458 Italian Grand Am
458 Italia Grand Am
The 458 Grand Am makes its USA debut
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 6 December – The Daytona 24 Hours, which takes place from 26 to 29 January at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway will feature the racing debut of the 458 Grand Am. The car is derived from the GT3 version of the 458, the latest racing model of the Ferrari sports car, developed in collaboration with Michelotto and aimed at the American series.
The famous race will bring to mind the race back on 5 February 1967, when all three steps of the podium were filled by Ferrari drivers, highlighting the dominance of the Maranello marque across the Pond. The crews of Lorenzo Bandini-Chris Amon in the Ferrari 330 P4 Spider, Mike Parkes – Ludovico Scarfiotti in the Ferrari 330 P4 sports car and Pedro Rodriguez-Jean Guichet in the Ferrari 412 P produced an amazing result, thanks to an impeccable strategy thought out by Sporting Director Franco Lini over the last few laps, culminating in the three cars taking the chequered flag in line abreast. This clean sweep, with a win in the Monza 1000 Kms, second place at Brands Hatch and the Le Mans 24 Hours and a third place at Spa, meant that Ferrari won that year’s International Sports Prototype Constructors’ Championship. Ferrari then had to wait until 1998 to take its next win in the Daytona 24 Hours, thanks to the Team Momo F333 SP which also won that year’s Sebring 2 Hours.
In 2012, it will fall to Scuderia AF Corse, winners of the Le Mans Series, Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and the FIA GT3 championship to try and replicate these American victories. Its 458 Grand Am will be crewed all year by Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, North American Rally Champion, Travis Pastrana and two endurance race veterans Rui Aguas and Robert Kauffman who here in Daytona tackle the first of 13 rounds on the busy Grand Am calendar.
|
The 458 Italia Grand Am passes its Daytona exam
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 27 July – The 458 Italian Grand Am has just completed two days of intensive testing at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway, as part of its preparation for taking part in the 2012 American championship. Brazil’s Jaime Melo was at the wheel, having just come from partnering Finland’s Toni Vilander to second place in the Mosport Grand Prix, in Ontario, at the fourth round of the American Le Mans Series.
The car which has taken over the reins from the GT3, was prepared by Ferrari in conjunction with Michelotto, proved very reliable, as it tackled the five mile circuit. This owes something to its road car roots, although it is naturally modified to meet the rules of the series. “We are pleased with the performance of the car,” commented Antonello Coletta, Head of Ferrari Corse Clienti. “Especially when one considers the fact that, after its shakedown in Fiorano, this is its first real test. It has definitely passed the exam and over two days, we completed around 90 laps with any particular reliability problems. Hard to judge its speed, given that we were the only car on track and had no reference point for the times. However, at the moment, this is not a main concern as our primary interest is in evaluating the behaviour of the car in the light of the various modifications made to it, to conform to the series regulations.
|
458 Italia Grand Am in action at Daytona
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 20 July - After making its track debut at home in Fiorano on Monday, the 458 Italia Grand Am will be back in action on 26 and 27 July for a private test session at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway. Taking turns at the wheel will be the tried and tested duo of Jaime Melo and Toni Vilander who can pride themselves of having an extensive list of wins to their name in Ferraris. They will continue development work on the 458 Italia Grand Am in preparation for its participation in the 2012 American championship.
Daytona recalls many memories of past Ferrari victories in the famous 24 Hour race, the company having close links with this important event. In fact, Ferrari has taken part in 47 of these endurance races, winning five of them outright as well as taking 15 class wins.
Standing out in that list was an amazing clean sweep of the podium in 1967 for the two Ferrari 330 P4 and a 412 N.A.R.T., while back in 1962, Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodriguez won in a Dino 246 SP. That year, no less than four Ferraris finished in the top ten while in 1972, Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx won in a 312 PB.
|
The 458 Italia Grand Am launched at Fiorano circuit
Source: Ferrari
Maranello, 18 July – the 458 Italia Grand Am was given its track baptism today at the Fiorano circuit. The car has been developed in conjunction with Michelotto Automobili, based on the GT3 version of the V8 Ferrari berlinetta, with the aim of racing in the famous North American series.
The 458 Grand Am is built to match the American regulations and is therefore different to the European car, especially in that it develops 500 horsepower and has less efficient aerodynamics than the GT version. It is also fitted with a 48 mm restrictor and maximum revs are 8000. Significant modifications have been made to the braking system, as the car has neither ABS nor traction control. Other differences to the GT3 include the roll-over bar which gives greater lateral protection to increase safety in a series in which collisions are rather more frequent. The car is fitted with tyres from Continental, the sole supplier to the series, featuring a very hard compound, again to conform with the series regulations. On its shakedown today, it completed a good number of trouble-free laps, 45 to be precise in the hands of Maurizio Mediani and Jaime Melo, as they took turns at the wheel.
|
|
|
