Scuderia Corsa - Winning looks easy with Ferrari experts

Scuderia Corsa is the US racing squad founded in 2012 by Giacomo Mattioli and Art Zafiropoulo and based in Van Nuys, California. The team operates as a part of Mattioli Automotive Group, North America’s premiere Ferrari dealership group.

Supporting the Ferrari clients and providing an opportunity to early-stage drivers

The team’s main activity is supporting the needs of Ferrari clients, from racing enthusiasts to serious professionals. During its short history, Scuderia Corsa enjoyed much success in GT endurance racing with victory at 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours as a highlight. Over the years, Scuderia Corsa also started the Drivers Development Program, to provide a complete solution for young drivers who never raced before.

Scuderia Corsa won three titles in the USSC

In the year of its establishment, Scuderia Corsa appeared in only two races of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series but announced that will achieve a lot of thing in the foreseeable future. They helped Ferrari to win Manufacturers’ title in 2012 and was prepared for bigger challenges in the following season.

Scuderia Corsa was 2013 IMSA Grand-Am Series GT champion

During the 2013 Scuderia Corsa tasted success for the first time competing in the IMSA Grand-Am Series and Ferrari Challenge. Drivers Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal, and Leh Keen led the team to the series title in GT class and helped Ferrari to win another Manufacturers’ title. Maiden victory was scored at Kansas Speedway and had other six podium finishes what was an excellent achievement considering that was team’s first full season.

Scuderia Corsa at Indianapolis, 2013

The results scored in the Ferrari Challenge also were pretty good. The team won the Coppa Shell race at Sonoma Raceway and had other two podiums in the same class what was just the preparation for the success.

Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell champions in 2014

Scuderia Corsa continued to race with Ferrari 458 Challenge EVO in Ferrari Challenge North America Coppa Shell and won the 2014 championship title, as well as 3rd at the Ferrari World Finals. It was really remarkable season for the team that scored a total of 10 wins and 22 podiums.

Scuderia Corsa enjoyed 2014 season in Ferrari Challenge

At the same time, Scuderia Corsa fielded two Ferrari 458 Italia GT3s in the newly formed United Sports Championship. Balzan and Westphal won the races at Belle Isle and Indianapolis, scored other three podiums, but that wasn’t enough for another title, so the team took the 7th place in the standings.

Debut in the Pirelli World Challenge

In 2015 Scuderia Corsa debuted in Pirelli World Championship and raced there instead of Ferrari Challenge. Three cars were fielded and the team achieved some success. Martin Fuentes won the race at Barber Motorsports Park and had other four podiums before finishing 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship.

Martin Fuentes, Scuderia Corsa

However, the best result that year was scored in USCC. Scuderia Corsa won its second title in the GT Daytona class, led by drivers Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler. They won the race at Virginia International Raceway. Scuderia Corsa played a decisive role in helping the Ferrari to win GT Daytona Manufacturer Championship and Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup Manufacturers Championship.

The season of 2016 was fantastic for Scuderia Corsa

A streak of successes continued in 2016. That year was brilliant for Scuderia Corsa after collecting a lot of silverware. The team won its third GTD title in the United SportsCar Championship while Alessandro Balzan and Christina Nielsen were crowned as GTD Drivers’ champions. On the way to the title, they won two races –  12 Hours of Sebring and 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, helped by Jeff Segal who was the third driver of #63 Ferrari. Nielsen became the first female driver who was able to win a major sports car championship in North America.

Scuderia Corsa celebrates victory at 12 Hours of Sebring

Scuderia Corsa also raced the #68 Ferrari 488 GTE in the IMSA Championship races of the North American Endurance Cup in the GT-Le Mans class. Drivers were Alessandro Pier Guidi and Daniel Serra and their best result was 2nd place in the race at Laguna Seca.

The highlight of the year and the team’s history so far was a victory at Le Mans 24 Hours. Townsend Bell, Jeff Segal, and Bill Sweedler were behind the wheel of Scuderia Corsa’s Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 and they edged out the AF Corse’s Ferrari to victory in the LMGTE-Am class.

Scuderia Corsa triumphs at 2016 Le Mans 24h

In the Pirelli World Challenge, Scuderia Corsa’s driver Martin Fuentes won the title in GT-A class scoring the series record of nine wins over the season. The team also scored additional seven podiums and earned the Special GT Crew Award of the Year.

At the end, the campaign in Ferrari Challenge also was successful after the team scored a total of 13 podiums throughout the season. Scuderia Corsa was the series runner-up that year and also finished 2nd at Ferrari Finali Mondiali

Photo: scuderiacorsa.com, lpgruppe.com, speedwaydigest.com, christinanielsenracing.com