Maserati is today announcing that it will take part to all race events of the 2005 ALMS
Championship in North America, after finalizing discussions between IMSA and
Maserati Corse. After 48 years, Maserati is back with a factory racing car, in its
biggest market. This new Maserati team will start once again in Sebring, where in
1957 Juan Manuel Fangio and Jean Behra won the 12 Hours race with a 450S, the
last victory in the US with a factory car.
A NEW CHAPTER IN AMERICAN RACING HISTORY
Racing has always played a fundamental role in Maserati's history. And so much of
Maserati’s illustrious racing history, took place in the United States. From winning
the Indianapolis 500 back-to-back to dominating roadracing at some of the top
events in the US: motorsports in the United States has had many chapters written by
Maserati.
In 1939 and 1940, Wilbur Shaw drove a Maserati “Tipo 8CTF” s/n 3032 to two
consecutive victories in the Indianapolis 500. Maserati is the first Italian car to have
won “The World’s Most Famous Race.” The Boyle Special Maserati now resides at
The Hall of Fame Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1946, Luigi Unser
won his class in the Pike’s Peak with a “Tipo 8CTF”. In 1957, in addition to victory in
Sebring by Fangio/Behra, Carrol Shelby won two races, in Palm Springs with a 300S
s/n 3071 and in Riverside with a 450S s/n 4509.
In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio won his second Formula 1 World Championship at
the wheel of a Maserati 250F s/n 2529, after the first one in 1954.
At the beginning of the Sixties, Camoradi and Cunningham private racing teams,
was successful with the famous “Birdcage” and drivers like Lucky Casner, Masten
Gregory, Stirling Moss, Dan Gurney. Another driver, Walt Hansgen, with a “Tipo 61”
63.002 won at Laguna Seca in 1960, and the SCCA Championship in 1961.
MASERATI MC12 - A PROVEN RACE WINNER
Last year Maserati sealed its triumphant return to motor racing with a fantastic one-
two finish in Zhuhai, China, the last round of the FIA GT Championship. The two
MC12s – numbers 33 and 34 – fielded by the AF Corse team in the last four races of
the season, clocked up two wins (the first one in Oschersleben, Germany), three
seconds and one third between them, with Bertolini-Salo (who won two of the races)
and Herbert-De Simone in their cockpits.
2004 was an outstanding year for Maserati, celebrating the 90th Anniversary,
growing worldwide, setting new sales and production records, achieving best quality
and customer satisfaction, launching four superb new products and returning to
winning ways in international motorsport. In spite of the significant growth, Maserati
continues to be one of the world’s most exclusive marques combining unique Italian
design with luxury and a sporting spirit.
Claudio Berro, Maserati Corse Director says: “Maserati Corse is pleased to have
the opportunity to display our car in front of audiences in North America. This is the
most important sales market for Maserati, so this development is very important for
our sales and marketing efforts as well”.
Maserati will partecipate with one MC12 directly managed by the Maserati Race
Dept. in compliance with the rules of IMSA. It has been made possible also thanks
to the deep co-operation of important partners, including Pirelli and the Team Risi,
that will support Maserati logistically.
Factory tester Andrea Bertolini will drive the car. Only for Sebring Fabio Babini
(Pirelli tester) will join him. The name of the third driver will be announced shortly.
Bartels and Babini for Vitaphone Maserati MC 12
Team Vitaphone Racing has announced that they will enter two Maserati MC12 cars
in the 2005 season of the FIA GT Championship. Michael Bartels and Fabio Babini
have been announced as the first two signings, with the other drivers to be
announced later. The team has just finished a week's testing with the car. Bartels
was delighted : "The Maserati is a truly impressive racing car," he said. "During the
MC 12 tests, we worked consistently and succeeded in improving the times lap by
lap."
Two Maserati MC 12 for JMB Racing
Monaco-based team JMB Racing has announced its plans for the 2005 season.
The team will enter two Maserati MC 12 cars in the FIA GT Championship, the
drivers being announced later. The team has also announced its partnership with
Pirelli. The names of the drivers will be released later.
JMB entered three Ferrari 575 M Maranello cars in the 2004 season, winning the
Donington round with Karl Wendlinger and Jaime Melo. The team also won the
2001 N-GT Championship, with a Ferrari 360 Modena, driven by Christian Pescatori
and David Terrien.
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