WeatherTech Racing today announced that they will be joining forces with Scuderia Corsa to campaign a GTD Class 2018 Ferrari 488 GTE in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next season.
Cooper MacNeil (Hinsdale, ILL.) will be teamed with Alessandro Balzan (Italy) for the 11-race schedule. MacNeil won the American Le Mans Series GTC championship in 2012 and 2013. Balzan is celebrating second IMSA WeatherTech GTD driver championship in as many years with Scuderia Corsa. The duo will be joined by Gunnar Jeannette (Salt Lake City, Ut.) and Jeff Segal (Miami, Fla.) for the season opening Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona in January.
“We raced this year with Scuderia Corsa at Le Mans and finished third co-driving with Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell,” MacNeil said. “I also race the full season of Ferrari Challenge with them and am in the hunt for the championship with two races left. It was a natural for us to transition into the Ferrari with our experience with the brand this season. I am looking forward to driving with Alessandro and we will be looking to equal the success the team had this year in IMSA and finish a couple places better at Le Mans too.”
Balzan was crowned IMSA WeatherTech driver champion, second year in a row, at last night’s IMSA WeatherTech banquet.
“I am confident it is going to be another great IMSA WeatherTech season with Cooper in 2018,” Balzan said. “He shows to be pretty comfortable behind the wheel of the Ferrari 488, with his great performance this year during the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Championship and scoring his first podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Scuderia Corsa 488 GTE. Cooper’s solid results are a strong basis to have a successful 2018 season and I can’t wait for Daytona.”
The 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Championship will kick-off with the traditional Roar Before the 24 weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Jan. 5-7 in preparation for the season opening Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, Jan. 25-28.
