In only his fourth Ferrari Challenge race, Cooper MacNeil managed to land on the top of the podium. After qualifying on pole, MacNeil led from wire to wire, showing that anybody chasing the championship will have to go through him.
During the weekend of May 20 to 22, Ferrari fans from all over the west coast flocked to Mazda Raceway Lagua Seca to witness the second installment of the Ferrari Challenge. As if to prove that the excitement in the first event was not a fluke, Laguna Seca provided plenty of on-track battles. Throughout the weekend, drivers adjusted to the changing weather, and continued to shave precious milliseconds off their lap times.
Off the track, the paddock was packed with F458s, Testarossas, and Californias. With such a huge fan turnout, the event offered Ferrari owners opportunities to drive their own personal cars on the famous track.
Three years have passed since the Ferrari Challenge last visited Monterey, California, which means that most drivers did not have much experience at the track. This, coupled with the fact that this was only the second weekend with the F458s, meant that everybody started on a level playing field. Again, both F458s and F430s raced simultaneously. However, the two classes qualified separately this weekend.
Friday was designated for practice, to give all drivers a chance to familiarize themselves with Laguna Seca, including the famous corkscrew. When the first qualifying session on Saturday arrived, though, it was Enzo Potolicchio (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) who was able to turn in a lap time of 1:28.191, fastest of the day. Harry Cheung (Ferrari of Silicon Valley) also qualified on the front row, followed by Mark McKenzie (Ferrari of Houston) and MacNeil (Ferrari of Houston).
From the moment the green flag dropped, Potolicchio ran out in front and never looked back. The main pursuit was just behind him, though, between Cheung and Scott Tucker (Boardwalk Ferrari). These two drivers gave the audience quite a show while fighting for second place. Cheung managed to hold Tucker off for most of the race, but as soon as he made a mistake, Tucker pounced. The two managed to pass each other multiple times, but at the end, it was Tucker in second, and Cheung in third.
In the F430 race, Juan Hinestrosa (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) qualified first (twelfth overall), followed by Francesco Piovanetti (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale), and Ryan Ockey (Ferrari of Ontario). During the race, though, Piovanetti had some bad luck in Turn 9 on the first lap, and found himself quite turned around on the track. This opened the door for Christopher Ruud (Ferrari of Silicon Valley). Ruud and Hinestrosa challenged each other furiously throughout the race, but Hinestrosa wound up in first, and Ruud in second. Ockey rounded out the podium for the first race.
The second race was quite a different story, as the grid changed significantly. MacNeil had the fast lap during qualifying by two tenths of a second over McKenzie. Potolicchio and Tucker rounded out the second row. This time, it was Potolicchio, McKenzie, and Cheung battling for position, as MacNeil led the race. As the laps continued to mount, the drivers continued to peek at each others' mirrors. Behind, Tucker and Mike Zoi (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) managed to trade places a few times as a demonstration of how competitive the class is. After the dust settled, MacNeil remained on top, followed by Potolicchio, and McKenzie.
The F430 class also put on a good show, with Piovanetti making up for the previous day's mistake by taking the checkered flag. Ruud jumped four spots to bring home another second place finish, and Robert Herjavec (Ferraro of Ontario) came in third.
The next Ferrari Challenge event will be the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, Canada on June 10 to 13, 2011.
Laguna Seca Race 1
Laguna Seca Race 2
Laguna Seca Points Standings