ANOTHER PODIUM FOR TEAM UK'S PETER SOWERBY IN THE EUROPEAN FERRARI 360 CHALLENGE TROFEO PIRELLI AT SPA
Ferrari Team UK's Peter Sowerby made it to the podium again in Race 2 of the Ferrari 360 Challenge Trofeo Pirelli at Spa this weekend. After switching cars following an incident during Friday's practice, Peter finished 16th overall and 9th in the Coppa Shell category in Race 1. Despite starting 20th on the grid for Race 2 on Sunday, Peter managed to make up several places on the first lap and finished an excellent 2nd place behind Freddy Kremer of Kessel Racing, his nearest rival in the points championship. After a difficult weekend with very changeable weather conditions at the notoriously unpredictable Spa Francorchamps circuit, Peter still has a 5 point lead in the Coppa Shell driver's category.
Race 1: Saturday 25 June
Ferrari Spectacular at Spa with F1 demonstrations and the first Challenge races
The first races of the "Ferrari Days" event took place on Saturday 25 June at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), along with a showcase demonstration run of single-seaters prepared by the F1 Clienti di Maranello department. In Race 1 of the European Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy, featuring the 360 Modena cars, top honours went to Philipp Baron (Austria), while victory in the Shell Cup for gentlemen drivers went to Ralf Schaefer (Germany). Sunday 26 June was the main day, when runners in the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge for historic cars were racing.
In the main category of the one make series, Baron crossed the finish line of the opening race ahead of Michael Cullen (Ireland) and Robert Pergl (Czech Republic.) In the Shell Cup, second and third places went to Rolf Galliker (Switzerland) and Mikael Forsten (Finland) respectively.
Worth highlighting among the Prancing Horse cars present at Spa-Francorchamps were the Alfa Romeo Tipo B (P3) run by Scuderia Ferrari in 1934 and the 1958 250 Testa Rossa. A more recent F2003-GA and a 1975 312T stood out in the Formula 1 demonstration runs.
Race 2: Sunday 26 June
Wins for Baron, Bscher and Knapfield in the Ferrari Challenge at Spa
The "Ferrari Days" at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) ended Sunday with the highpoints of the event. Taking to the track were the 360 Modena cars competing in the European Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy and the classic cars in the Shell Ferrari Maserati Historic Challenge, fighting for victory in the final races on the card, as well as Ferrari single-seaters from the past, prepared by the F1 Clienti department of Maranello, which put on display runs. At the same time, other historic Formula 1 cars, including the relatively modern F2003-GA, driven by Marc Gene, official Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro test driver, were putting on a show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
On the 1.6 mile (around 2km) English uphill course, Gene thrilled the large crowd who attended this now traditional event (150,000 spectators over three days) doing a total of four runs. Also on hand were a privately owned Ferrari F2001 and an F93A, while models from the current range of road cars (612 Scaglietti, F430 and Superamerica) also tackled the run.
In the Ferrari Challenge, Philipp Baron repeated his previous feat, winning Race-2 in the main category. The Austrian crossed the finish line ahead of Ange Barde (France) and Robert Pergl (Czech Republic). Germany's Ralf Schaefer was unable to do the double after winning the first race of the Shell Cup for gentlemen drivers, leaving the top step of the podium in the second race to Freddy Kremer (Germany) who beat Peter Sowerby (Great Britain) and Mikael Forsten (Finland) into second and third respectively.
The grid A (single-seater) category of the Historic Challenge and the B class (sports-prototype and GT, fitted with drum brakes) were dominated by the German, Thomas Bscher, with four wins to his name in his 1955 250 F and the 1958 450 S respectively. In the disc brake category, British driver Paul Knapfield did the double, with his Ferrari 512 BB LM, dating from 1980.
Satellite broadcaster Eurosport 2 will show ample coverage of the Spa weekend as part of the "Ferrari Racing" magazine programme, which goes out on 20th July at 18.30 (CET) and again on 25th July at 19.30 (CET.)
1. There are thirty 360 Modena Challenge cars competing in the European series of the Ferrari 360 Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. The top drivers compete in the 'Trofeo Pirelli', with 11 drivers currently competing in this category. The remaining 19 gentleman drivers compete in the 'Coppa Shell' category and the top drivers in this category at the end of the year are elevated to compete in the Trofeo Pirelli category. This year's Ferrari Challenge races run to an endurance type formula with each race lasting 50 minutes, including a compulsory pit stop which lasts for a set minimum time. This allows for cars to be driven by a single driver or a crew of two.
2. Peter Sowerby still leads the Coppa Shell driver's standings with 89 points, maintaining a 5 point lead over Freddy Kremer of Kessel Racing.
3. The remaining rounds of the Ferrari 360 Challenge Trofeo Pirelli are:9-10 July Budapest 27-28 Aug Oschersleben 17-18 Sep Mugello22-23 Oct Mugello - Finals.
