Conquest Racing With Ferrari successfully completed the first rounds of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge championship in the ROAR Before the 24 at Daytona International Raceway. Father-son duo Dave Musial and Dave Musial Jr. competed in the two races over the course of the weekend in the GTDX class on board their #99 and #20 Ferrari 296 GT3, securing strong results in the process on debut. 

The two drivers utilized the practice sessions to get familiarized with their new machinery, and showcased their strengths by qualifying in fourth and fifth on the grid ahead of Race 1 on Saturday afternoon. It was an intense race, with significant on-track battles unfolding as Dave Musial ran wheel-to-wheel in pursuit of a top result. He had settled into fifth place shortly before the halfway mark of the race, but as the minutes elapsed, he continued to display impressive speed before going on to fight alongside two other competitors. 

He reclaimed a position in the closing laps, securing a strong finish in his first-ever race in the series. Notably, he was the top Bronze finisher in the opening event. 

Sunday’s Race 2 was impacted by heavy rain from a storm cell that was moving through the area. The race began behind the safety car, with green flag conditions resuming a lap later. Both drivers found themselves in the thick of the action, navigating in difficult wet conditions and a full-course caution. They managed the challenges well, gaining experience in what was a highly challenging setting to conclude the second round.

“This was a great experience overall,” said Dave Musial. “To come here and get accustomed to a brand new car is a big task, as it’s a very advanced piece of machinery. Coming into this series and this track is the real deal, and we had to make it happen in a rather short period of time with only a couple of practice sessions.”

When reflecting on his performance from the weekend, Musial shared that “the result that I had on Saturday far exceeded my expectations. The learning curve is tremendous, and I’m glad I was able to compete at that level. As for Sunday, multi-class racing is newer to me, and to do it in the rain was an added challenge. I used it as an opportunity to learn and see what I was capable of doing in the wet in terms of passing.”

“This weekend was a valuable learning experience for me,” shared Dave Musial Jr. “While I’m still building confidence with this new platform, I see it as the start of an exciting journey. I’m eager to keep putting in the work and making progress as I spend more time with this car. The team has been great in helping me grow, and we know what we need to focus on for the next time as well.”

The team will return for the second event of the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, from February 28th to March 1st, 2025.