Robb's F355 Challenge Car History and Restoration

This will be the home and jump-off point to cover the History and Restoration of our new F355 Challenge Car - 111869

The car was built and delivered to the Foreign Cars Italia team from North Carolina in the USA for the North American Ferrari Challenge in February 1998. It also ran the 1999 season.

The car was delivered as a factory challenge car in Blu Pozzi with a Nero Interior.

The initial owner and team driver was Tim Robertson from Virginia Beach, VA. He is a successful businessman and current chairman of an investment holding company and is a leader in the cable industry establishing The Family Channel among others. His father is the renowned Southern Baptist minister and American media mogul Pat Robertson.

The car ran #91 during the challenge series.

It joined 3 other team cars, one in white, barchetta red, and one in rosso corsa.

Today the car is currently painted Nero with Nero Interior. It has a silver painted stripe under a wide yellow vinyl stripe that will likely be removed as our restoration progresses through different phases.

Check back regularly for updates and interesting stories on the FCI team and their drivers.

My brother and I are looking forward to a positive, long-term ownership / stewardship.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hi Ken,

The car is not currently in its original color or livery from the '98 and '99 seasons. We'd like to correct the livery with sponsors first on its current color...

Then in the future do a full repaint back to Blu Pozzi.

There are some other minor items to refinish and clean up. The interior plastics are THE stickiest set I have seen on ANY F355 and that just won't do... Even on a race car.

We also need to get a couple of items corrected like the colors / types of seat(s), netting, wheel, rims, car to pit radio... You get the idea. The mechanicals and coach are good to go.

It's going to happen long-term and we will enjoy the transformation. I am working on obtaining history, interviews, period photos, and video of the car back then, along with all racing documents. I already have full service records.

Robb

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks much Heinz.

We will be great caretakers of the car and history and we will drive it with the intended passion from Maranello.

Robb

 

Here is one of our car's teammates for Foreign Cars Italia during the '98 season.

# 40 owned and driven by Marvin Jones in Rosso Barchetta.

Our car will have very similar sponsor logo placement as shown on Marvin's car.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Another one of our car's teammates for Foreign Cars Italia during the '98 season.

# 43 owned and driven by Leo Hindery in Rosso Corsa.

All of the FCI team cars had sponsors from Cable TV and telecommunications.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The third and final of our car's teammates for Foreign Cars Italia during the '98 season.

# 32 owned and driven by Matt Drendel in Bianco Avus.

The Discovery Channel was a primary sponsor.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'm still working on getting historic pictures of our car.

But in the meantime:

In 1999 Our car and Tim Robertson moved over to the Ferrari of Atlanta team with one teammate. He partnered up with Roger Warner - the founder of Speed Vision with the # 98 car in Rosso Corsa.

See the attached photo of Roger's car.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

That is great Marius!

You got a solid car, looks like it will be perfect mechanically for some time. I look forward to seeing what you do with its livery.

I do like the old fashioned liveries and sponsor logos on these cars. It just oozes history. Nothing wrong with a modern wrap but I just am into authentic OEM where possible...

Start a new thread on your car and what changes you go through in its new adventures. Best.

Robb

 

From Barry's link - and the article scanned by Erik, here is the car in an early race in 1998 before all the sponsors and logos were added. It's the Blu Pozzi car behind its teammate in this photo.

The team was nicknamed the "Cable Trackers" (logo shown on the hood of the red car) and was run by Frank Drendel the CEO of Commscope. His son Matt Drendel was one of my driver's teammates.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I'm still looking forward to some updated photos from the 1998 season.

But until then...

Here are some photos of the car changed up for the later 1999 season. The car ran with a different driver for Ferrari of Atlanta for some races in the 2000 and 2001 season and changed numbers to # 16. Tim Robertson had switched over to running a 360 during those years but also participated with this car in the endurance long time events and took 2nd overall with this car.

Then the car was sold to its next owner - an SCCA racer. This photo accurately depicts what the car looked like in 2001 - big red/orange stripes and wheels. The sponsor logos were in flux as well.

I think I prefer the original car in 1998 without this red... But all good and part of its history.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Heinz,

Matt Drendel's car was #32 and was white. I am sure that I will get many photos of the car along with the teammates. I will email you the full size big images when I get them in case you would like to restore to those years. But the current Motorola livery is mighty nice!

Robb

 

Here is our car at Honestead racing for endurance (in 2001 I believe) sponsored by Family Click - an Internet choice for safe viewing for kids...

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Another view of the car with the red stripes and wheels.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

And another angle.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Here is the car during SCCA racing from 2001 to 2003.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

SCCA racing.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

More SCCA Racing.

Robb
Image Unavailable, Please Login