September 20, 2002
Story and photos by Marcel Massini
6th Ferrari Racing Days, Nürburgring/Germany, 6-8 September 2002
Ferrari Formula One, Ferrari Challenge, the Historic Ferrari Challenge, Michael Schumacher and the brand new Ferrari Enzo were the key words for this year’s sensational Ferrari Racing Days at the Nürburgring in Germany. This major event took place on the weekend of 6 to 8 September on the well-known circuit in the Eifel mountains. More than 30,000 spectators from all over Europe and the USA visited the track during the three-day affair. About 1,100 Ferraris were observed in the various parking areas that had been reserved for the Ferraristi. The Italian sports cars were parked by color, all the red ones on one parking, and Ferraris in non-red colors in another area. The Ferraris were also grouped by type and this special system provided interesting views. There were rows of red 360 Modenas and rows of red F40s.
The Ferrari Racing Days event are organized by Ferrari Deutschland GmbH, the German importer headquartered in Wiesbaden. This company is owned by Ferrari SpA in Maranello. In 1996, when the first Ferrari Racing Days were held, the 550 Maranello was officially shown to the public. Apart from the Nürburgring (1996, 1997 and 1999), the Ferrari Racing Days were also held at Oschersleben (in 1998) and on the Hockenheimring (in 2000) near Heidelberg. For the sixth edition of the Ferrari Racing Days the world famous Grand Prix race track in the Eifel region was chosen again. For Ferrari, it’s an important marketing event; Germany, who has no speed limit on many of their highways, is the second largest market for the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari.
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What a way to introduce a car. Five time world champion Michael Schumacher presents the new Enzo, this particular chassis is 128779.
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In 1999 Michael Schumacher officially presented the Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge to the clients and in 2000 two Ferraris, namely the 360 Spider and the 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, had their German premiere during the Ferrari Racing Days at the Hockenheimring. This year another world premiere was on the program of the Ferrari Racing Days: The new super sports car Enzo Ferrari was shown to the public for the first time. The successor of the legendary F50, the new Ferrari with 660 horsepower and about 350 km/h fast, was presented by honorary guest Michael Schumacher, the five time world champion. This happened before the Enzo’s official public unveiling at the Paris motor show end of September. The entire range of the current production Ferraris was also shown at the Nürburgring, including the spectacular 360 N-GT, the GT race version of the Ferrari 360 Modena.
From the factory in Maranello arrived all the key personnel including Maurizio Parlato and Dr. Carlo Tazzioli and Roberto Vaglietti. Gianluca Pazzaglini of Ferrari Deutschland GmbH was there as well and factory test driver Luca Badoer was also observed at the track. Two new Enzos were observed during the Nürburgring weekend. A red one was driven by Michael Schumacher while a yellow one (chassis #128781) was kept as a spare car and stayed in the paddock. The red Enzo (chassis #128779) was shown to the invited guests during the gala dinner on Saturday night and at the end of the evening every guest received one of the new 1:18 scaled Enzo models from Mattel’s company Hot Wheels. Each of these models was individually numbered.
Sunday was the big day and the public was eagerly awaiting the superstar of the weekend. Michael Schumacher, who had attended his brother Ralf’s wedding ceremony on Saturday, was flown in to the Nürburgring by helicopter. He then quickly jumped into the new white and blue Maserati Trofeo race car, before changing into the red Enzo and later into a Ferrari Formula One car. This was a 2001 model with chassis number 214. With each of these cars he did several laps on the 2.8 mile-long circuit.
The historic Ferrari challenge included rarities such as Swiss Christian Traber’s 1953 Type 250 Mille Miglia Pinin Farina Berlinetta (chassis #0316 MM) and Philip Gertsch’s yellow 250 GT Boano (chassis #0541 GT). Several 250 GT LWB Tour de France Berlinettas were on hand. There were three 250 GT SWB Berlinettas. Two were painted silvergrey metallic; the one of Mexican Nicolas Zapata with a blue stripe (chassis #3327 GT) and the one of Belgian racer Vincent Gaye with a yellow stripe (chassis #2069 GT). The third 250 GT SWB was a red one, chassis #2563 GT owned by Stanislas de Sadeeler, a Belgian who lives in Gstaad, Switzerland.
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The very genuine 365 GTB/4 Comp, S/N 14429, owned by Swiss Arnold Meier. Must be fast as well, since he placed 3rd behind Franklin’s 712 Can Am and the 512M of Bosch.
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Race cars were well represented. John Bosch arrived from Holland with his 1971 Ferrari 512 M, chassis number 1044. Bosch also brought his 2000 Formula One Ferrari (chassis #200) and his 360 Modena Challenge race car. Italian broker and collector Corrado Cupellini raced the ex-Giulio Dubbini 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider Scaglietti (chassis #0670 MDTR) and Rosario Parasiliti came from Sicily with the beautiful Dino 206 SP Spider (chassis #030). There were two Competion Daytonas in the race as well, one raced by Swiss Arnold Meier (chassis #14429) and the other one (chassis #15667) owned and raced by Carlos Monteverde from Brazil. Fastest on the track, however, was David Franklin in the super brutal and big-engined Ferrari 712 Can-Am Spider (chassis #1010).
The spectator parking was absolutely full of Ferraris of all types and years. There were several 250 GT Lussos, almost two dozen F40s, many of the new 550 Barchettas, some even with the after-market produced hardtop which looks a bit ugly. There was a nice and rare darkblue 500 Superfast, one of only 36 units built. A couple of Daytona Berlinettas, two cut Daytona Spiders and several 275 GTBs and 275 GTB/4s plus a street 250 GT SWB Berlinetta and 250 GT Cabriolets completed the picture. Also on hand were 330 and 365 GTCs and Dino 246s and hundreds of the more modern Ferraris of the 1980s and 1990s.
The Ferrari Racing Days with its very varied program attracted thousands of motorsport and Ferrari enthusiasts from all over Europe. Ferraris were seen from countries as far as Ireland, England, Spain, the Czech Republic, Russia, Norway and many others. Modern motorsport, the races with historic Ferraris, and more than fifteen Formula One Ferraris of all eras, guaranteed a fascinating event. With the world premiere of the new Enzo the Ferrari Racing Days clearly became the most important Ferrari-Event in the year 2002.
