As a lifelong resident of Monaco, Corvette Racing’s Olivier Beretta knows a little something about street races. A glittering jewel in the international racing scene, the Monaco Grand Prix has sent powerful open-wheel machines racing through Beretta’s neighborhood since 1929. On March 31, Beretta will race on another bayside street circuit when the American Le Mans Series stages the inaugural Acura Sports Car Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla.
“There is always a special atmosphere when you race in a city because you are closer to the fans, ” said Beretta, who scored his record-setting 29th career ALMS victory in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17. “I grew up in a town with a very famous Grand Prix, and I have driven in many street races – from Pau, France to Trois-Rivieres in Quebec and last year in Houston, Texas. It’s always nice to discover a new track, so I am looking forward to my first race in St. Petersburg. “
Beretta and his teammate Oliver Gavin are aiming for their third straight GT1 championship with Corvette Racing. Their chief antagonist this weekend won’t be the sister No. 3 Corvette C6. R driven by Jan Magnussen and Johnny O’Connell. It will be the unyielding concrete walls that line the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary circuit.
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