by using his skills in the corners to make up for less straight line speed than some competitors. Keen, who shattered the course record and took the pole in qualifying at Road America last weekend has proven to be a great addition to the driver lineup since joining the team four races ago.

The two time champion said, “amazing to see Scuderia Corsa performing like a championship team, nailing all the pit strategies, team strategy, the car setup. Everybody did an awesome job. It was a special weekend for sure because it’s the first win for the team and for me as part of the team. The team worked so well together.

We’re leading the championship with two races left as we always planned. Balzan did an awesome job. We made some changes to the car during the race that helped a lot and let us bring home the big win. This is a true championship team and the results showed today what Scuderia Corsa is capable of.”

Scuderia Corsa Technical Director, Roberto Amorosi, of its first team victory said “what a fantastic weekend! The team did an incredible job all over and we were confident that the #63 Ferrari would have been strong in this track after the qualifying: a perfect team work and flawless race with no mistake and an excellent strategy.”

Next up Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey California at 2pm on September 8th.

Scuderia Corsa Ferrari