Why track your Ferrari when you can track someone else's?
There are many reasons to love Ferrari, the designs, the sounds, the exclusivity. Ferrari has been the pinnacle of sports cars for generations, and no other brand in the world (not just car manufacturers) is as valuable as Ferrari. This of course is due to the legendary Enzo Ferrari, his vision and his success. More specifically, it was Enzo’s desire to win in motorsports that cemented the Ferrari name in history and continues to back up the Scuderia Shield today. Yes, racing success is at the heart of the prancing horse, and it is what makes the Ferrari experience so authentic. But how many Ferrari owners track their cars?
There is a common jab amongst Ferrari critics, that owners of these insanely fast machines rarely flex their muscles around a track. There are many reasons for this- insurance, miles added, lack of track support- the list goes on. But quite honestly, the biggest reason is experience. Anyone can go out and have fun doing hot laps in a Miata, but very few can push a Ferrari hard around a track. There is a huge disconnect between driver skill and what these machines are truly capable of. This does not mean that owners (and fans) do not desire to race a Ferrari around a track, but most owners work very hard to get one of these amazing cars, so why would they risk damaging it?
Well, what if you could race someone else’s Ferrari? And what if that Ferrari was not a normal road car, but rather an actual Ferrari Challenge race car? Well if you live in Southern California (or travel there often), then you are in luck. Whether you own a Ferrari or not, you can eliminate the risk of driving your car around a track and hop in a Ferrari 458 Challenge Car with R3 Motorsport.
R3 Motorsport offers car repair and restoration, but they are most intimately involved in racing. They have been Champions in the Ferrari Challenge racing series many times with various Ferrari models over the years, and now they offer an exclusive program to teach you how to drive a Ferrari race car like a champ. There is not a better way to encounter the true passion of Ferrari.
According to their website, “R3 Esperienza Corse is the ultimate sports driving course designed and developed for every level of driver. We offer programs to improve your skills from the entry level high performance driving up through racing programs that race on a championship level around the Globe. For the entry level, we offer you the driver our 2 day Esperienza Corse racing program.”
This is a very rare opportunity to gain a wealth of knowledge and experience that will serve you for a lifetime! R3 helped instruct the drivers in ‘The Italian Job’, so rest assured that you will be taught by the best of the best and leave with the confidence to track any car by yourself!
So what does the R3 Esperienza Corse exactly entail? Well we already discussed the car, yes you will drive one of the fastest Ferraris ever. And we established that it is a 2 day instructional event, so you will be focused on learning these valuable skills for many hours. But let’s break this down further and see exactly what makes the R3 Esperienza Corse so special.
First of all, you get a private instructor. This instructor is there to focus on you and impart as much wisdom as possible in the allotted time. With R3’s impressive racing resume, you are guaranteed a top-notch instructor to throw all your questions and concerns at. Second of all, you will be learning at the Thermal Club, an exclusive track that is designed for versatility. Just about every race situation you can think of will be addressed, as the track is a combined 5.1 miles long and has many different layouts.
So you will have a Ferrari Challenge car, a private instructor, and an exclusive race track… and that is just the tip of the iceberg! Yes of course, food and drink is covered, and so is transportation to, from, and around the track. But let’s look even deeper into what each day includes…
Day 1 is naturally more instruction oriented. You will spend time in a classroom learning basic principles and mechanics of tracking. And before you take the Ferrari for a spin, you will get to drive a “specially prepared BMW M3” drift car around a skid pad to understand how to control a car when it is sliding. This will give you the confidence to hop in the driver seat of the 570HP mid-engine V8 Ferrari 458 Challenge car!
Day 2 is naturally more track focused. All your racing gear is provided with the car and crew, and your instructor will take you out and show you how to take every corner on the track. Then you will get to drive the glorious Italian monster yourself, doing what is called lead and follow. This will help keep you on the correct driving line, and maximize your speed around the track.
But wait there’s even more! You will get video footage of your driving on an SD card as well as a youtube video link. More than this, you will get to debrief with R3 Motorsports and look at the advanced data to really understand your performance. It is always great to see how you improve over the course of the event.
And perhaps the best part about the R3 Esperienza Corse is that once you complete it, you can simply rent a Ferrari 458 Challenge car from R3 and track it with or without an instructor. Full support (tires, parts, fuel, insurance) is included (along with lunch), and you can hop on the track as much as you want!
The price for the R3 Esperienza Corse is only $9000 per client, which is a great value for 2 days of professional instruction and the confidence to start a lifetime of tracking. For additional experience around the track you pay $8250 per day, and additional private instruction costs extra. This one-of-a-kind event is perfect for people that not only have a passion for Ferrari, but for all motorsport. So don’t worry about tracking your own beautiful F-Car, instead drive R3’s and let them worry about any issues that arise from your hardcore driving!
