It was another dominant season for Cooper MacNeil in the Ferrari Challenge championship as the American driver took his fourth consecutive Trofeo Pirelli championship in North America, extending a streak that began in 2018. “I go to the race track to win races, whether that’s an IMSA race or a 24 hour race or Ferrari Challenge. I try to prepare everything as best as possible to go and win,” says MacNeil.
The 2021 season was certainly a bit unusual as MacNeil found himself as the sole Trofeo Pirelli entrant at each of the rounds, but that didn’t deter him from attempting to maximize his performance each weekend. “If it were up to me I’d love to have more cars in my category, but nevertheless we had a good season, pushing hard at every corner, every lap.” In fact, MacNeil not only won his category but also took the overall victory in each of the races that he participated in.
Despite that, the season still holds a special place, even after all of these years of Challenge competition. “Racing at Watkins Glen was a real highlight for me. It’s not an easy track to race at, especially in a Challenge car, so it was really satisfying to put together strong laps there. Sonoma was another important race. It’s a fabulous part of the country, being in the Napa area and we won some races on top of it!”
Chatting before the Finali, MacNeil made it clear that the races at Mugello would also be a special moment for him to cap off the season. “It’s a special circuit that really has everything, a lot of high speed corners, positive camber corners, off camber corners, and an extremely long straightaway. It’s a real challenge, especially in a 700hp Ferrari Challenge race car.” But it is certainly a challenge he is looking forward to.