Maranello, 23rd March 2006

The fourteenth season of the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy gets underway at the Imola (Bologna) circuit this coming weekend. The event marks the debut of the new F430, alongside which a few of the 360 Modena cars will compete for one last season. Around thirty cars will take part in the one-make series, which also features a class for gentlemen drivers in the Shell Cup.

At the same time at the same circuit, the Italian Gran Turismo championship also gets going and it will feature the maiden outing in European competition of the Ferrari F430 GTC, which took third place in the GT2 class of the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida, on its race debut.


The Imola event is part of the discount package available to all Scuderia Ferrari Club members. They will be able to buy entry tickets with a 50% reduction. Three lucky club members, chosen in a draw, will get the chance to passenger a race driver for a few demonstration laps aboard a Prancing Horse car.

Saturday is given over to free practice and qualifying, while Sunday sees the endurance-style races with pit stops. The morning races for the Challenge and GT will be shown exclusively on Mediaset Premium 2 digital terrestrial, starting at 10.10. The afternoon's races will be shown recorded, on the same provider's Premium 4 channel, starting at 17.40.

This year, television coverage of the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy will also include news in Italia 1's "Studio Sport" programme, with further highlights in the following programmes: "Ruote & Motore," (RaiSport Satellite,) "Zona Motori," (SportItalia) and "Campionati AciSport," (Nuvolari.)