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The Ferrari Challenge will kick off its 2024 North American season at the Circuit of the Americas, where the Ferrari 296 Challenge will make its world racing debut. The first round of the season is full of anticipation, but this round intensifies between the deyet of the new car and also a record number of entries of more than 80 race cars in all other categories.
New season, new car. After being unveiled at last year’s Finali Mondiali, the newest in a long line of one-make racing cars, the 296 Challenge is the ninth addition to the championship and follows the 488 Challenge Evo. Representing a significant milestone in each and every aspect, the 296 Challenge benefits from the most radical tweaks compared to the original styling of any one-make championship race car to date, while maintaining the philosophy of the Ferrari Challenge Championship. In particular, the progression team was able to further leverage the experience gained with the 24 Hours of Daytona-winning 296 GT3 and incorporate those classes into the new style of challenge that particularly sets the bar in terms of overall functionality, as well as consistency and repeatability throughout educational or race sessions.
At the Circuit of the Americas this is mainly seen through the drivers of the two key spaces of the circuit; the long segment of Essesse, where the car’s downforce allowed the drivers to attack like never before, and also the gigantic braking spaces around the circuit where the functionality and regularity of braking improved, especially thanks to the new ABS EVO Track. a derivative of the formula used in the 296 GTB road car.
A family circuit. The now-classic 3. 426-mile, 20-turn circuit has been one of the most consistent on the Ferrari Challenge calendar since its debut in 2012, and the 2024 edition marks the tenth edition of a Challenge race at the circuit. The old elements of the circuit remain on the first lap with the impressive rise to the sensible maximum of the first hairpin bend. After descending the hill, the fast segment will take advantage of the additional downforce of the 296 Challenge before the drivers race to the track. The tight Turn 11 is at the end of the circuit. After the tight Turn 11, the track’s longest straight follows, where drivers experience their fastest speeds of the weekend before the narrow stadium segment tests the traction functions of the cars and drivers. The long, three-part right-hander corner where, again, downforce will be the key element before two tight left-handers conclude the lap.
Register the tickets. The Circuit of the Americas represents a new record in the history of the Ferrari Challenge in North America with fifty-four entries using the new 296 Challenge and a further twenty-seven using the 488 Challenge Evo, for a total of 81 entry in the race. This is also combined with new records at Club Challenge, where more than thirty entrants are expected to drive their Ferrari Challenge cars in designated lap sessions over the weekend, as well as 13 entrants in the Club Competizioni GT group, employing a mix of 488 GT3s and 488s. This brings the total number of drivers to an impressive 128 Ferrari race cars that will take to the track at some point during the coming weekend.
Using the new 296 Challenge for the first time, the elegance of the Pirelli Trophy is filled with former championship winners and finalists. Jason McCarthy (Wide World Ferrari) has led the organization as the championship’s bridesmaid in recent seasons, while Dylan Medler (The Collection), Dave Musial Jr. (Lake Forest Ferrari) and the rest of the more no-nonsense elegance will have plenty to say in all the frames that are adapting to the new car. In the AM elegance, Tony Davis (Continental Autosport) is leading the charge, but he too will have to finish with a strong group of finishers, with 16 of them fighting their way up to the more sensible step at the end of the season.
Even in the Coppa Shell category, many well-known names dot the line-up. Mike Louli (Ferrari of Ontario) continues his streak as one of the oldest entrants in the championship, reveling in almost each and every one of them. one of nine models put into practice during the championship. He is joined by last year’s Coppa Shell AM champion Lisa Clark (Beverly Hills Ferrari), who is making her debut in the Coppa Shell category. In the AM category, we find the typical combination of some of the most passionate drivers such as Roy Carroll (Foreign Cars Italy) and Helen Chu (Ferrari of San Diego).
488 Challenge Evo will compete in the committed category. While the 296 Challenge is undoubtedly the star of the weekend, the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo will continue to make its presence felt, competing in committed teams during the independent weekends of the 2024 season. During this opening weekend of the 2024 season, the organization of the 488 Challenge has twenty-seven entries, divided into two other categories, distinguishing the other degrees of fun among the drivers. The elegance also includes some stalwarts from past seasons of the Challenge festival, such as Marc Muzzo (Ontario Ferrari) and Gray Fauvre (San Francisco Ferrari), winners of the 488 Challenge Evo in past seasons. Many new names also make their debut in the Ferrari Challenge, making it a must-have category for spotting emerging skills in the Ferrari. Challenge paddock.
The Ferrari Challenge practice sessions continue on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday being dedicated to qualifying and race sessions. Saturday’s qualifying sessions will start at 8:45 a. m. m. (all local times) with the elegance of the Pirelli Trophy at the head and completing with the organization 488 Challenge Evo. Saturday’s races start at 13:35 again with the organization of the Pirelli Trophy with the podium of all races start at 4:10 p. m. Sunday’s schedule starts at 4:10 p. m. 9:40 a. m. with Coppa Shell qualifying with all grids taken at 10:50 a. m. The races will start at 13:05 p. m. with the Coppa Shell organization and the podium will be made at 15:35 hours.
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