Escalante-backed Arise to race Ferraris

Gaming tycoon Laurence Escalante has doubled down on his involvement with Ferrari, launching a new team to race the sportscar in Australia.

Mr Escalante’s private investment vehicle, Lance East Office, and his 50 per cent-owned Arise Racing unveiled a team for the 2024 season of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia, the only Western Australian entry in the series.

Last year, Mr Escalante's online gaming company VGW Holdings struck a deal to sponsor Ferrari’s high-profile Formula 1 racing team.

The Arise Racing GT team will race Ferrari 296 GT3 cars in the GTWCA, a pro-am circuit featuring high-performance sports cars from leading luxury manufacturers, 

A Wangara-based specialist in racing teams, driver development and events, Arise said that Ferrari would bring factory support to the category for the first time in Australia.

As part of a broader partnership with Ferrari, the new group will also facilitate the sale of Ferrari GT race cars to Australian customers.

Arise also said it was finalising an exclusive distribution agreement to supply Ferrari GT parts in Australia, leveraging its experience, expertise and networks across the industry.