Maranello, 2nd June 2006

Marc Gene was delighted to officially open the Ferrari Racing Days event which runs up to Sunday 4th June at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit at Valencia. The Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro test driver did several demonstration laps at the wheel of the F430 Challenge, the competition car based on the 8 cylinder road going berlinetta, which as from this year is used for the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy, run as separate series in Italy, Europe and North America.

The busy event programme will see around 300 Ferraris take part, including many Granturismo cars belonging to customers taking advantage of the free track time. An outstanding show will feature several historic single-seaters, coordinated by the Maranello F1 Clienti department, including an ex-Prost F1-91 and an ex-Schumacher F2001. The competitive part of the event features the European series of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge, which since 1999, has also been open to Maseratis and races in the Ferrari Challenge Pirelli Trophy.


The Prancing Horse one-make series, which for one final year admits the 360 Modena, alongside the new F430 has reached round two of its European season. In the Pirelli Trophy, Frenchman Ange Barde (Modena Cars Racing,) arrives here in the lead, on the back of a strong double at Silverstone, with Holland's John Bosch (Baron Racing/Kroymans) and Belgian Louis Machiels (Ferrari Antwerpen) second and third respectively. Currently lying first in the Shell Cup for gentlemen drivers is Ireland's Terence Coleman and England's Ian Flux, both racing for the Kessel Racing team, with 32 points apiece.