Sbirrazzuoli: “We’re Not Going to Waste the Opportunity”

Dream Racing has come off a difficult start to it’s debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but with an improved lineup, the team is looking for a breakthrough performance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend.

The Las Vegas-based squad started off in February and is currently running programs in both the WeatherTech Championship and Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America series, with Lamborghini GT3 Junior Driver Cedric Sbirrazzuoli in both.

“We started from zero and everything came together quite late,” Sbirrazzuoli told Sportscar365. “The team has been doing an amazing job to put this structure up in such a short time.

“They have a driving experience company in Las Vegas, where people come and drive super cars and race cars.”

Dream Racing has operated a successful exotic car driving experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 2012, with its racing program now acting as an extension for people willing to take the next step.

The 28-year-old Monegasque driver has been with the team’s GT Daytona program from the get-go at Sebring, with different drivers joining him throughout the season.

“We’re still on a learning curve; still improving every race and every time we drive this car,” he said.

While learning the car and the series, the team owned by ex-Formula One driver Enrico Bertaggia also experienced several setbacks, with gentlemen driver Larry DeGeorge crashing the car on several occasions, most recently at Watkins Glen.

“Obviously Larry is a gentleman driver and of course he’s had some crashes, but which gentleman driver hasn’t?” Sbirrazzuoli said.

“He actually stepped up via the Las Vegas driving experience and made the switch to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo last year.

“Some of the gentlemen drivers here started ten years ago, so they have more experience.

“He’s in a very good learning curve. If you compare his lap times at Watkins Glen to last year’s there’s a huge improvement.”

DeGeorge, however, is not racing this weekend due to other commitments; instead Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory driver Fabio Babini has replaced him for the Canadian round.

“If there’s one race this season we can claim a top result, it’s going to be this one. We’re not going to waste the opportunity,” Sbirrazzuoli said.

“Learning the track is going to be the key as none of us have experience here, but having the experience of Fabio here is very valuable.

“With Fabio and me in the car and even with the BoP we can aim at least for a podium and obviously we’ll go for the top step.”

DeGeorge is scheduled to return for the next round at Lime Rock.

Following several seasons in Europe with the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, Sbirrazzuoli made the switch to U.S. racing, finishing second in the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America Pro Am class last year with DeGeorge.

“It was always a dream for me to race in the U.S., because I think there is a lot of passion here for motorsport,” he said.

“The tracks are more challenging,; they’re old, really fast, you’re close to the walls… It’s a big challenge.

“I already learned a few tracks in 2015, which is very useful for this year.

“Even though the ST and GT3 are different projects, it’s still a Huracán. I would definitely say that the Super Trofeo last year was a very good thing to do.”

After being on the sidelines for the opening Super Trofeo rounds, Sbirrazzuoli will return behind the wheel for the next round at Road America, sharing one of the Dream Racing cars with DeGeorge again.