SONOMA, Calif. (31 May 2019) – Guy Cosmo and Patrick Byrne will partner for TR3 Racing in the upcoming Blancpain GT World Challenge America event at Sonoma Raceway on June 7-9.
The pair will co-drive the No. 31 Torxen Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo in a pair of 90-minute races, competing in the Pro-Am Cup.
“We are really happy to confirm this program with Guy and Patrick for Sonoma-we’ve been talking with them for a while and it is great that everything lined up to work together next weekend,” said TR3 team owner Greg Romanelli. “They are a really strong pairing and we want to show what we are capable of with them and, hopefully, continue to build on what we’ve accomplished so far.”
TR3 was the Pro-Am Cup winner in the opening race of the 2019 season at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas with a different driver pairing.
“I’m thrilled that Patrick and I are joining TR3 Racing to race in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America,” said Cosmo. “Cosmo-Sport is always looking for competitive, high-profile scenarios where Patrick and I can compete together and this program offers us just that opportunity. Patrick and his father, Bill, have been loyal Ferrari supporters, car owners, collectors and vintage racers. Patrick raced in the Ferrari Challenge series and is now an astute Ferrari driving coach for several new Ferrari Challenge candidates.”
Both Cosmo and Byrne have long and wide-ranging experience racing Ferraris, and are relishing the opportunity to represent the brand on track with TR3 Racing.
“In addition to the excitement of racing with a first-class organization like TR3 it is our joint excitement to rejoin the Ferrari brand,” Cosmo said. “(TR3 Racing owner) Gregory Romanelli is an impressive young man who’s assembled a very strong team with proven success in this series, so Patrick and I should have everything we need to perform and represent our sponsors and partners. I raced Ferrari GTLMs and GT3s for a number of years with Tequila Patrón ESM in the ALMS and Grand-Am series, driving both the Ferrari 430 and 458. I’ve also coached in the Ferrari Challenge for the better part of 15 years, and am now an official instructor for the Corso Pilota.”
Byrne competed in the 2014 Ferrari Challenge driving a Ferrari 458 Challenge Evo for Ferrari of Newport Beach.
“I am both honored and excited to be racing with TR3 in the Ferrari 488 GT3, especially co-driving with my favorite teammate, Guy Cosmo!” said Byrne. I had the pleasure of driving with Greg (Romanelli, TR3 Team Principal) a few years back and have watched with great interest as he has built his impressive young winning team. And now I am so glad to be able to join them in the Blancpain American series which itself is gaining momentum.”
“I have a long family history with Ferrari and am involved with them on many levels from coaching to racing both new and vintage cars,” Byrne continued. “I really like Sonoma and have had good luck there in the past racing in both the Maserati Trofeo and in vintage Alfa Romeos, along with several GT3 and GT4 testing programs, so I can't wait to get back out there and drive this great car with this team!”
As a successful Pro-Am pairing, Cosmo and Byrne won the 2017-18 Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 Pro-Am championship for Jackie Chan Racing JOTA Sport, and were Pro-Am vice champions of the 2018-19 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 for United Autosports.