AIM Autosport teams continue progress at Daytona 24H testing

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – The No. 69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD and No. 61 R.Ferri AIM Motorsport Racing with Ferrari teams continued through a second day of steady progress Saturday at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona test where the expanded two-car team is making its competition debut.

#61 R.Ferri/AIM Motorsport Racing with Ferrari Ferrari 458: Max Papis, Jeff Segal, Toni Vilander

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

The quick lap was good enough to rank ninth fastest overall so far in the three-day Rolex Roar test that concludes Sunday.

“I want to win races,” Lazzaro said. “I’ve won here a couple of times in class, and have been close on the overall. The goal is to win the race here, start out with the points lead and win races this year.”

Lazzaro is co-driving the No. 69 with Emil Assentato, Guy Cosmo and Nick Longhi. Assentato and Jeff Segal drove the same car to the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT championship.

“The team has great experience from last season and really learned the car,” Cosmo said. “They obviously had a lot of success with it and they are now putting their efforts into expanding for the two cars.

They’ve moved some personnel around and I really think what they’ve got going on is a good format.”

#69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD with Ferrari Ferrari 458: Emil Assentato, Anthony Lazzaro, Nick Longhi, Guy Cosmo

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

“Guy Cosmo jumped in and is completely seamless in the car,” Longhi said. “We are working on the car a little bit in terms of adjustability, but we feel like we are okay.

More important to me is that the structures and procedures of how we do things, how we get ready for a 24 hour race, are good.”

The debuting No. 61 AIM/R.Ferri Ferrari also turned its best lap of the test in Saturday morning’s opening session, clocking in at 1:50.019 (116.489 mph).

Segal is co-driving the car with full-season teammate Max Papis and European standouts Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander.

“We have a test schedule that we obey by the book and a lot of new stuff to try in the car, especially on the reliability side,” Papis said.

“So far we are right on our target and I think by the end of the third day we should be 80% close to being ready for the 24 hours.”

Team principal Remo Ferri was onsite Saturday afternoon watching over the two car team at Daytona International Speedway.

“The guys are working very hard,” said Ferri, owner of the No. 61 and the Ferrari Ontario, Ferrari Toronto and Ferrari Alberta dealerships in Canada.

“Obviously we are a two car team now and that takes a lot of coordination. We are sorting those things out and overall I feel very good. We have tremendous potential.”

AIM Autosport