TR3 Racing

TR3 Racing
Founded2015
Founder(s)Arthur Romanelli
Oliver Romanelli
Gregory Romanelli
BaseDavie, Florida
Current seriesGT World Challenge America
Former seriesIMSA SportsCar Championship
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America
Pirelli World Challenge
Current driversLebanon Ziad Ghandour
Canada Daniel Morad

TR3 Racing is an American sports car racing team that currently competes in the GT World Challenge America, fielding a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

History

Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo of Rodrigo Vales and Rogelio Perusquia at Watkins Glen in 2022.

TR3 Racing was founded in 2015 as the motorsports arm of TR3 Performance, an aftermarket tuning operation based out of South Florida.[1]

GT World Challenge America

In 2017, the team began competing in the Pirelli World Challenge, fielding a Ferrari 488 GT3 for Daniel Mancinelli.[2] Entering the Pro class, Mancinelli was paired with co-drivers Andrea Montermini and Niccolò Schirò for the SprintX events. Claiming three victories and five overall podiums, Mancinelli finished fourth in the overall GT-class championship.[3] TR3 returned in 2018, alternating their Sprint and SprintX lineups. Wei Lu and Jeff Segal piloted the team's Ferrari in the longer SprintX events, while Mancinelli continued in his solo-driver duties for the other half of the season.[4] However, Mancinelli would miss the opening round at St. Petersburg, as the team withdrew citing unfavorable BoP.[5] TR3 had entered the updated 2018 model, which received a 20 kilogram weight increase over the 2017 edition of the 488 GT3. Although team principal Gregory Romanelli threatened to pull the entry from additional events later in the year,[6] both TR3 cars completed the entire 2018 season in their respective championships. Mancinelli's one win, at Long Beach,[7] and four podiums were the team's only podium finishes of the season. TR3 also began collaborating with Squadra Corse Garage Italia, as the latter's driver lineup of Caesar Bacarella and Martin Fuentes claimed the GTA class championship in both Sprint and SprintX competition.[8]

For 2019, the team continued their partnership with Squadra Corse Garage Italia, fielding a pair of entries in the rebranded GT World Challenge America.[9] The TR3-branded entry secured one class victory in the four races it entered, taking the Pro-Am Cup victory in the first race at Circuit of the Americas. The Squadra Corse-branded entry, piloted by Martin Fuentes, claimed the Am-class title.

In 2023, the team shifted to competing with Mercedes-AMG machinery in the series.[10] The program's early stages were primarily led by Mercedes-affiliated driver Daniel Morad, who competed alongside gentleman driver Ziad Ghandour. As the team was switching from the mid-engine Lamborghini Huracán GT3 to the front-engine Mercedes-AMG GT3, Morad described preparations for the opening weekend at Sonoma as a "crash course" for the operation, with few similarities to draw between the two cars.[11]

IMSA SportsCar Championship

For the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona, TR3 fielded Lamborghini's sole GTD Pro-class entry, receiving full factory support from the Italian marque. The #63 entry was piloted by Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, Marco Mapelli, and Rolf Ineichen.[12][13] The entry would take pole through a class victory in the 100-minute qualifying race,[14] but would retire from the 24-hour event and finish 12th in GTD Pro. The team would return to the GTD Pro class for the 2022 12 Hours of Sebring,[15] finishing second in class.

References

  1. ^ "About Us". tr3performance.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  2. ^ Laurent Mercier (1 March 2017). "St Petersburg : 43 concurrents pour ourvir la saison". endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. ^ "TR3 Racing, A Wonderful Surprise". ferrari.com. 27 December 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  4. ^ Laurent Mercier (3 March 2018). "40 autos attendues dans les rues de St Petersburg". endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. ^ Laurent Mercier (10 March 2018). "St Pete : TR3 Racing retire sa Ferrari à cause d'une BOP défavorable". endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  6. ^ Dagys, John (10 March 2018). "TR3 Parks Ferrari Over BoP Dispute; Reconsiders PWC Future". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  7. ^ Allaway, Phil (15 April 2018). "Daniel Mancinelli Wins Rough and Tumble PWC Grand Prix of Long Beach". frontstretch.com. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Pirelli Paddock Pass: Gregory Romanelli". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  9. ^ Laurent Mercier (26 February 2019). "Collaboration prolongée pour Squadra Corse Garage Italia et TR3 Racing". endurance-info.com (in French). Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  10. ^ Dagys, John (27 March 2023). "TR3 Switches to Mercedes-AMG, Adds GT4 Program". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  11. ^ Dagys, John (31 March 2023). "Morad: TR3 in "Crash Course" Learning Mercedes-AMG GT3". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  12. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (20 December 2021). "TR3 Racing, Lamborghini to Field GTD Pro Entry at Daytona". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  13. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (20 December 2021). "TR3 to run two Lamborghini Huracans in Rolex 24". motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  14. ^ "TR3 Racing Takes Rolex 24 Pole with Lamborghini". automobilsport.com. 24 January 2022.
  15. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (1 February 2022). "Lamborghini Set for Sebring GTD Pro Entry with TR3". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 19 August 2022.