Speed Channel Takes on Ferrari Challenge Series at Event's Newest Venue

Speed Channel Takes on Ferrari Challenge Series at Event's Newest Venue

Virginia International Raceway Showcases an Insider's Look at the Extraordinary World of Ferrari Owners' Racing

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Ferrari North America, Inc., has announced that the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) will host the first of two Ferrari Challenge Series events to be broadcast on Speed Channel. Both the May 18-20 Ferrari Challenge Series race at VIR, as well as the upcoming August event hosted at California Speedway, will be shown on the Speed Channel network, as well as Wealth TV in HD, taking viewers inside the extraordinary world of Ferrari Challenge racing and showcasing the drivers and their teams as they compete in the longest running, single-make racing Championship in North America.

Now in its 14th racing season in the U.S., the Ferrari Challenge Series (utilizing race-prepared 430 Challenge vehicles) offers Ferrari owners who are not professional racers the opportunity to compete against other Ferrari owners in a highly competitive racing series at world-class venues throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is regarded as the longest-running series of its type in North America.

"The Speed Channel network will allow viewers to experience the excitement of Ferrari Challenge racing on television for the first time," said Maurizio Parlato, president and CEO of Ferrari North America. "For more than 60 years Ferrari has been synonymous with the very same passion that our owners, drivers and fans experience as they watch all levels of Ferrari competition worldwide. We are proud to continue showcasing this tradition."

Virginia International Raceway (VIR) and California Speedway will be the U.S. venues which will host the Ferrari Challenge for Speed Channel. The Ferrari Challenge program is a co-production of Laguna Niguel, Calif.-based Baker Productions, and Winding Road Films of Crystal Lake, Ill. Both Ferrari Challenge segments will be anchored by noted automotive authority and TV personality Bill Baker, host of the Outdoor Channel series "Ride to Adventure." Baker will be joined by ESPN Sports personality Yomary Cruz and Road and Track magazine's Editor-At-Large, John Lamm, one of the world's leading automotive photo/journalists and Ferrari experts.

Both remaining U.S. Ferrari Challenge events will be open to the public, and tickets will be available at each track: Virginia International Raceway, May 18-20 (airing on Speed Channel July 7th at 7:30pm EDT and July 8th at 2:30 pm EDT) and California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., August 10-12 (airing on Speed Channel October 13th, at 7:30 pm EDT and October 14th at 2:30 pm EDT).

The Ferrari Challenge 2007 season extends through a total of 7 races, including two within Canada (the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, coinciding with Montreal's annual Formula One race, June 8-10th; and Mont Tremblant, Quebec, June 15-17, at the home track of Ferrari's North American driving school), as well as the season's World Finals, held October 25-28 in Italy.

The Ferrari Challenge is one of the numerous "exclusive" experiences that Ferrari offers its customers -- and whether owners are actually racing in the series, dining in the luxurious VIP hospitality tents, participating in weekend driving clinics or socializing with those that share their enthusiasm for Ferrari, the weekend festivals provide a unique atmosphere and incomparable experience. General public can enjoy the races, peruse the paddock areas, and enjoy the overall Ferrari-festival type of atmosphere.

The Challenge Series is one of the many assets Ferrari provides exclusively for its owners, and together with experiences such as the annual Ferrari Rally (www.ferrarirally.com), and Ferrari's North American Driving School in Mont Tremblant, Quebec (www.experienceferrari.com), the company continues to provide environments where owners can enjoy their cars in the manner for which they were intended -- with top performance and through unique opportunities and venues.

The Ferrari Challenge Series is organized by Ferrari North America, Inc., and sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association. Sponsors for 2007 include Motorola, Shell, Pirelli, Sabelt, Officine Panerai and Piaggio Aero. Complete Challenge information can be found on www.ferrarichallenge.com . Tickets for both the VIR and California Speedway Ferrari Challenge weekends can be purchased directly at each track.

Ferrari North America, Inc. is headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and is the exclusive authorized North, Central and South American importer of Ferrari vehicles including the 599 GTB Fiorano V-12 sports coupe, F430 Berlinetta, F430 Spider convertible sports car, and 612 Scaglietti (luxury performance 2+2). For more information please visit www.ferrariusa.com.

Source: Ferrari North America, Inc.

CONTACT: Matteo Sardi, +1-201-816-2621, msardi@ferrariusa.com, or Deb
Pollack, +1-805-320-9248, dpollack@ferrarichallenge.com, both of Ferrari North
America, Inc.

Web site:

http://www.ferrarichallenge.com/
http://www.ferrarirally.com/
http://www.experienceferrari.com/
http://www.ferrariusa.com/
http://www.ferrariworld.com/

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