Fifty Entries Compete in Round 5 of the 2021 Season
Ferrari Racing Days concluded Sunday on a high note under perfect, blue skies at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was a weekend of incredible moments, culminating in over 200 Ferraris taking to the track, in the form of competitive racing in the Ferrari Challenge North America or client-owned street cars enjoying a few pace laps behind the F8 Tributo safety car during breaks in the action.
Ferraris Fill Indianapolis Paddock: Indianapolis Motor Speedway was full of Ferraris during the weekend, more than 200 in total as the drivers of Corse Clienti were joined by hundreds of clients and their Ferraris. The Ferrari Challenge reached a new high-water mark of the 2021 season with 50 racing entries, with additional 488 Challenge Evos and some older 458 Challenge Evo race cars participating in the Club Challenge lapping program. In addition, over 20 of the incredibly rare and exclusive cars of the XX Programme filled the garages just behind pit lane, making their mark on the IMS road course with unmuffled V-12 engines. They were joined by two historic Formula One cars, marking the return of screaming V-10 F1 engines to the circuit.
A number of clients also joined the festivities, and none more special than the owners of the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2 barchettas. Owners of these Icona series cars were treated to dedicated lapping opportunities and enjoyed a special place on the Pagoda Plaza, just adjacent to the famed yard of bricks that stretch from the finish line into the middle of the circuit. They were joined by the hundreds of clients who made the pilgrimage to enjoy the sights and sounds of Ferrari Racing Days.
812 Competizione Makes North American Debut: No Ferrari Challenge weekend in North America would be complete without a special evening event where drivers and clients alike take time to unwind and enjoy the comradery that sets the Ferrari Challenge series apart. At Indianapolis, the drivers were rewarded to a special treat, the opportunity to enjoy the 812 Competizione in the flesh for the first time in North America. With several hundred guests in attendance and live entertainment, Ferrari North America President Matteo Torre gave the opening remarks before the covers were swept off of the most powerful V-12 engine ever produced in Maranello, Italy.
Oval Lapping Proves a Hit: As has become tradition whenever the Ferrari Challenge visits Indianapolis, drivers were able to enjoy a bespoke opportunity to drive on the famed oval course used for the Indianapolis 500. But, as it was Ferrari Racing Days, they were joined by all of the XX Programme cars and Monza owners for a never-before-seen field of over 100 cars running three abreast, mirroring the start of the 500-mile race. The F1 Clienti also got in on the chance, running a bespoke session where F1 cars made their first-ever laps on the full oval circuit.
On-Track Action Thrills: The on-track racing in the Ferrari Challenge championship was no less intense for all of the pomp and circumstance of Ferrari Racing Days. Competing in Round 5 of 7 in 2021, drivers were keenly aware of the championship implications of their results, so pushed accordingly. In Trofeo Pirelli AM1, Jason McCarthy (Wide World Ferrari) swept the weekend, while Brian Davis (Ferrari of Palm Beach) and Keysin Chen (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) swapped at the top spot in AM2. In Coppa Shell, newcomer Jeremy Clarke (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) trounced the competition in his first weekend, winning both races. In Coppa Shell AM, it was another sweep by another newcomer – this time Brad Fauvre (Ferrari of San Francisco), who took the wins on Saturday and Sunday.
Ferrari Challenge North America returns to action Sept. 10-12 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.