Ferrari knows that some of its clients take driving very seriously, to the point where they’d rather drive their 458 Italias or F430s on the racetrack than on the street. For these discriminating owners, Ferrari has created spec racing series for both the 458 and F430, rolled up under the Ferrari Challenge banner.

The Ferrari Challenge North America series kicks off its 2013 season in support of the 51st running of the Daytona 24 Hours, scheduled to begin on January 24, 2013. As in past seasons, the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli will allow Ferrari drivers of varying experience to compete head-to-head on racetracks around the globe.

In fact, the series has proven so popular that there are now four Ferrari Challenge series being run, including North America, Asia-Pacific, Italy and Europe. Drivers get the luxury of an “arrive and drive” series, since cars are stored, maintained and entered only by Ferrari dealers.

While the full 2013 Ferrari Challenge North America schedule has yet to be published, last year’s series included stops at tracks such as Lime Rock, Infineon Raceway and Laguna Seca, as well as temporary street circuits like St. Petersburg, Florida and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

For the 2013 season, North American events will continue to be run in conjunction with select Grand Am series race weekends. In 2014, it’s likely the Ferrari Challenge North America will carry over to support the newly-unified Grand Am and American Le Mans Series schedule.

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