This is round one of the Ferrari Challenge. There will be races in the United States and worldwide, this year. A bunch of them. Check out the schedule.
http://corseclienti.ferrari.com/2014en/race/
Here's a look at the cars, and the drivers.
http://corseclienti.ferrari.com/2014en/championship-type/ferrari-challenge/
Let's re-live the opening race at Daytona International Speedway.
Ferrari is synonymous with style and performance, and two dozen owners of the Ferrari 458 Italia, will race. This is the 21st season of Ferrari Challenge, that started in 1993. This is the Trofeo Pirelli. Fox Sports commentator and former racing driver, Justin Bell, was introduced by his father, Derek Bell, to Enzo Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari funded his own racing, and that's what these guys are doing.
27 cars will start, with driver's from five countries. On pole, it's Harry Cheung. Look out for last year's race winner John Farano, too, in car #85. Very successful drivers get to race in a Ferrari. But, it's real racing, on a legendary track. Watch out for the infield road course. it's slick down there. This is a short race, too, unlike the 24 Hours, which this is was a support race for. It's chilly at the start of this race. Two classes based on driver experience. Trofeo Pirelli, for experienced driver. Copa Shell, for new drivers.
Bring the Pirelli tires to temperature. The track is really dirty. Some drivers in Copa Shell, are racing their first ever race, today. Didier Theys is one of the driver coaches, a former race winner and champion in sports cars. Drivers clean their Pirelli tires. The drivers own the cars, but the cars can only be prepared by authorized Ferrari dealers. We have a field of 27 cars. This is the North American version of a world championship.
At the end of the year, these guys, and gals, get to go to Europe and race against the best Ferrari Challenge drivers in the world. Now, here we go. At the start, Harry Cheung leads over Ricardo Perez in second. Cheung spins! There's contact, too! Even when the tires are hot enough, the tires are slick, as Damon Ockey spins, too. He got clipped. Harry Cheung's car is torn apart. We're still under green. Our leader, Ricardo Perez almost spins, too.
Carlos Gomez is also running well, in second, as Gregory Romanelli also goes off the road. Headed to the chicane, Perez defends. The slipstream is a factor on the banking. These cars are low downforce, and the race is on at the front. There's a battle for the race lead right now. The lead battle continues as Scott Tucker has come from third to challenge Ricardo Perez, and Carlos Gomez. Fans of sports car racing know Scott Tucker's name. Tucker almost went into the lead.
Tucker approaches Gomez and does a good job braking into turn one. Perez is losing time in the braking zone. These drivers are driving as hard as they know how. Virtually every one of the drivers have a coach, who ride with them in practice, explaining what they need to do. Jon Becker leads the Copa Shell class right now. Because of the banking at Daytona, when the car is tipped sideways, you cannot see as well, on the banking as someone runs wide.
People are defending the low line. There's a point where you exceed the grip limits with these cars as Al Delotre pits. He was sidways through the Bus Stop. Rip off a piece of bodywork. This is the fifth iteration of the Ferrari Challenge car. Hit the curbs... boom, boom, and spin it. He's back on track now. John Farano, meanwhile, battles with Carlos Gomez. Farano won this race last year, but he's not comfortable with his new team just yet. Farano needs to get around Gomez. Scott Tucker is also pushing.
Scott Tucker has taken the race lead. Now, we have a full course yellow flag. This is for the incident in turn five as Victor Gomez is stuck. It's not stuffed into the tire barriers, but it might be game over. Gomez's car is prepped by Ferrari of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Looking at these cars, it came out as a road car in 2010, and first raced in 2011. These are the same as the road cars. They are built on the same production line. They are delivered with all the safety equipment.
They have a 570 horsepower V8 motor. Correction... Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale prepped Gomez's car. President and CEO of Ferrari North America, Marco Mattiacci, explains it's the 60th anniversary of Ferrari in North America. American drivers like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti, won in Ferrari's. Everyone wants to own a Ferrari, and every driver, wants to race a Ferrari. Victor Gomez's car has been removed from the tire wall. We are still under yellow. But, we'll be back to green soon.
We're back to green going through the tri oval. Scott Tucker defends the bottom line from Perez. Tucker runs wide. They come to the fourth/fifth gear left hander. Tucker misses the apex just a shade. Perez is close and so is Gomez. Uh oh. Jean Claude Saeda spins. Watch the bump at the exit of the Bus Stop. Tucker won't let Carlos Gomez get by. He's drafting up high and down low, but can't quite do it in the tri oval. Oh! That was a HUGE wreck for the #10 of Henrik Hedman.
Hedman spins on his own. How did he slide between two cars?! He slides the car through the tri oval, and bang! He hits the tires. Game over for the Swede. This is the second full course yellow of the race. In slow motion, Hedman was between the leaders of the Copa Shell class. This race could end under yellow as there's under five minutes to go on the clock. There might be an opportunity to gt a lap or two completed to end this one, folks.
Now, we're still under yellow. But, it's been a fraught race for Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale. The driving standard is hard and fast, but yet, respectful for the most part. Now, there is no green flag as the marshals recover Hedman's car. Well, the race is over. There's too much damage and carnage to resume the race. The checkers are out. Scott Tucker wins it. There's no green/white/checker in Ferrari Challenge.
#55 Scott Tucker
In Copa Shell, John Becker wins the amateur class.
#28 John Becker
This is the second race for Ferrari Challenge at Daytona. Tucker explains how equal the cars are. He says the biggest challenge was to get the tires up to temperature on restarts, and also, watching out for debris. Tucker has now won at one of the world's greatest race tracks. Tucker holds off Ricardo Perez and Carlos Gomez. John Becker beets Christopher Ruud in the Copa Shell category.
These cars are reliable and they are fun to drive. Everyone races and promots the brand. But, Ferrari is one of the few who really does. The cars reward precision, talent, and good decisions. The cars are meant to be driven. You can get involved in this racing if you have a license and are able to afford a Ferrari. What a great race. Scott Tucker is the winner. So long for now, everyone.
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