Few cars generate the kind of emotion, excitement and envy as the mere mention of Ferrari.
What is it about the Ferrari?
Its difficult to answer, said Jeff Segal, a driver of the No. 69 Ferrari 458 Italia GT in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Its a lot of different things.
You look at the car; it looks like its going 200 mph while its standing still, said Segal, who lives in Miami. Every sensory input you have gets attacked when you come near that car. Driving it is simply remarkable.
Segal has worked at the Ferrari Driving Experience in Canada and said even the street cars, straight out of the showroom, are phenomenal race cars.
For Bonnie Morrison, a member of the Ferrari Club of America, the mystique of the Ferrari lies in its lines and its passion.
Its driving artwork, said Morrison, a North Carolina resident who graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Its just amazing.
The return of the Ferrari attracted the club back to Daytona for the first time in 20 years, said Steve Selz, a regional director for Ferrari Club of America. Its exciting to see Ferrari back in Grand-Am racing and actually have a competitive car.
For Ferrari, the factorys return to the American market was important, said a Ferrari spokesman, Andrew Bordin.
And to be successful in this market, you have to be at this race, especially with the car buffs at this level.
The race car is the result of a two-year project to produce a race car specifically with the Rolex series in mind.
The specs between the Ferrari Grand-Am car and the street car are similar and both are very fast, Bordin said. The street car, with a 530 horsepower engine, will do 0 – 60 in less than four seconds.
You can literally take it off the floor and go to the track, Bordin said.
As for the competition this weekend, Segal said the car manufacturer doesnt mess around.
When they come to Daytona, they come to win, Segal said. Ferrari won the overall 24 hours in 1963, 1967 and 1972.
Al Brewer of Daytona Beach is happy to see Ferrari back in the Rolex. Its always exciting to see an exotic brand name come into a GT series, he said.
I tell you what, they (Ferrari) look pretty serious; it looks like a serious effort, said Brewer, who was a national judge for Ferrari show competitions for years. When Ferrari puts out an effort, they tend to shoot for the top.
Ferraris only problem this weekend is Hurley Haywoods Porsches, which will be fighting for the top, said Brewer, who recently bought a new Porsche.
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