New Ferrari Challenge season begins this weekend at Sonoma

Another season of Ferrari Challenge North America is set to begin at Sonoma Raceway and for 2025, the Ferrari 296 Challenge race car has attracted a staggering field of competition.

After the car’s unveil at the 2023 Finali Mondiali and introduction to Ferrari Challenge in 2024, nearly 70 North American drivers across four classes have taken ownership of the Ferrari machine. As the first car in the single-make series to roar with a V6 engine, the 296 Challenge now competes in Ferrari Challenge championships around the world and this weekend, is on maximum display in America’s wine country.

Return to Sonoma

It was only six months ago that Ferrari Challenge North America paid its last visit to Sonoma as part of the penultimate event in 2024.

This marks the fifth year that the series has competed at the 2.533-mile circuit, although it will be the first time since 2021 that its presence has taken place on the front end of the calendar rather than in the latter half of the season.

Multiple drivers who visited victory lane in Sonoma last year are back on the grid to replicate their success.

The uncle-nephew duo of Roberto and Massimo Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle) will battle head-to-head in 2025 in Trofeo Pirelli after the latter’s 488 Challenge Evo class championship in 2024. Both drivers scored one victory apiece at Sonoma last year in their respective classes, while Jason McCarthy (Wide World Ferrari) also captured a Trofeo Pirelli win and returns in 2025.

Former Trofeo Pirelli Am rivals Tony Davis (Continental Autosports) and Brian Cook (Ferrari of Seattle) will continue their duel this year, albeit in the Trofeo Pirelli class. The drivers split victories last year at Sonoma.

Yahn Bernier (Ferrari of Seattle) was a two-time Sonoma winner in the 2024 Coppa Shell class, while Jeffrey Nunberg (Ferrari of Central New Jersey) scored his first Coppa Shell Am victory of the year at the Northern California racetrack. Both look to repeat their success in the same classes for 2025.

Representing the West Coast

More than 10 Ferrari dealers ranging from north of the Canadian border to the southern tip of California are representing the West Coast this weekend at Sonoma.

Ferrari of Seattle – last year’s Ferrari Challenge Dealer Champion – is the largest representative with five entries. A quartet of dealers with three entries follows from Ferrari Beverly Hills, Ferrari of Newport Beach, Ferrari of San Francisco and Ferrari of Westlake.

Dealers north of the border include Ferrari of Alberta and Ferrari of Vancouver with one and two entries respectively.

Ferrari of Silicon Valley also has two cars entered at Sonoma, followed by a trio of single-car teams from the coastline to just a touch inland – Ferrari of Rancho Mirage, Ferrari of San Diego and Scottsdale Ferrari.

Schedule and streaming

Two testing days precede official on-track activity at Sonoma, which begins on Friday, March 7, with three practice sessions throughout the day.

Qualifying for race 1 takes place on Saturday morning prior to the green flag later in the day at 3:05pm PT for Trofeo Pirelli and 3:55pm for Coppa Shell. Qualifying 2 starts Sunday’s action, with Coppa Shell’s final race at 2:05pm and Trofeo Pirelli at 2:55pm.

All Ferrari Challenge races will stream live on the Ferrari YouTube channel and FerrariRaces.com.