The Ferrari Challenge, Fun For The Non-professional Racer
$FRRI, $FCAU
The Ferrari Challenge Series continues this weekend with Ferrari Racing Days (2-4 October) in NOLA and the series wraps up with the Finali Mondiali Mugello (5-8 November) in Italy.
The Ferrari Challenge series was originally created in Y 1993 for Ferrari 348 Berlinetta owners who wanted to have access not only to a track to drive their cars on, but an event where they could race with other non-professional race drivers.
These races take place at some of the best racetracks in North America and in cars that are capable of more than 200 mph, but, in all cases the drivers are not professionals. The drivers, who are Ferrari owners, are required to take a track-focused racing school, but they cannot hold a professional racing license to be eligible to participate in the Challenge.
In the racing the mechanical support and vehicle transportation is taken care of by their dealer team. As racing is a destructive sport, the owner/drivers pay the dealer that supplied them with their car for the mechanical support during the race.
The cars are driven on and often over the limits, but Ferrari has them covered. At every event, Ferrari arrives with their own rolling support system including a fully stocked 458 parts bin.
Currently, the only car used in the Ferrari Challenge North America is the 458C.
This is a stock 458 fitted with a roll cage, a few bits of aerodynamics, and center-lock wheels with racing tires. The stock 562hp V8, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, and carbon ceramic brakes are stock and untouched.
Some of the modifications to the car include a large rear wing that produces some 2000 lbs of down force at speed, one of two sets of adjustable springs and dampers to stiffen the car for the track, and the track-required safety cage.
For a $300,000 investment in a car, and then a few grand more for each race you can be part of one of the most successful single-marque racing series in the world.
These Ferraris’ are race cars are made for one purpose, going very fast, and not for passengers, there is no refrigerated air conditioning, so the heat in the cabin builds up very quickly, and the G-forces produced in the corners is uncomfortable for sure..
The 6th round of the North American Ferrari Challenge, the 458 Challenge EVO makes its debut at one of North America’s newest racetracks, NOLA Motorsports Park, just a 15 mins from downtown New Orleans in Louisiana.
The course is just over 2.74 miles in duration, although there are future plans to add a linked South Course that would have a combined length of more than 5 miles which would make it the longest track in the Western Hemisphere.
This is the ultimate Ferrari weekend in America before the Finali Mondiali (World Finals) to be held at Mugello, Italy, from 5 -8 November. This weekend 19 drivers will be competing in Ferrari Racing Days, which includes the F1 Clenti and XX Programmes.
Ferrari is a unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (NYSE:FCAU) and is set to IPO in the NYSE with the ticker “FRRI” this October.
Have a terrific weekend.
Paul Ebeling
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