Ferrari celebrates in Valencia
Cheste (Valencia), 15 November 2009 -- Today the whole world of Ferrari went
onto Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit to celebrate the end of the motorsport
season together with the fans of the Prancing Horse. At its debut on the
Spanish track, the 16th edition of this traditional event usually connected
to the home race tracks, the F430 taking part in the Italian, European and
North American series of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli went onto the
track to fight for the world title, while the historical cars from the Shell
Historic Challenge held this season's conclusive race. Apart from the
exciting final stages of the motorsport season the spectators could follow
the free practice sessions of the historical cars maintained by the F1
Clienti department in Maranello and the Ferrari FXX part of the development
programme bearing the same name.
The unforeseeable race held by the Trofeo Pirelli drivers crowned champion
Lorenzo Case: behind the driver from the Motor/Piacenza team Marco Mapelli
(Rossocorsa) and the Austrian Philipp Baron (Baron Service) crossed the
line, while amongst the gentlemen drivers in the Coppa Shell it was Vincenzo
Sauto, with Erich Prinoth and the Ferrari started by the Ineco/MP
dealership, who won the title. The Italian crossed the line ahead of
Gianluca Carboni (Rossocorsa/Pellin) and Massimo Mantovani
(Motor/Malucelli).
In its fourth and final race even the Shell Historic Challenge found its
2009 champion: the Mexican driver Nicolas Zapata, who has been taking part
in the extraordinary series dedicated to the jewels from the history of the
Prancing Horse for more than ten year, won the overall classification behind
the wheel of a magnificent 1956 Ferrari 625 TR. Victory in the race for grid
A, for the cars with drum brakes, went to Sean Danaher with the 1938
Maserati 6CM, ahead of Gigi Baulino, behind the wheel of a 1954 Maserati
250F and the new champion Nicolas Zapata. The race for grid B, with cars
with disc brakes, was won by Dieter Roschmann with the 1970 Ferrari 512 M,
ahead of Darius Ahrabian, behind the wheel of a 1992 F40 LM and Mister John
of B with a 1980 Ferrari 512 BB LM.
After the intense racing it was time for an extraordinary show with the
protagonists from the Gran Turismo championships: in front of the more than
17,000 spectators Gimmi Bruni, Toni Vilander, Niki Cadei and Alvaro Barba
Lopez took turns behind the wheels of two F430 GT2 from AF Corse, the team
which won the constructors' and teams' titles in the FIA GT Championship,
next to the Ferrari, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by the Risi
Competizione team drivers Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer. The spectators gave
Felipe Massa an enthusiastic welcome: the Brazilian driver, accompanied by
Giancarlo Fisichella, Marc Gene and Luca Badoer, performed behind the wheel
of a F60 at the traditional Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro show, while he was
joined on the track by the local hero and future Ferrari driver Fernando
Alonso.
-credit: ferrari
