2003 American Le Mans Series

Ferrari introduced the 550 Maranello model in 1996, and production continued until 2002. A total of 3,083 units were built. Ferrari had not used the front engine rear drive layout design of the 550 since 1968 to 1973, when the Daytona was in production.

The competition version 550 uses a tubular steel space frame chassis with an aluminum roll cage. The car body was designed by Pininfarina and has a drag coefficient of 0.33. The roof and rear quarter panels are aluminum, and the rest of the vehicle is constructed of carbon fiber composite body panels. The car's overall length is 15 feet, 1 inch, width 6 feet, 5 inches, and wheelbase of 98.5 inches. The fuel tank capacity is 100 liters, which is 26.4 US gallons. The suspension is steel double A-arms with Moton multi-adjustable coil-over shock absorbers.

Powering the Ferrari is a V12 with four camshafts, four valves per cylinder and a displacement of 6 liters. The engine produces 585 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. Engine management is controlled by an EFI Euro 12 digital electronic fuel injection. The electronics also include Marelli Artax data acquisition and Bosch spark plugs. The drive train comprises a six-speed sequentially controlled Hewland SF-200 gearbox / transaxle. The Ferrari uses a titanium driveshaft by Pankl and a four-disc AP clutch. Stopping the 550 are Brembo carbon fiber brakes with six-piston calipers on the front and four-piston on the rear. The wheels on the front are 12 x 18 inches and 13 x 18 inches on the rear.

Ferrari 550 Maranello	2003 - Grand Touring Sport (GTS)
Chassis	Steel frame, aluminium roof and rear quarters, with all other bodywork panels in carbon fibre composite. Front engine/rear drive layout
Engine	Prodrive-designed V12, based on original Ferrari block. Dry sump, double overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder. To comply with regulations 2 x 31.2 mm air restrictors. Fuel tank capacity 100 litres
Capacity and Power	6 litre – Prodrive increased capacity from original 5500cc to 5853cc Horsepower - 600+ bhp @ 7000 rpm. Torque - 700+ Nm
Transmission	Xtrac 6-speed sequential gearbox longitudinally mounted at the rear axle
Clutch	AP carbon 3-plate
Suspension	Double wishbone front and rear. Adjustable front anti-roll bar and adjustable Koni dampers front and rear
Brakes	Front and rear – AP Racing with 6-pot callipers and 15” (375mm) vented carbon discs, brake balance adjustable by driver
Wheels	Prodrive-designed, OZ forged magnesium. Front 18” x 12”, rear 18” x 14”.
Dimensions	Length: 4610 mm Width: 1995 mm Wheelbase: 2500 mm Weight: 1100kg

The French team Red Racing was the first to enter a 550 in competition. Eventually, this model was developed to compete in the FIA GT Championship. Prodrive was the first team to enter a Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello in North America. They chose the final round of the 2001 American Le Mans Series at Road Atlanta. Prodrive is a motorsport and advanced engineering group based in England. It was founded in 1984 by Dave Richards and Ian Perry. The No. 88 Prodrive Ferrari was shared by Rickard Rydell and Peter Kox. The pair was gridded twentieth overall for the 1,000-mile contest and fifth in the GTS category. Unfortunately, the car retired on lap 103 due to an oil system failure.

The following year, Team Rafanelli, with backing from Olive Garden restaurants, campaigned the No. 0 Ferrari 550 Maranello in all ten rounds of the American Le Mans Series. The Ferrari was driven by Mimmo Schiattarella and Emanuele Naspetti. In longer races, they were joined by Johnny Cecotto. The team got off to an inauspicious start at Sebring, retiring after eleven laps. By mid-season, they were making progress but still could not match the pace of Corvette Racing. Their best results in 2002 were third-place finishes at Road America, the Grand Prix of Washington and Trois-Rivieres. The team finished fourth in the final GTS standings.

In round eight at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Team Olive Garden was joined by Prodrive cars prepared for Frederic Dor's Care Racing Development. The Olive Garden team faltered and retired early. Tomas Enge and Peter Kox drove the No. 33 Care Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello. They captured the GTS win. Their victory was made that much easier by the retirement of the two Corvette Racing entries. Care Racing competed in the next race at Miami and earned the final position on the class podium. In the finale at Road Atlanta, Kox and Enge were joined by Alain Menu and finished second at Petit Le Mans.

2003 would see three Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello contending the nine-race American Le Mans Series for the GTS title. Two of the cars were from the Care Racing stable, and the final 550 was entered by Team Olive Garden. The season's opening race was held at Sebring International Raceway. The top-finishing Ferrari was the No. 80 Care Racing, driven by Darren Turner, Anthony Davidson, and Kelvin Burt, which started second in GTS. They took the checkered flag second in class. The other two Ferraris retired.

The next event was at Road Atlanta, the first of two stops at this facility. Corvette Racing captured their second victory of the season. The No. 88 Care Racing, shared by Peter Kox and Tomas Enge, was second, with their counterparts Jerome Policand and Danica Patrick finishing fourth. Emanuele Naspetti and Mimmo Schiattarella from Team Olive Garden finished twenty-eighth overall and last in GTS. The series traveled to the West Coast for round three at Infineon Raceway. Corvette Racing made it three in a row and their first one-two result of 2003. Prodrive finished third and fourth, with Olive Garden at a distant fifth in GTS.

Corvette Racing kept their streak alive with victories in Canada at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres and Mosport International Raceway. Team Olive Garden had their best result of the year, a third at Trois-Rivieres, while Care Racing struggled. Care Racing bounced back at Mosport with second and third-place finishes. Ferrari's fortunes changed in race six at Road America. Drivers Jan Magnussen and David Brabham grabbed the GTS victory in the No. 88 Care Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello. Their teammates Tomas Enge and Peter Kox captured the final spot on the rostrum.

A second West Coast trip saw teams competing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Brabham and Magnussen scored their second consecutive victory by a one-lap margin over the Corvette of Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell. Team Olive Garden netted fourth place, while the other Care Racing Ferrari was disqualified due to an illegal air intake. The penultimate round of the 2003 American Le Mans Series was held in Miami. Brabham took his second consecutive win in the No. 80 Ferrari but was partnered with Darren Turner. The 550s swept the podium.

The nine-race championship ended with Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Care Racing entered three cars. The No. 88 Ferrari was shared by Alain Menu, Peter Kox, and Tomas Enge. They started fourteenth overall and won the GTS category. David Brabham, Anthony Davidson and Jan Magnussen were gridded twelfth for the 1,000-mile contest and chased their teammates to a runner-up result. The No. 08 Care Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello was piloted by Jan Lammers, Jerome Policand and Frederic Dor, who finished fourth in class. The Olive Garden Ferrari, driven by Emanuele Naspetti and Joel Camathias, retired early.

In the end, Corvette Racing secured the GTS title with five victories. However, the addition of the Ferraris was their biggest challenge in a couple of years. The Prodrive / Care Racing Development effort finished second in the championship with four wins – all of which came at the season's final races. Team Rafanelli / Olive Garden was third in the final standings.

At the end of 2003, Care Racing Development and Team Rafanelli withdrew from the American Le Mans Series. Corvette Racing returned and collected another GTS championship by a comfortable margin. Barron Connor Racing entered a Ferrari 575 GTC Maranello in the 12-Hours of Sebring but didn't compete in the remainder of the series.

**2003 - 12-HOURS of SEBRING**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	80	Darren Turner Kelvin Burt Anthony Davidson	GTS	316	11	2
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox Jamie Davies	GTS	245	33	6
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella Johnny Cecotto	GTS	59	45	8

**2003 - ROAD ATLANTA**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	118	8	2
	Care Racing	80	Jerome Policand Danica Patrick	GTS	115	10	4
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	92	28	5

**2003 - INFINEON RACEWAY**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen	GTS	96	10	3
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	94	12	4
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	90	22	5

**2003 - TROIS-RIVIERES**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	157	8	3
	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen	GTS	152	13	4
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	115	20	5

**2003 - MOSPORT**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	112	5	2
	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen	GTS	111	6	3
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	106	8	4

**2003 - ROAD AMERICA**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen	GTS	75	4	1
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	74	6	3
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	73	8	4

**2003 - LAGUNA SECA**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen	GTS	113	6	1
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Bill Auberlen	GTS	110	10	4
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	113	34	DSQ

**2003 - MIAMI**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Darren Turner	GTS	154	4	1
	Care Racing	88	Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	154	5	2
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Mimmo Schiattarella	GTS	145	15	3

**2003 - ROAD ATLANTA**
YEAR	ENTRANT	NO.	DRIVER	CLASS	LAPS	POS.	CLASS POS.
2003	Care Racing	88	Alain Menu Tomas Enge Peter Kox	GTS	375	5	1
	Care Racing	80	David Brabham Jan Magnussen Anthony Davidson	GTS	375	6	2
	Care Racing	08	Jan Lammers Jerome Policand Federic Dor	GTS	375	6	2
	Team Olive Garden	0	Emanuele Naspetti Joel Camathias	GTS	28	35	7

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