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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Papis Excited By Full-Time Return With R. Ferri/AIM Ferrari
Indy car, NASCAR and sports car ace Max Papis will team with defending GRAND-AM Rolex GT champions AIM Ferrari and Jeff Segal in 2013.
AIM Autosport will field a second Ferrari F458 Italia for R. Ferri with GRAND-AM champions Max Papis and Jeff Segal behind the wheel of the No. 61 entry. (Photo: R. Ferri/AIM)
AIM Autosport With Ferrari, the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT champions, announced the lineup of its newest entry, the No. 61 R. Ferri/AIM Autosport F458, which will see the Canadian team expand to two full-time programs in 2013.
The Ian Willis-led outfit will split its championship pairing of Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato, with Assentato continuing in the No. 69 F458 while Segal moves into the No. 61 alongside Indy car, NASCAR and sports car ace Max Papis.
Papis, a native of Italy with deep ties to the Maranello-based manufacturer, hopes to add to his 2004 GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype title with Segal, a two-time Rolex GT champion in his own right, while representing the Prancing Horse.
"I'm super excited because from my journey in the sport, I'm reunited with the brand that helped me come to America," Papis told SPEED.com. "And to be back in sports car racing full-time on the verge of 2014 with what will be one of the best unified championships in the world is really exciting."
After making his name in the European open-wheel ranks, Papis had a brief foray into Formula One as a mid-season replacement in 1995, recording seven starts for the Footwork team. The 43-year-old would get his big break in America at the 1996 Rolex 24 At Daytona behind the wheel of a Ferrari F333 World Sports Car after delivering a heroic comeback drive to claim second place.
That performance would eventually open the door for Papis in the CART Indy car series in July of 1996 when the Arciero-Wells team sought a replacement for the late Jeff Krosnoff, and despite subsequent stints in the IndyCar Series, GRAND-AM and all three divisions of NASCAR, the Florida resident still credits his Rolex 24 run for where he stands today.
"Without this Ferrari F333, I wouldn't be able to be here and talk to you," he said. "Obviously I'm going to continue my [NASCAR] relationship with [team owner] Richard Childress, but I want to be the guy who carries the message of what sports car racing can do for someone--to show the NASCAR guys that you can also come there by starting in GRAND-AM."
Papis, demonstrating with his strong Italian accent, says he has a new line to offer friends and competitors in Sprint Cup: "I'm proud I can now say 'hey y'all, come to GRAND-AM and see me driving in my Ferrari!' which sounds pretty funny, actually..."
The 2002 Rolex 24 winner also shared some of his goals and a noteworthy milestone that's on the horizon.
"This year will be my No. 24 24-hour race, between Daytona and Le Mans, and also, my goal is still to win in NASCAR; this has been a 3-year journey and I'm not giving up on it in any way," he clarified. "I have the love for what I'm doing in NASCAR and what I'm doing now in GRAND-AM. It's like having two children: you love them both equally, but in different ways."
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.
The Ian Willis-led outfit will split its championship pairing of Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato, with Assentato continuing in the No. 69 F458 while Segal moves into the No. 61 alongside Indy car, NASCAR and sports car ace Max Papis.
Papis, a native of Italy with deep ties to the Maranello-based manufacturer, hopes to add to his 2004 GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype title with Segal, a two-time Rolex GT champion in his own right, while representing the Prancing Horse.
"I'm super excited because from my journey in the sport, I'm reunited with the brand that helped me come to America," Papis told SPEED.com. "And to be back in sports car racing full-time on the verge of 2014 with what will be one of the best unified championships in the world is really exciting."
After making his name in the European open-wheel ranks, Papis had a brief foray into Formula One as a mid-season replacement in 1995, recording seven starts for the Footwork team. The 43-year-old would get his big break in America at the 1996 Rolex 24 At Daytona behind the wheel of a Ferrari F333 World Sports Car after delivering a heroic comeback drive to claim second place.
That performance would eventually open the door for Papis in the CART Indy car series in July of 1996 when the Arciero-Wells team sought a replacement for the late Jeff Krosnoff, and despite subsequent stints in the IndyCar Series, GRAND-AM and all three divisions of NASCAR, the Florida resident still credits his Rolex 24 run for where he stands today.
"Without this Ferrari F333, I wouldn't be able to be here and talk to you," he said. "Obviously I'm going to continue my [NASCAR] relationship with [team owner] Richard Childress, but I want to be the guy who carries the message of what sports car racing can do for someone--to show the NASCAR guys that you can also come there by starting in GRAND-AM."
Papis, demonstrating with his strong Italian accent, says he has a new line to offer friends and competitors in Sprint Cup: "I'm proud I can now say 'hey y'all, come to GRAND-AM and see me driving in my Ferrari!' which sounds pretty funny, actually..."
The 2002 Rolex 24 winner also shared some of his goals and a noteworthy milestone that's on the horizon.
"This year will be my No. 24 24-hour race, between Daytona and Le Mans, and also, my goal is still to win in NASCAR; this has been a 3-year journey and I'm not giving up on it in any way," he clarified. "I have the love for what I'm doing in NASCAR and what I'm doing now in GRAND-AM. It's like having two children: you love them both equally, but in different ways."
Marshall Pruett is SPEED.com's Auto Racing Editor, and covers the IndyCar Series. Before joining SPEED, Pruett worked in open-wheel racing for 20 years as a mechanic and engineer. He also contributes to RACER, Road & Track and Racecar Engineering. Follow him @MarshallPruett.
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