Race 1
The first race of the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway was met with great excitement as 27 drivers of the Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli AM and Coppa Shell classes challenged themselves to victory at the finish line.
Emmanuel Anassis was the fastest qualifier today and and managed to keep his first place position from start to finish. But it wasn't an easy drive for the Canadian. Scott Tucker from Ferrari of San Francisco maintained the chase during the 35-minute race, trying every opportunity to overtake Anassis. Both drivers consistently prolonged their gap with the rest of the field, leading by 29 seconds at the end of the race. And perhaps the most exceptional performance was exuded by John Farano, who began dead last but finished third on top of the Trofeo Pirelli podium steps.
There was an equally outstanding performance from the Trofeo Pirelli AM drivers with a magical ballet of overtaking and passes at each lap. The fight for the top three positions in this class remained in the hands of six drivers as lead changes remained constant. Carlos Conde finished first for TPAM and third overall. Marc Muzzo began eighth in his class but finished second behind Conde with Arthur Romanelli grabbing third place.
As for the Coppa Shell drivers, Joe Courtney maintained his ground starting and clinching first position in his class. Dan O'Neal came in second place with Barry Zekelman finishing third.
The racing action will continue again tomorrow as the green flag waves at 1:20 PM EST.
Race 2
Although ominous clouds hung over Homestead-Miami Speedway during the second race of the North American Ferrari Challenge, the rain held off until after the celebrations as nine finishers in the Trofeo Pirelli, Trofeo Pirelli AM, and Coppa Shell classes revered their victories.
Twenty-seven drivers stood on the grid with Emmanuel Anassis leading the troupe. Qualifying for Race 2 was cancelled this morning due to inclement weather making the starting order determined by the current championship point standings after yesterday's race. But that didn't halt the excitement of the fans as they were brought to their feet in jubilation, supporting their favorite drivers and teams.
Anassis lead from the green to chequered flags, finishing again on top of the podium steps for the Trofeo Pirelli class. Scott Tucker (Ferrari of San Francisco), who started fourth on the grid, quickly overtook two positions during the first lap and maintained his pace throughout. He and John Farano would finish second and third again.
And just like yesterday, the drivers from Trofeo Pirelli AM would give a brilliant showcase of endurance and racing. Robert Herjavec aggressively maintained his leading position against Mike Zoi. Following swiftly behind were Arthur Romanelli and Carlos Conde battling for a top three finish. But as the final laps were completed, Zoi overtook Herjavec, finishing first in his class with Romanelli and Conde in second and third positions respectively.
Barry Zekelman stood atop of the podium steps for Coppa Shell after a very impressive stint, moving up 13 positions. Equally rewarding was Rich Baek's performance, racing close behind Zekelman in second for his first podium finish of the season. Dan O'Neal would complete the Coppa Shell winners in third place.