Ferrari Celebrates Enzo Ferrari’s Legacy

To this day, Ferrari continues to operate under the ideals set by its founder – Enzo Ferrari. On the automotive legend’s birthday, February 18 – dubbed “Enzo Ferrari Day” – the company celebrated the legendary man by gathering together in celebration.

Several WeatherTech Championship drivers headed to Italy for a special evening, including 2017 GT Daytona champions Alessandro Balzan and Christina Nielsen.

"Enzo Ferrari Day was very special for me because we had the Ferrari Competizione GT night on the same day,” said Balzan. “Christina Nielsen, Jeff Segal and myself received two very nice prizes from Ferrari for the IMSA championship and the [Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup] championship. It was very special for me to spend Enzo Ferrari's birthday with the Ferrari racing family in the heart of his Fiorano racetrack."

The brand also published a six-part video tribute to its founder on Enzo Ferrari Day, each highlighting a trait that lives within the Italian marque.

• Innovation
• Excellence
• Competition
• Pride
• Passion
• Heritage

BRUNI SET FOR PORSCHE SWITCH: Porsche Motorsport announced on Feb. 19 that Gianmaria “Gimmi” Bruni had been signed on as a new GT works driver for 2017.

As one of the most successful and experienced sports car pilots, the 35-year-old Italian will begin testing the new 911 RSR beginning in June. Starting in July, the German manufacturer will include Bruni in its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver lineup.

“We’re delighted to welcome Gianmaria Bruni, one of the world’s top GT pilots, into our squad,” says Head of Porsche Motorsport, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser. “He fits perfectly into our strong circle of works drivers and will join us for the second half of the season.” 

Bruni has had success in the United States prior, winning in 2010 for Risi Competizione at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida and at Mid-Ohio. He also won the 2011 Petit Le Mans from the pole for AF Corse.

The ex-Formula 1 driver also has celebrated great success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with GT class victories in 2008, 2012 and 2014. In the FIA World Endurance Championship, he won the GTE Pro championship in 2013 and 2014.

EXTREMECONTACT SPORT NOW ON SALE: After three years and over 2,000 tires tested to the limits by championship-winning IMSA race car drivers, Continental Tire’s new ExtremeContact™ Sport is now available for purchase in a wide range of sizes, and is ideal for sports cars and sport and luxury vehicles.

Satisfying even the most demanding driver, the dynamic, ultra-high performance summer street tire is built for car enthusiasts and engineered for extreme grip in dry and wet conditions. SportPlus Technology provides precise handling; security on wet, slippery roads; and excellent tread life.

Continental Tire took its knowledge from the track to the street in a whole new way with the ExtremeContact™ Sport. The technology company worked with five of the best sports car drivers in the world – Andy Lally, Ozz Negri, Lawson Aschenbach, Ryan Dalziel, and Joao Barbosa – to help deliver the performance driving enthusiasts demand in a tire.

To help illustrate the journey from track to street, Continental Tire created a series of videos to document the mix of hard work and fun that went into the project, which can be viewed here.