In preparation for the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge season, CRP Racing has just completed its first test with the new Mercedes AMG GT3. The No. 2 machine turned its first laps at Sebring International Raceway for the one day test, with full time driver Ryan Dalziel also in attendance.
“We were very pleased with how our first shakedown test went,” said CRP Racing team owner Nicolas Short. “We ran the usual amount of laps necessary to break in a car, which will prove useful moving forward, as we complete more serious testing and prepare for the rest of the season.”
While Sebring International Raceway will not be one of the 11 stops on the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge calendar, the track is used continuously during the winter months for off season testing throughout the motorsports community. The orange and black Mercedes AMG GT3 ran throughout the day on the 17-turn, 3.84 mile road course in Florida.
“It was great to get to work with CRP Racing for the first time,” said Dalziel. “It felt like we had been together for years, and we just hit the ground running. The Mercedes AMG GT3 is going to be a contender the moment we get to St Petersburg. Big thank you to all of our sponsors for making this happen, especially to DeVILBISS and HAWK. We’re ready to get to the first race and show what we got.”
The first race of the season will take place in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, March 10-12, giving the team two weeks to make the final preparations on the new car. Competing in the main GT class, the No. 2 Mercedes AMG GT3 and the rest of the field will race on the temporary circuit comprised of the downtown streets. The team will still have a vast amount of work to do on the new car, but with a successful opening test complete, the outlook for the season opener is high.
“Our expectations were met it,” summarized Short. “It is a great car, and we look forward to St. Petersburg.”
