The new Ferrari F430 Challenge racer made its competitive track debut yesterday as the 2006 Italian Ferrari Challenge Pirelli kicked off at Imola.

Action got underway at the Bologna circuit on Saturday as Imola hosted qualifying for this season's first round of the Italian Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy, the Ferrari-organised one-make series which is now in its fourteenth year. This year's series was marked by the debut of the new F430 Challenge racer which turned out alongside a few of the 360 Modena cars for whom this will be their final year of competition. Pole positions in the main class went to Quinto Stefana (Rossocorsa) and Vito Postiglione (Stile F,) while in the Shell Cup for gentlemen drivers, the best times in the double qualifying session went to Lorenzo Bontempelli (Rossocorsa) and Massimo Mantovani  (Stile F.) All were at the wheel of the new F430 Challenge. Of the 360 Modena mounted competitors, the quickest of those was Lorenzo Bontempelli, who went fastest in both sessions.
 

The Ferrari Challenge format consists of two 50 minute races per event for each category, with a mandatory pit stop for a prescribed length of time, which allows for the participation of one driver per car or a crew of two, taking turns at the wheel.

Yesterday saw the first races of this year's series and it marked the race debut of the new F430. In the main category Vito Postiglione (Stile F) secure a double win for the new F430. In race one, the Potenza driver crossed the line ahead of Quinto Stefana (Rossocorsa) and Andrea Belluzzi (Motor.) Then in the afternoon's race, he led home Giuseppe Ciro (Motor/Malucelli) and Fabio Santaniello (Yeam Maranello.)

Cristian Francescon walked away from Imola with the spoils in both the Shell Cup races for gentlemen drivers, also driving the F430, winning the morning's event from the crew of Prinoth and Sauto (Ineco) and Antonio Forato (Ineco/Ram.) In the second race Prinoth and Sauto were once again on the podium in second position with third place going to Massimo Mantovani (Stile F.) In the class for the 360 Modena, wins went to Giorgio Semagiotto (Motor) and Lorenzo Bontempelli (Rossocorsa.)

The Italian series of the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy will be back on track over the weekend of 14th May at the Misano Adriatico circuit at Rimini. The F430 will also be in action in the European and North American championships this year.