The team GT Corse will extend its engagement in the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring. In the 2013 season, the Ferraristi of GT Corse under the management of Danny Pfeil will enter two blue Ferrari 458 race cars, which are called the “blues brothers” inside the team, in Europeans most popular endurance racing series. Their calendar furthermore includes the legendary 24h Race at the Eifel track to take place on the Whitsun weekend mid-May. As the first VLN round mid of March had to be cancelled due to the new onset of winter, the “blues brothers” will now have their first race appearance in the endurance racing championship next Saturday, 13th of April.
Last year, the close-to-production 458, the performance of which can be compared with a GT3 car, for the first time attracted a lot of attention in the paddocks and on the Nordschleife. The team hereby gained a lot of valuable experience and managed to increase the performance and the reliability of the Italian sports car for its participation at the most demanding circuit of the world. “If the label says Ferrari, it should also contain Ferrari”, says Martin Kohlhaas, the Technical Director of racing one GmbH who is responsible for the competitions. “We have therefore not only further developed the aerodynamics and the suspension for the season 2013 but, upon the request of many members of the VLN community, we have also worked on the audible sound of our race car. I am anyway confident that we have successfully managed the balancing act between the mandatory sound prescriptions and the 9,200 rpm with the new exhaust system.”
Danny Pfeil, the “capo” of the racing team with the Italian race car, adds: “Along with the launch of Ferrari customer sports in 2011, we have set up a three years plan which we have applied step by step. All the processes are now in place and we are very proud to be able to manage six 458 Endurance meanwhile. During our “GT Corse Clienti Days”, we have constantly further developed the cars for their participation at the Nordschleife and we have at the same time been able to convince many new Ferraristi of our interesting concept. We wish to further grow reasonably and remain true to the VLN community.”
At the delayed start of the VLN endurance racing championship Nürburgring on Saturday, 13 April, regular driver Alexander Mattschull will be supported in the cockpit of car number 457 by Pierre Ehret who lives in the United States and who has previously competed in races of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and is furthermore experienced in racing at Le Mans. The sister car with number 458 will be driven by regular driver Christian Kohlhaas, together with former DTM driver Carsten Struwe and Mike Jäger. Last but not least, Danny Pfeil has prepared another surprise. “For the 24h Race and for selected VLN rounds, we have furthermore contracted a 2012 GT Champ who shall support our drivers at the Nordschleife. I am sure that we have prepared a fantastic package for the season 2013 with our new partners. The basic conditions anyhow are in place. The season can start.”
