New USA Amateur Ferrari Racing Series

Trust me. I'd love to do this. I came very, very, close while looking at Mandy's 360C. Now, having gone through the Skippy school, I'm convinced - the track is where it is at. I may not have any talent, but driving stupid money cars on public roads has got to be the stupidest idea ever.

Wanna trade cars?

Dale

 

Of course, you'd have to throw in a little Lagniappe such as agreeing to valet the 355C to the race track, trailer, spares, and Jennie (minus the kid, of course).

Dale

 

Mark, I drove the F430 at Mt. Tremblant and can only imagine how a 430C must run. You are my hero!

Dale

 

Excellent news, I'll try to make it out to a couple of events.

 

Rob,
I just want to say I wish you the best and I truelly enjoyed watching you race the RX8 in SCCA, you had some spectacular race's that I truelly enjoyd watching. Maybe in the future NASA could include at race at 'Lonestar Motorsports Park"? We could throw a big barbeque for the event! I have a few connection's that may be able to help with such an event.

Best of luck my friend,
Gregg

 

OK, I found it. Man, I wish you'd been there last year, I ran almost those same dates, including Hallet in July. I'm afraid I'll be pretty scarce in Texas this year, since I'm committed to doing the Challenge Series w/Ferrari of Houston.

I'll try very hard to have the 355C fixed and join you at MSRH in Feb. Have you been there lately? How is the track holding up?

I do agree with you about 4 points races per weekend being too many, and dropping some to allow for missing events.

Mark

 

The 430C is just amazing! I've putted around in a 360C, but never driven one in anger, but going from my 355C to 430C the difference is staggering.

I really want to do the Ferrari Driving Experience at Mt. Tremblant before we run the Challenge there July18. Did you post a little review of your experience? Any advice? Were there Challenge guys in your group? I know Anthony Lazarro instructs some of their events.

Mark

 

I was part of the first ever group in 2006, and yes, we had some Challenge guys because the race was the same week. How much feel they got for the car is questionable because they made us stay between 6/10s to 8/10s. (Although talking to Ferrari techs was great. They were saying, back then, that the hot setup for the F430C was to swap out the shocks and stuff from a F360C. It seems that the F430C suspension is a tad softer.) However, learning the course is priceless. Moreover, I gotta say that Mt. Tremblant has got to be one of the best courses in the world. I just got back from Laguna and loved it. But Turn 1 at Mt. Tremblant -- priceless.

Dale

 

Ah yea...that happens...

but please tell me more! I dont see too many 430Cs for sale. Where? who? price? used? new?

I'd kinda like to get one myself

thx!

 

Rob:
I am sure you know what you are in for and what you are doing with initiating this series. However, there might be some lessons learned from the marriage of Oregon Region of SCCA and the PCA. The PCA now gets enough entries to warrant their own run group, they police themselves, fill always fill the grid, they put on a terrific show in multiple classes. The BMW club tried doing this a few years ago and fell on their faces. The Porchs are always a crowd pleaser at PIR.
Ed

 

I raced at MSR-H in October and they did a lot of work to the track since the race I did in June. Turns 1 and 2 have been changed in an attempt to reduce the carnage on lap 1. They also added additional paved run-off in several areas making it safer if you make a mistake. Plus no dirt gets dragged back on the track. In the last turn, Sugar & Spice, there is now so much extra pavement that NASA had to warn us that using the pavement to gain position or improve lap times would result in a DQ. I did not use the extra curbing intentionally but I admit to driving more aggressively knowing it was safer. I have a nice scar on the car from punting the track out cone just before turn-in on the last corner.

FYI, Colin ran his 355-C with NASA once this year and it did in fact classify as an ST-2 car.

 

Wow! Congrats Mark! Is it going to be blue?

 

TdF. How'd you guess?

 

I tested one with Ferrari of Houston, and was blown away. I bought new from them, planning to air freight in order to have some time before Homestead in March.
Have you driven a 430C? I'd be interested in your comparison to a 360C.

 

Thanks Rob. I'm just hoping to have a clean rookie season. I know a lot of guys have invested enormous time and money to go quickly in these cars. While you can only spend so much on the cars themselves, the testing and travelling that some of them do between races is staggering.
We'll see how it goes in 2008. I may be doing your series in a 430C in 2009! Actually I might try to bring the 430C to one of your events this year, along with the mighty 355C.
See you at the races,
Mark

 

Just saw the post..

You should have hinted something by PM to me Rob. After all I won a NASA Championship in Florida with my 355CH

We have several 360CH and a 430CH that comes and plays with us in Miami at NASA events. Tough to find other drivers that share the passion and are willing to go wheel to wheel although greatly regulated through 13-13.
I would be happy to adopt your program for FL and get the organizers involved in the program. I know they would love it.

You can add this to your schedule for Florida dates NASA:

Jan 5-6 NASA Homestead
April 19-20 NASA Homestead
May 31- Jun1 NASA Homestead
June 21-22 NASA Sebring
Sep 6-7 NASA Sebring
Oct 11-12 NASA Sebring
Dec 13-14 NASA Homestead

 

If you would like a photographer, I'm available.

[email protected]

 

If you want to run Homestead before on club time, we have a NASA event January 5-6 with the normal infield course, not NASCAR 3-4.

 

Mark:
you are an excellent driver. You will find that most of the "drivers" in the Challenge series are not even close to your caliber as a driver. If the car holds and you stay out of trouble, you will be just fine.