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Added on the 08/04/2021 08:23:57 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
The 2021 season of Ferrari Challenge North America is set to begin this weekend at Virginia International Raceway. A full paddock of over 50 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos will be joined by participants in the Club Competizioni GT, also making its first stop of the 2021 season, at a circuit that makes its first appearance on a Challenge schedule since 2007.The paddock in Virginia is full of Ferrari, most notably the 40 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos that are set to compete in the weekend’s races. The grid is set with an exciting mix of familiar faces and new names who will do battle over the circuit’s challenging 3.27 mile layout. Notable returnees include all of the 2020 North American champions. Cooper MacNeil (Ferrari of Westlake) makes his return and another run at the Trofeo Pirelli class championship, while Dave Musial (Ferrari of Lake Forest) will challenge for supremacy in the Trofeo Pirelli AM-1 category. Brad Horstmann (Foreign Cars Italia), fresh off securing his championship at Misano earlier in March will be in the middle of a very competitive Trofeo Pirelli AM-2 category that also includes the 2020 Coppa Shell AM champion Justin Wetherill (Ferrari of Central Florida).
Race 1 of the Ferrari Challenge Asia Pacific Round 2 took place under the floodlights of the Sepang International Circuit. This is the very first night race for the 21 Ferrari 488 Challenge drivers racing at Sepang, who pitted themselves against the challenging 5.543 kilometre circuit with 15 twisting turns to see who could come up top. The sky opened just before the race started but with the hot conditions on track, the racetrack dried up very quickly and there was no need for wet tires.
Ferrari Challenge wrapped up its opening weekend of action in North America with a bang at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. After two days of testing, an additional day of official practice and now two days of racing action, drivers left the circuit confident they had left everything possible on the table as sunny and dry skies dominated the weekend.
As the debut round of Ferrari Challenge’s 30th anniversary, the Circuit of the Americas will be host to a very special gathering of historic Ferrari Challenge race cars. Sporting their original liveries of the period, one example of each of the cars used over the series’ 30 year history will be on display for the spectators and paddock to enjoy throughout the weekend. Some even took to the track to get a few laps in to revive some long-lost memories and experiences.
Poleman Thomas Neubauer made up for his unfortunate debut at Imola with a brilliant victory in Race-1 at Barcelona. Matúš Výboh secured an unexpected win in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, taking advantage of a mistake by Olivier Groetz on the last lap to seal his third consecutive victory.