The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s race-winning F430 Challenge is being shown at Autosport International this week (Thursday to Sunday) alongside the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano which has just been voted EVO’s Car of the Year, Top Gear’s “Supercar of the Year” and Classic Driver’s “Car of the Year”.

The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB’s race-winning Ferrari F430 Challenge is on display at Autosport International 2007. This particular car won the Trofeo Pirelli race at Paul Ricard in 2006, with young driver Ross Kaiser behind the wheel. During the 2006 season, Ross also drove this car to three 2nd places at Valencia and Monza, and two 3rd places at Silverstone and Spa, as well as to five pole positions at Silverstone, Valencia and for the last three races of the season at the Finali Mondiali, Ferrari’s World Finals for all the Corse Clienti racing series. The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB is a collaboration of three of the UK’s official Ferrari dealers who along with Ferrari GB have created a championship winning race team ready to offer Ferrari clients the opportunity to take the chequered flag in this year’s European Championship.

The three official Ferrari dealers who have combined with Ferrari GB to create the team are Graypaul Nottingham, H R Owen Kensington and Maranello Sales Ltd, Egham. Each dealer provides technical support both at the Ferrari GB Motorsport facility which has dedicated facilities at Silverstone Motor Circuit, and at the various rounds of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli as it travels around the Grand Prix circuits in Europe. The Ferrari Challenge Dealer Team GB has set the standard throughout the 2006 season, both on the track with race wins, pole positions and podiums, and off the track in the paddock area with driver support facilities that are the envy of the pit lane. Each car has GPS data acquisition and in-car video, which allows the drivers to analyse their performance on the track, and a dedicated team of race professionals who work closely with the Ferrari clients to ensure they are provided with the best possible race set-up.

The race Calendar for the 2007 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli – Europe is made up of Monza, Italy 23-25 March; Misano, Italy 20-23 April; Silverstone, Great Britain 7-10 June; Spa, Belgium 26-28 July; Paul Ricard, France 30 Aug-02 Sep; Hockenheim, Germany 21-23 Sep; and the Finali Mondiali, Italy 24-28 Oct.

Meanwhile the new Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is also be on display at Autosport International 2007 on EVO magazine’s show stand (9255). The magazine is targeted at the ‘knowledgeable and discerning performance car driver’ and recently voted the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano “EVO’s Car of the Year”, praising Ferrari’s latest V12 GT car for its outstanding performance capabilities and the quality of the driving experience: "The most complete and thrilling front engined Ferrari of them all, indeed the greatest GT ever made, is EVO’s Car of the Year 2006.” The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano was also voted “Supercar of the Year” by BBC Top Gear Magazine, who declared it: “The best Ferrari of the modern era. It all fuses together, all that history, everything you’ve ever seen, heard or read about Ferrari’s 60 years… Yes it’s all here in the 599. And it’s never been better.” Another “Car of the Year” award came from Classic Driver who described the car as: “The fastest proper car this side of an Enzo or Carrera GT. It’s stylish, beautifully built with a gorgeous interior, comfortable and capacious on a long trip for two – it’s got it all. As a genuinely new car, the driving highlight of 2006.”
 

The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli

The Ferrari Challenge began in 1993 with the Ferrari 348 Berlinetta, followed by the F355 and the 360 Challenge, and now includes three different championships: the USA, Europe and a dedicated Italian series. All three championships race the same car and each offers Ferrari clients the opportunity to enjoy the unique sensation of being a Ferrari racing driver with the full support of factory trained technicians and race crew.

The racing follows the format of any professional race series with a three-day meeting at a weekend, with each race meeting starting on Friday with free practice and qualifying, followed by two 40 minute races on both Saturday and Sunday. There are two distinct classes within the Ferrari Challenge: the Trofeo Pirelli for more experienced drivers, with those under the age of 30 designated “Young Drivers”, and the Coppa Shell for those who are new to racing or those over the age of 55. The Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli is organised by Ferrari Corse Clienti who organise all of the racing activities for Ferrari clients. Drivers in the series must hold an FIA International C licence.

The F430 Challenge

The Ferrari F430 Challenge is an all-new racing car developed by Ferrari from the award-winning F430 road car and delivers blistering performance using technology developed directly by Ferrari’s own Formula 1 team. The car was raced in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli for the first time in 2006, alongside the 360 Challenge which has now retired from the series. The F430 Challenge contains the same general look and 490 hp engine as the road-going F430 Coupe.  However, it also incorporates a large number of significant track-orientated modifications and a host of new features not seen in its predecessor, the 360 Challenge.  

As ever, the transfer from Formula 1 is significant, particularly with regard to the braking system, which uses carbon ceramic material (CCM) – a first for a Ferrari sports competition car.  The electronic gearbox is also F1-derived and works in exactly the same way as the one used aboard the Grand Prix car. Fifth and sixth gear ratios have also been modified with respect to the road-going version as has the final drive ratio in order to make the very most of the engine on all the circuits the F430 will race. New 19” slick tyres were also developed specifically by Pirelli and are designed to comply with the very strict racing regulations that demand endurance whilst still delivering blistering performance.

The most notable of the other solutions introduced in the new F430 Challenge is the new steering wheel with a quick release mechanism to make it easier to get into and out of the car.  The wheel is also equipped with buttons for radio contact with the pits to set the pit lane speed and interface with a new colour digital instrument panel. The rear of the car is characterised by a different exhaust system which has high central tail pipes, and by the modified grille which increases the extraction of hot air from the rear of the engine bay.  The anti–roll bars, springs and single–rate shocks have all been modified for racing use too.  The centre locking wheels make wheel changes faster, as does the fact that the car incorporates pneumatic jacks.