Ferrari Challenge Ready for Montreal Return

Ferrari Challenge is set to make its traditional return to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the next round of the Ferrari Challenge championship. Racing in support of the Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari Challenge drivers will have an unmatched experience as hundreds of thousands of fans will descend on the historic circuit for the annual stop. The circuit also offers perhaps the greastest challenge for the drivers in their Ferrari 488 Challenge Evos, as limited track time combined with walls in close proximity will certainly require a careful approach to the limit. Due to the limited space and time, all of the Challenge drivers will race together, rather than being separated between Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell, thus introducing yet another element of uncertainty at the half-way point of the 2023 season.

Trofeo Pirelli. After a weekend sweep in Road Atlanta, Matt Kurzejewski (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) will lead the Trofeo Pirelli category into Montreal full of momentum, having won the previous three races and four of six in the 2023 Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli season earning 77 points. His victories have put him thirteen points ahead of nearest challenger Jason McCarthy (Wide World Ferrari) who sits on 64 points while Roberto Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle) and Dylan Medler (The Collection) currently share the third spot in the standings on 47 points apiece. In the AM category, Justin Rothberg (Ferrari of Palm Beach) currently leads the standings with a seven point advantage over Tony Davis (Continental Autosport) on 59 to 52 points respectively. The two traded wins at the previous round in Atlanta, but Rothberg’s sweep of pole position and fastest lap in that contest, mixed with a relatively lackluster performance from Davis in race 2 have swung things in the Florida-based driver’s favor. Meanwhile, the duo has a somewhat comfortable lead over Marc Muzzo (Ferrari of Ontario) in third with 36 points after three weekends have been completed. The Am season has been defined by those who have been able to stay out of trouble, with Tony Davis proving the most adept thus far while both Muzzo and Rothberg have suffered 0-point races at one point or another this season.

Coppa Shell. Cameron Root (Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo) will look to build on his comfortable lead of 18 points in the Coppa Shell championship. In his first ever competitive season, the Oregon-based driver has been a revelation, leveraging consistent podium finishes to build his advantage, mixed with one win at the opening weekend in Homestead. He is chased, however, by David Voronin (Foreign Cars Italia) who hit his stride in Atlanta, securing back to back wins at that demanding circuit. That performance allowed him to leapfrog Sureel Choksi (Ferrari of Denver) who now sits in third, just one point shy of Voronin’s total. In the Am category, its Lisa Clark (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) at the point with 58 points to her name. After an incredible weekend in Homestead, Lisa will look to recapture some of that momentum in Montreal and build a further advantage on Dan Cornish (Ferrari of Austin) who currently sits six points behind in second. Lance Cawley (Ferrari of Atlanta) also made his return to the Coppa Shell AM category in Atlanta, and was immediately a contender, earning his first win of the season and a second place as well to loft himself into contention for the category. 

Schedule. Official practice sessions will take place on Friday followed by official qualifying sessions on Saturday morning. The first session at 8:15 a.m. (all times Eastern) will set the grid for the first race of the weekend, while the second qualifying session at 10:20 a.m. will set the grid for Sunday’s race. Also note that both races will feature all four categories of Ferrari Challenge races, a necessary outcome considering the tight schedule alongside Formula 1. The first race of the weekend will be at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday while the final race will be at 10:55 a.m. on Sunday. All qualifying and racing action can be watched live on live.ferrari.com.