10 giugno 2018
Ferrari Challenge took to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve under picture perfect skies for qualifying and racing action on Saturday, supporting the Scuderia in their efforts to qualify for the Canadian Grand Prix. Strong sun and brisk winds kept the temperatures within reason as 38 488 Challenge cars took to the famous circuit at the heart of downtown Montreal.
Qualifying ran with only minor incidents as drivers succumbed to the tight confines of the circuit while searching for their maximum performance.
Racing action, however, really showed the true challenge of combining the 661 horsepower of the 488 Challenge and the 12 twists of the circuit, as numerous incidents within the first few laps caused a protracted caution period before a final dash to the finish.
Trofeo Pirelli. Cooper MacNeil (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) stormed to his first win of the weekend, leading every lap despite an extended caution period for several incidents within the first few laps. Peter Ludwig (Wide World of Cars) and Marc Muzzo (Ferrari of Ontario) completed the top three positions overall and in the Trofeo Pirelli class.
Trofeo Pirelli Am. Dave Musial (Lake Forrest SportsCar) claimed the win ahead of Alfred Caiola (Ferrari of Long Island) and Ross Chouest (Ferrari of Palm Beach) in the Trofeo Pirelli Am category. The three were in a race-long scrap with Coppa Shell category podium finishers, which made launching a true attack for position a difficult affair.
Coppa Shell. Thomas Tippl (Ferrari Beverly Hills) continued his dominant run in the Coppa Shell category while Mark Fuller's (Ferrari of Westlake) second place finish launched him ahead of actor Michael Fassbender (Ferrari North America) in the standings for the category. Brian Kaminskey (Ferrari of Long Island) claimed the final step on the podium.
Coppa Shell Am. James Camp (Ferrari of Southbay) took his first win of the season in the Coppa Shell Am category after contact and penalties deeply affected the finishing results of the class. He was followed by another first time podium finisher in 2018 - Al Heygi (Ferrari of Newport Beach) and Neil Langberg (Ferrari Beverly Hills)
Schedule. Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli competition will continue at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Sunday morning at 11:20 for race two before the Formula One Grand Prix begins at 2:10pm.