We focus on Bob Benedict’s Ferrari Michelotto 308GT/M. “Most people who see the M for the first time don’t know what it is. Some think it is a baby BBLM, which makes sense, as it is built by the same company. The correct S/N is 001, as designated by Michelotto. There were only three built.”–Bob Benedict.
Story by David Seibert
Photos by Richard Prince except as noted
(PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL, January 26) Peter Giddings and Lawrence Stroll are both past champions in the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge.
While each has raced a variety of cars in the series, Giddings is frequently identified with his ex-Sir Stirling Moss Maserati 250F, a grand prix car from 1954; Stroll and his ex-Roger Penske blue 1971 Ferrari 512 M are equally a pair. At the 2009 Cavallino Classic, opening event for the Shell Historics season, Giddings in his Maserati dominated the Drum Brake Group race, and Stroll, in his 512 M, was equally dominant over the Disc Group cars.
The event was the series’ first at the newly rebuilt and reconfigured Palm Beach International Raceway, formerly Moroso Motorsports Park. The Shell Historics divides competing cars into two groups, for earlier cars with drum brakes and later disc-braked cars, with several classes within each group. The Drum cars were the first out on the new track, and after a few tentative laps times fell rapidly. Giddings took pole position over Chris Cox, something of a dark horse, as Cox hadn’t even seen his newly purchased pontoon-fender 250 Testa Rossa until it arrived at the track. (Cox was the first-ever Shell Historics Champion in 1998, driving a different 250 TR.)
Jeff O’Neill in another Maserati 250F started third in his first visit to the event. Peter LeSaffre, another past champion, qualified his Maserati 300S in fourth. Jon Shirley qualified fifth in the prototype 250 Testa Rossa, a switch from the Maserati 300S in which he won the 2008 championship.
Giddings took an immediate lead at the start of the Drum race. Cox initially stayed close to Giddings, but slowly dropped back as he held off O’Neill’s 250F. As the field strung out the top three plus LeSaffre’s Maserati and Shirley’s 250 TR stayed on the same lap to the finish, lapping older cars en route to the checker.
Giddings and Cox were class winners, as were Mark Lindman (Ferrari 212) and Ed Davies (1932 Alfa 2.3 Monza), who defeated Tom Price’s 1932 Touring-bodied Alfa 2.3.
Qualifying suggested that the Disc Brake Group, for later and faster cars, would produce an exciting race. Todd Morici, one of two drivers to earn the “Grand Master” designation in the series’ 11 year history (Giddings is the other), qualified on pole in his 512 BB/LM. Stroll was only .4 slower and started alongside, ahead of Jim Fuchs’ ex-NART 512 BB/LM and Bob Benedict’s 308 GT/Michelotto.
Morici got a good start and led Stroll until the pair arrived at the long back straight, where Stroll was able to power past for the lead; a lead he never lost. Stroll’s fastest lap was 1.7 seconds faster than his qualifying time, and over a full second faster than Morici’s pole position time. His margin of victory over Morici was over 17 seconds, and in their high-speed duel the pair lapped every other car in the field.
Stroll and Morici won class awards, as did Benedict and Chris Cox (driving the historic Ferrari 412 MI). Tom Price drove his 250 GTO to a win in the crowded Disc Brake Berlinetta class, over Peter Giddings (250 GT/Lusso) and Nick Colonna (250 GT SWB).
Awards were presented to the class winners at the track. At a reception hosted by Ferrari North America, Jon Shirley and Peter LeSaffre were presented special Panerai watches to mark their 2008 Championships in the Drum and Disc Groups respectively. Past champion Tom Price received the series’ special award for sportsmanship.
Further information on the Shell Historics can be found at www.ferrarichallenge.com.
Results, Drum Race
Peter Giddings Maserati 250F
Chris Cox 250 TR
Jeff O’Neill Maserati 250F
Peter LeSaffre Maserati 300S
Jon Shirley 250 TR
Nick Colonna Maserati 200 SI
Ed Davies Alfa 8C 2300 Monza
Mark Lindeman 212 I Cal Spyder
Tom Price Alfa 8C 2300
Results, Disc Race
Lawrence Stroll 512 M Sunoco
Todd Morici 512 BB/LM
Jim Fuchs 512 BB/LM
Bob Benedict 308 GT/M
Tom Price 250 GTO
Peter Giddings 250 GT/Lusso
Nick Colonna 250 GT SWB Comp
Jon Shirley 250 GTO
Greg Whitten 250 GTO
Chris Cox 412 MI
Peter LeSaffre 275 GTB/C
Stephen Dudley 308 GTB/M
Read Part 2 of the Ferrari Historics
“The long front and back straights were great because of my huge brakes. I was able to go deeper into turns when leaving the straights.” –Bob Benedict.
“My 5 year old son, Cole, has been an avid fan of the M for almost 2 years now! Soon I’ll be able to explain to him that the M has a 308 block with different pistons and cams, with a longitudinally mounted engine, Kugelfisher injection and a Hewland 5 speed crashbox.” –Bob Benedict. Photo courtesy Bob Benedict.
“Driving the 308 GT/M is amazing! It is responsive to the accelerator, tracks true, and stops on a dime. Michelotto really spent a lot of time in development with this car.” –Bob Benedict.
Jon Shirley got his 250TR out to finish 5th in the drum brake class.
Rear view of the Shirley TR. S/N is 0666, the first prototype.
Nick Colonna over the start finish line in his Maserati 200SI S/N 2412.
Chris Cox drove both this 413 MI Ferrari and a 250 TR at Palm Beach.
Chris Cox here with the 250 TR S/N 0756.
Jim Fuchs in the 512BBL/M.
Lawrence Stroll’s 512 M Sunoco Ferrari.
Tom Price is followed by Jon Shirley, both in GTOs.
Peter Giddings used his 250GT Lusso for the disc brake class.
Jeff O’Neill, 250F Maserati.
Peter LeSaffre, 275GTB S/N 9057.
O’Neill leads Giddings in their 250F Maseratis.
Till next time at Road Atlanta, April 17-19.