FCS: Mont-Tremblant race report 2005-06-26

PETERSON CONTINUES FERRARI CHALLENGE SUCCESS IN CANADA

(MONT-TREMBLANT, QUEBEC, CANADA, June 26) Doug Peterson barely lost the 2004 Ferrari Challenge Championship, but the Florida resident made up for that loss by being totally dominant in 2005. This weekend he won both Ferrari Challenge races held as part of the Ferrari Festival at Le Circuit in Mont-Tremblant; these wins combine with his wins at Fontana, Las Vegas, and Montreal to give him a substantial lead in the championship.

Peterson thoroughly dominated the weekend. He qualified on pole position, half a second ahead of his Shelton Ferrari teammate Emmanual Anassis. Anassis is the defending champion, and the only other driver to take a victory in the 2005 Challenge season. Kurt Buchwald (Ferrari of Washington), Lawrence Stroll (Ferrari of Quebec), and Michael Louli (Ferrari of Long island) rounded out the top five.

In the first race, for thirty minutes on the 2.65 mile track, Peterson took an immediate lead at the start, and Buchwald passed Anassis. Stroll battled with Anassis for several laps before getting past, and while a yellow flag bunched the field he was unable to pass Buchwald. Anassis dropped back through the field to sixth place. The final results were Peterson, Buchwald, and Stroll on the podium, with Louli in fourth and Patrice Brisbois, another Ferrari of Quebec driver, in fifth. Brisbois also received the "Spirit of Quality" award from Bose.

Results from this race were used to set the grid for Sunday's 45 minute race, so Peterson again started on pole. Louli pitted on the pace lap with mechanical problems, and Anassis was extremely fast, moving almost immediately from his sixth starting place to second. Peterson could hold a comfortable lead over Anassis, and the pair were pulling away from Buchwald and Stroll when an on-track incident required the safety car to gather up the field.

Peterson timed his restart perfectly and left Anassis no chance to challenge, and Stroll was unable to get past Buchwald, so Peterson, Anassis, and Buchwald made up the podium. Stroll was fourth and John Horejsi (Ferrari of Beverly Hills) finished fifth as Brisbois spun and tapped the pit wall on the last lap, just feet short of the finish line.

The Ferrari Challenge next races as part of Ferrari Maserati Racing Days at Lime Rock Park, Connecticut, on July 8-9/

The Ferrari Challenge is organized by Ferrari North America. Drivers compete in specially built racing versions of the Ferrari 360 Modena, with preparation and race support handled by teams formed by authorized Ferrari dealers in North America. Sponsorship and support for the series comes from Ener1 Group, Piaggio Aero, Bose, Motorola, Pirelli, and Shell.

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