(WEST PALM BEACH, FL, January 24)
Close racing, the largest field in the history of the series, and great weather combined to create an exciting start to the 2005 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge season. Two races were run at Moroso Motorsports Park as part of the Cavallino Classic, a traditional Ferrari-oriented festival presented by Cavallino Magazine in Palm Beach, Florida.
In the first race, for earlier racers fitted with drum brakes, Peter Giddings took the lead from pole position in his Maserati 250 F, a car once driven by Sir Stirling Moss. Giddings, a former series champion and Masters Award winner, appeared to have the race well in hand when a driveline failure left him coasting to a stop at the halfway mark. Carlos Monteverde in a 250 Testa Rossa assumed the lead over Ed Davies (375 MM Pinin Farina Spyder), and took the win by almost 30 seconds. Leslie Davies in another 250 Testa Rossa rounded out the overall podium. Monteverde and Ed Davies were class winners, as were Tom Price (Alfa Romeo 8C 2300) and Chuck Wegner (Ferrari 625 LM).
The second race, for later disc-braked cars, provided much of the day's excitement. Ed Davies' 512 M started from pole, with Todd Morici's 512 BB/LM alongside. Both drivers are former champions and former Masters Award winners. Davies led for the first eight laps, but Morici was able to use traffic to get inside and take the lead coming onto the front straight. The newer BB/LM was able to withstand Davies for only two laps; once back in front, Davies led to the finish, with Morici still only a few feet back. The pair's pace had them almost a minute and a half ahead of Kurt Schultz's 512 BB/LM in third. Schultz, who had mechanical problems in the morning practice session, had started from the rear of the grid. Carlos Monteverde had a strong third for 11 of the 14 laps, but a broken throttle cable on his 206 SP ended his race.
Both Davies and Morici took class wins; other class winners in the 19-car disc brake field included Charlie Arnott (365 GTB/4 Competition), Steve Dudley (308 GT/Michelotto), Gary Pearson (250 GT SWB), and Monteverde.
The Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge is organized by Ferrari/Maserati North America, and is sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association. The series is limited to authentic, original competition Ferraris and Maseratis built prior to 1980, OSCAs built by the Maserati brothers, and pre-war Alfa Romeos as raced by the Scuderia Ferrari. The next race in the six-event 2005 season will be held at the California Speedway near Los Angeles, on the weekend of April 2-3.
Leslie Davies in the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, still driving hard.
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Chuck Wegner's 625 LM chassis 0642 LM, class 2A winner.
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The 8C2300 Alfa of Tom Price.
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Peter LeSaffre's 250 GT TDF.
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Nick Colonna and his 500 TRC.
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Carlos Monteverde's 250 TR chassis 0738 TR, class 3 and Drum Brake Group
winner.
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Dennis Machul, 500 Mondial.
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Ed Davies in his 375 Spyder.
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