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We Went to This Year’s Ferrari Racing Days—Here’s What It Was Like
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- We Went to This Year’s Ferrari Racing Days—Here’s What It Was Like
(Ferrari S.p.A.)
For many supercar owners, the desire to test their driving prowess and hone racing skills is a natural progression. There are a few primary channels that such customers can explore in this regard, depending on their experience, ambition, and the investment they are willing commit—both financially and as regards to time.
We recently experienced a sampling of what Ferrari offers to its client base during the one weekend each year when all of its customer racing programs come together in one place, which in this case was Northern California's WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The event, fittingly referred to as Ferrari Racing Days, offers a primer on what each of Maranello's race series offers, and what you can expect from the experience.
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Participants in Ferrari's customer-centric race programs gather under one roof for an evening of camaraderie.
Ferrari Challenge
In 1993, the Ferrari Challenge was created at Laguna Seca to offer customers a way to drive Ferrari race-spec cars—which were 348s at the time—on storied tracks. From those origins, it has seen more than a thousand drivers, and has run hundreds of races.
According to Antonella Coletta, head of Ferrari's customer racing efforts, what started in North America has spread to continental Europe, with a separate series for the UK, and has most recently expanded to include an edition in Japan. Currently, there are about 80 Challenge cars running in North America, nearly the same in continental Europe with 78 cars, 32 in Japan, and about 20 in the UK. The first step to joining the Ferrari Challenge series is securing a car to race. Local dealers can assist, acting as partners, as well as offering training, logistics, and support. There's no minimum skill requirement, but those without prior race experience can get up to speed in Ferrari's Corso Pilota training program.
Preparing for a weekend of motorsport action during Ferrari Racing Days at Northern California's WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Each region features notable tracks, like North America's races this year at Circuit of the Americas in Texas, Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway in California, Watkins Glen in New York, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, and Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. As for the final, that's held at Italy's Imola racetrack.
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Not including the cost of the car, participating in a season can pierce seven figures when factoring in all of the logistic and support considerations. And unlike some GT3 races, this also means you'll only be running against other Ferraris. This season has added a fourth car, the 296 Challenge, to the series, in addition to the 458 Challenge Evo, the 488 Challenge, and the 488 Challenge Evo.
An example of a Ferrari 296 Challenge car.
A typical race week will involve your car—and available parts and tires—being shipped ahead of time. The first day of the event will include open lapping and practice. The second day is for qualifiers, followed by the next day or two devoted to the actual races. Support can include data analysis and feedback, and the paddock crews often have experience with Ferrari's professional racing teams. Next up on the competition circuit this season is Sonoma Raceway, from August 21 through 25.
The XX Programme
Launched in 2005, the XX Programme dials everything up, from power and speed to price of entry. It originally featured cars like the FXX and FXX Evolution, based on the Ferrari Enzo. The 599XX and Evo version followed, based on the 599 model. The FXX K and Evo versions are based on the rare LaFerrari, and are similarly hard to come by. As evidence, an RM Sotheby's auction in Abu Dhabi saw an FXX K command $4.3 million in 2015.
An FXX K Evo hugs the racing line.
While the XX Programme is also present at Laguna Seca, it features more international circuits. The last race was at Japan's Suzuka, the next is at France's Paul Ricard, and Germany's Nürburgring will play host in September. Like the Challenge, it culminates at Imola this year.
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Sport Prototipi Clienti
Ferrari's newest motorsport program was announced at the Finale at Mugello contest last year. This one features the new 499 Modificata, which is based on the 499P— Ferrari's winning entry in the Hypercar class at Le Mans, both this year and last.
A 499 Modificata, based on Ferrari's Le Mans–winning 499P hypercar.
The Modificata is powered by a V-6 hybrid setup, a version of the one in the 296 GT3. To date, six of the Modificata cars have been delivered, a few of which were running at Laguna Seca. The Sport Prototipi Clienti calendar follows the same one as the F1 Clienti program—the ultimate customer series in the Ferrari portfolio.
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F1 Clienti
From the time of Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari in the 1950s, to that of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen today, Formula 1 has symbolized the pinnacle of performance in motorsport. Ferrari's unique F1 Clienti program lets customers buy Formula 1 cars used by Scuderia Ferrari . These include modern examples as well as ones from previous decades, and all are intended to be driven on track.
A racer in the F1 Clienti series navigates Laguna Seca behind the Wheel of a Ferrari Formula 1 car from seasons past.
While some Formula 1 teams use engines made by other suppliers—such as McLaren's reliance on a Mercedes-AMG mill—Ferrari builds its engines in house. The marque also keeps plans and 3-D models so that it can recreate parts. This means that customers can push the same one-seater as Kimi Räikkönen or Felipe Massa. The experience, though, comes with restrictions. For example, Ferrari prefers to keep the cars in Maranello when not in transit or involved in racing, and before you can take it on a track, a visit to Fiorano is arranged to make sure you can handle the intricacies of a Formula 1 machine.
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Click here for more photos from Ferrari Racing Days.
Participants in Ferrari Racing Days compete at Northern California's WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
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