news: sportscars
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8th March 2003:  Ferraris out in FIA GT pre-season test at Barcelona
 
the Weith Racing Ferrari 550 at Barcelona. Click for more details of the test sessionFourteen cars took part in the Barcelona test days on March 6th and 7th 2003. With sunny, dry weather, the teams were able to conduct two full days of testing around the circuit, which will also host the first round of the season in a month's time. Four different makes were represented in the GT category, with Larbre Competition's Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Creation Autosportif's Lister Storm, BMS Scuderia Italia and Wieth Racing's Ferrari 550 Maranello cars and Graham Nash Motorsport's Saleen S7-Rs in action. In the N-GT class, Freisinger Motorsport, Eurotech and Polish team Alda Motorsport ran Porsche 996 GT3-R cars, while Team Maranello Concessionaires and MENX were testing their Ferrari 360 Modena cars. 

Of the Ferrari runners, new team MENX, who had just take delivery of their 360 Modena, ran with Czech drivers Tomas Enge and Robert Pergl. Fabrizio Gollin and Luca Capellari, who have moved over to the BMS Italia team after a Successfull season with Carsports Holland last year, had their first taste of Ferari power and came away impressed, while another new Ferrari team, Wieth Racing, shook down their new 550 Maranello until their session was curtailed when Austrian driver Gottfried Grasser crashed heavily.

Meanwhile 2001 N-GT Championship winners, JMB Racing, have announced that they will be running a pair of 550 Maranellos in parallel to their N-GT 360 Modena programme this year. These will be replaced mid-season once the N-Technology developed 575M versions become available. No drivers have been as yet signed.
8th March 2003:  Care Racing finalise their programme as Solution F agree to run Ferrari 550 in French GT series
 
click for more details of Care Racing's 2003 Ferrari programmeCare Racing Development has placed all six of the Ferrari 550 Maranello cars built on its behalf by British motorsport specialists, Prodrive. Agreement was recently reached with the French sportscar team, Solution F, who have plans to enter the Ferrari in the French GT Championship and also at Le Mans for French sporting star Luc Alphand. His team mate will be announced at a later date. 

Care will be continuing their successfull collaboration with the BMS Scuderia Italia team in the FIA GT series. The team will move up to run three cars this year, and while last years winning pairing of Andrea Piccini and Jean-Denis Deletraz have moved on to Lister, in come Thomas Biagi and Minardi F1 test driver, Matteo Bobbi, Luca Cappellari, Fabrizio Golin and Stefan Livio. Swiss drivers Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner complete the line-up. Lastly the newly formed Prodrive Veloqx Racing will be running 550's at Sebring and Le Mans.
5th March 2003:  Carsports America launch the Pagani Zonda GR in Belgian nightclub
 
click here for images of the launch of the Pagani Zonda GRCarsports America have launched the race version of the 7.3-litre Mercedes-Benz powered Pagani Zonda C12 S that will be campaigned by the team led by Mike Hezemans and Anthony Kumpen in the US ALMS series this year.

In a dramatic launch at a nightclub in Hasselt, Belgium, the Zonda GR, as the race car will be known, was lowered down through a wall of fireworks to the waiting guests below. The first race for the new team and car will be the Sebring 12 Hours on 15th March.
4th March 2003:  Scuderia Washington Ferrari 360GT wins at Homestead
 
the Ferrari of Washington 360GT on its way to victory in Miami, click for further detailsThe Scuderia Ferrari of Washington's 360 GT won the GT Class in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami at the Miami-Homestead Speedway. The Ferrari, driven by defending GrandAm GT Champion Cort Wagner and Brent Martini, finished second overall behind a new Daytona Prototype racer, and one lap ahead of the Daytona Rolex 24-winning Porsche. 

"It was really an uneventful race," Wagner explained. "I was able to take the GT lead on the first lap, and other than a couple of laps after our pit stop, we led the whole way. The crew was perfect as usual, Brent did a fabulous job -- I think he could have won overall at the end, but we backed off to preserve our win in GT. It's great to be back on top of the podium." 
25th February 2003:  Maserati Trofeo drivers take part in first test session at Vallelunga
 
click here for new of the first test session for drivers taking part in this years Trofeo Vodafone MaseratiSaturday and Sunday saw the first test session for drivers signed up to take part in the inaugural Trofeo Vodafone Maserati, the one make series which signals a return to racing for the Trident marque cars. 

Twenty drivers took part, representing four different nations (Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany.) They took turns in going out on the track in two groups. Fifteen Maserati Trofeo cars were on hand, all fitted with Pirelli tyres. Before being entrusted to the drivers, they were given a shakedown by Andrea Bertolini, the Ferrari Granturismo test driver. 
11th February 2003:  Veloqx and Prodrive join forces for Sebring and Le Mans assault
 
click here for full details of the Prodrive Veloqx Racing Team which will run Ferrari 550 Maranellos at Sebring and Le MansTwo Ferrari 550 Maranello GTS cars will be campaigned this year by the a new team which brings together Prodrive, who developed the 550 GTS, and Veloqx Motorsport, who won last year's British GTO title with a Ferrari 360 Modena. 

Prodrive will handle the design, development and preparation of the cars. Overall technical and strategic control will be the responsibility of George Howard-Chappell, who will assume the role of Team Principal of Veloqx Prodrive Racing. Prodrive's other racing programmes, including the possibility of entry in the remainder of the American Le Mans Series, will continue alongside the new programme. 

Veloqx Motorsport has procured the services of three leading British drivers and will also be providing a number of highly experienced personnel to the team. The driver line-up for Veloqx Prodrive Racing will be one of the strongest in the field. Retaining their links with the Prodrive Ferrari 550 from 2002 will be Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic and Netherlander Peter Kox. They will be joined by Anthony Davidson, currently BAR's F1 test driver, former British GTO Champions Jamie Davies and Kelvin Burt, and former DTM driver, Darren Turner.

An attack on the 12 hours of Sebring in March and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June is planned by the new alliance.
10th February 2003:  Carsports Modena prepares Pagani Zonda GTS for Sebring 12 hours
 
click here for more detail of the new Carsports Modena team which will run a Pagani Zonda C12S at SebringUnder the banner of a newly created company, Carsport Modena, Hezemans is developing a race version of the Pagani Zonda C12S. Massimo Del Prete (former Audi engineer) and the creator of the Zonda, Horacio Pagani, are key figures in the development process. Financial partners in Carsport Modena are, Paul Kumpen (BEL) and Tom Weickardt (USA). The goal of the project is to race at Le Mans. 

The project is on a tight time schedule, the car and the engine are being developed in-house. The 6-litre V12 Mercedes engine will be developed and tuned in co-operation with BTD in Belgium. The rear bodywork of the car has been narrowed by 4cm to meet the regulations while the front section has been widened. The gearbox is a Hollinger 6-speed sequential. The weight of the car will be 1100kg. 

To meet the regulations the Pagani will have to do one race prior to Le Mans, and this will be the 12 hours of Sebring. Under the banner of Carsport America one Pagani will be entered in the GTS class. Confirmed drivers are Mike Hezemans and Anthony Kumpen. 
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