WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is popular for its eventful racing – and Saturday was no different for Ferrari Challenge North America.

Drivers from the Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell classes took on their first race of the weekend under the sunny California skies and after their performance, anticipation is high for Race 2 on Sunday.

Trofeo Pirelli. Even with a significant lead in the Trofeo Pirelli championship standings, Massimo Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle) has not taken his foot off the gas – starting and finishing first in Saturday’s race at Laguna Seca. 

The beginning, however, was not easy for Perrina as Dylan Medler (The Collection) sailed from third place to side-by-side with his title rival for the lead. Perrina narrowly prevailed by the end of the opening lap, securing valuable championship points over Medler who finished third behind Massimo’s teammate and relative, Roberto Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle).

In Trofeo Pirelli Am, the top three nearly stayed consistent from start to finish. Eric Pan (Ferrari Beverly Hills) captured his first win of the year after previously running at Sonoma Raceway in March where he earned a double podium. 

The top five drivers in-class were separated by less than five seconds, and championship leader Brad Fauvre (Ferrari of San Francisco) was a mere .376 seconds behind Pan at the finish line. Joe Rubbo (Ferrari of Long Island) started fourth, but jumped into third for his first podium of the season. 

Coppa Shell. Meanwhile, the Coppa Shell race saw massive championship implications by Saturday’s end. 

Entering the weekend at Laguna Seca, Yahn Bernier (Ferrari of Seattle) and Mitchell Green (Ferrari Westlake) were separated by 11 points. However, the pair started side-by-side in Race 1 and contact between the two Ferraris saw Bernier pull off and Green go on for his fifth win of the year. As a result, Green’s momentum swings him into the championship lead before Race 2 on Sunday. 

Chuck Whittall (Ferrari of Central Florida) finished second, narrowly holding off Stephen Chen (Ferrari of Houston) in third, particularly at a race restart with six minutes remaining in the race.

That restart proved crucial for the Coppa Shell Am class. Fabian Sperman (The Collection) approached the green flag in second, but nudged leader Michael Owens (Ferrari of Alberta) off track prior to returning to action. 

While Sperman then inherited the lead, a mistake in the same turn coming to the white flag demoted him down the leaderboard and Paul Lin (Ferrari of Newport Beach) assumed the victory. It was Lin’s first win since Sonoma.

Owens gathered his Ferrari to finish second, earning championship points in his fight with Gabe Hrib (Ferrari of Atlanta) who finished fourth. Melissa Kozyra (Ferrari of Naples) split the two in third place.

Sunday Schedule. Qualifying for Race 2 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca starts Sunday at 9:50 a.m. ET prior to the final races of the event. The second Coppa Shell race goes green at 2:05 p.m., followed by Trofeo Pirelli at 2:55 p.m.

All Ferrari Challenge races throughout the weekend from Laguna Seca stream live on the Ferrari YouTube channel and FerrariRaces.com.