VIRginia International Raceway Hosts the First of Seven Events on the Schedule
By David Phillips
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2021 Ferrari Challenge North America season takes the green flag at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend. Motorsports’ most renowned single-marque championship, the Ferrari Challenge features professional and amateur drivers competing in Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos on some of North America’s most spectacular circuits.
The North American series is one of four globally for the Ferrari Challenge, with others set in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia-Pacific. All four series gather at the end of the season for the opportunity to race against each other in the Finali Mondiali.
The Ferrari Challenge North America features four classes of competition – Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli AM, Coppa Shell and Coppa Shell AM – for professional and amateur drivers. Three-time Trofeo Pirelli champion Cooper MacNeil – fresh off his class win last weekend at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts – will be shooting for a fourth consecutive FCNA title this season. MacNeil is expected to be joined in the competition by David Musial and Neil Gehani, the 2020 and 2019 Trofeo Pirelli AM champions, respectively. Brad Horstmann will also be back to defend his 2020 Coppa Shell title along with 2020 Coppa Shell AM winner Justin Wetherill and John Megrue, who captured the 2018 Coppa Shell AM crown.
The VIR schedule this week started with two days of testing on Wednesday and Thursday. Official practice is slated for Friday. Qualifying and the first 30-minute race take place Saturday, with a repeat of that schedule for Sunday’s second race.
In addition to VIR, the 2021 FCNA schedule includes stops at California’s Sonoma Raceway, historic Watkins Glen International in upstate New York and, as part of the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The series will also visit Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of “Ferrari Racing Days” before heading to challenging Road America in September. Competitors then head to Italy to complete the North American portion of the schedule at Mugello before squaring off with the other global racers in the World Final on the same track.
Additionally, several Ferrari Challenge weekends will integrate Club Competizioni GT, which allows owners of Ferrari GT racing cars built over the last three decades to compete at Ferrari-organized events, with eligible entries including modern Ferrari 488 GTE and GT3 machines as well as the Ferrari F40 Competizione.
The complete Ferrari Challenge North America schedule is as follows:
- March 26-28 – VIRginia International Raceway
- April 30-May 2 – Sonoma Raceway
- May 21-23 – Watkins Glen International
- June 11-13 – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
- July 16-18 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- September 10-12 – Road America
- November 4-7 – Finali Mondiali, Mugello, Italy