Ukrainian racing team and its unique Ferrari (photo)

 

Facebook user Yuriy Samoylyk reminded about the Team Ukraine Racing with Ferrari team, which was created in 2012 with the support of the Automobile Federation of Ukraine to develop and promote national motorsport.

In the 2012 and 2013 seasons, this team took part in several stages of the Ferrari Challenge Europe series of car races. Thanks to a successful debut in the overall group standings of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, in which Ferrari Team Ukraine took an honorable 4th place in 2012, the Ukrainian team was awarded the opportunity to use the official logo of Scuderia Ferrari.

A year later, while driving a Ferrari 458 Challenge, Ukrainian pilot Serhiy Chukanov became a gold medalist in the Trofeo Pirelli professional pilots' series in the Ferrari Challenge Europe series. And his partner Andrei Lebid in the same year became a bronze medalist in the Coppa Shell in the Ferrari Challenge Europe series.

The Ukrainian team was very successful, but unfortunately not for long (the racing program, for obvious reasons, was closed in May 2014), and started in the GTC class (GT3 Blancpain Endurance Series - a series of endurance races). Sensationally starting his first season in the Le Mans series, the first stage of which took place in British Silverstone with a victory in the GTC class. Left behind not only all classmates, but also many teams that play in the higher class of LMGTE. The crew consists of Andriy Kruglyk / Raffaele Jammariya and Ruslan Tsyplakov / Richard Westbrook.
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It is also worth mentioning the European GT Sprint International Series and a series of victories on the famous tracks in Monza (Andrei Kruglik / Ruslan Tsiplakov), Brno (Andrei Kruglik / Raffaele Jammaria) in 2013.

As for cars, the first of them debuted on July 14, 2010. It was then that Ferrari officially unveiled the fifth racing version of the Ferrari 458 Italia supercar, called the Challenge, although not everyone saw the live car, but in December at the Bologna Motor Show the car was presented to the general public.

The track presentation of the car, which in 2011 took part in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, took place in Maranello during the annual meeting of representatives of the brand's dealers.

The novelty received a 30 mm lower suspension with stiffer springs and other shock absorbers, Brembo brakes with Brembo CCM2 carbon-ceramic discs from 599XX, an upgraded 7-speed transmission with changed gear ratios and settings of the electronics, which controls the electronics. body panels, which reduced the weight of the car to 1200 kg. Carbon parts were also widely used in the racing supercar, and their polycarbonate analogues were installed instead of the usual rocks.
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For the first time in the racing version, a fairly wide range of electronics was used. Thus, for the first time, an electronic simulation of the E-Diff differential lock was installed, as well as the F1-Trac traction control system, which allows the pilot to choose between settings for wet and dry coatings. And for the first time in the series, it became completely disabled! By the way, a similar choice of modes allowed and racing ABS. The Ferrari 458 Challenge supercar was equipped with the same engine as the standard car - a 570-horsepower 4.5-liter 8-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection. According to representatives of the Italian manufacturer, the racing Italia drove around the test track in Fiorano in 1.16.5 seconds - half a second faster than 599XX and almost two seconds faster than its predecessor - F430 Challenge.

To increase traction at low revs, the gear ratios of the F1 transmission equipped with double clutch were changed.

The suspension was modified accordingly: more "rigid" springs, aluminum bushings, 19-inch wheels with central locking, increased size Pirelli tires, reduced by 30 mm fit.

The second, more progressive racing car, was introduced in 2011. The second racing Ferrari was also presented to the public - the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3.

The debut of this car also took place as part of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli event in parallel with the presentation of the mono-championship Ferrari 458 Challenge.

And as in the case of the Ferrari 458 Italia GT2, the Automobili Michelotto studio took an active part in the process of creating the GT3 version.

The car became a logical continuation of the Ferrari 458 Challenge. From global changes: another box, brake system, changed track, another engine control system, restrictors, the ability to adjust the wind tunnel.

The car was a little lighter and more powerful than the top version of the GT2. The return of the GT3 engine was 550 hp. at 9000 rpm The aerodynamics of the car were also slightly different from the GT2 and was completely original.

The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 has competed in numerous racing series, including the FIA ​​GT3 European Championship, the FIA ​​GT1 World Championship, the Blancpain Endurance Series, the International GT Open, and numerous other national races.