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It was a cold and wet morning when TLP left Sacramento for Sonoma Raceway.  We drove all the way down with our fingers crossed, and we weren't let down.  The Wine Country supplied some of the best weather in memory.  No ER worthy sunburns and no 25 lb mud-cakes clinging to our feet as was the case many moons ago.  The event was the 2014 edition of the Ferrari Challenge.  Full on donuts and coffee we set about to document the day.

The Ferrari Challenge is a Ferrari 458 Italia variant spec series that races on some of America's great tracks. This is a low-key even that really draws out hard-core enthusiasts of Ferrari, versus the broader motorsport fan. This probably is due to the lack of marketing on the part of the Ferrari Challenge and that it is targeted toward the small circle of Ferrari owners, though given the number of Ferrari's in the corral, its not that small of a group.

©2014 Andrew Langley
©2014 Andrew Langley

The Ferrari challenge allows the fan the chance to be up close, not just to race prepped 458 Italias, but a parking lot full of what your regional Ferrari owners and dealers have to offer. 

If you are a new fan to auto racing and the car culture then we encourage you to check out your local Ferrari challenge.  It offers great access, smaller crowds and a relaxed atmosphere.  The same advice goes for Sonoma Raceway as it is a great location for racing action.  If you're a hardcore racing junkie then you know Sonoma Raceway and what it has to offer.  If you are considering getting into automotive awesomeness, Sonoma is a great place to start.   The next event at Sonoma Raceway is the Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival occurring May 17th & 18th.  Luckily, in cased you couldn't attend the Sonoma event, the next run of the Ferrari Challenge is the weekend of May 16-18 at the lovely and amazing Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca.

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For more photos click here.