2026 Ferrari Challenge NA at Sonoma Raceway

Published on Sep 28, 2026. Event was held at Sonoma Raceway on Jul 22, 2026.

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Ferrari Challenge North America returned to Sonoma for its fifth round on July 22–26, 2026. The paddock brought together the championship’s four racing classes, Club Challenge lapping sessions, and Club Competizioni GT cars.

Saturday was the day to be there — with autograph sessions and a Patriots Jet Team flyby. I was there on Sunday instead, when it felt like there were only about 10 photographers around the track, and the paddock felt somewhat empty as well.

That morning some 10 drivers got stuck crossing the Golden Gate Bridge because of the SF Marathon, and the first qualifying session was pushed back by half an hour.

The four championship classes race in two groups: Trofeo Pirelli and Trofeo Pirelli Am share one race, while Coppa Shell and Coppa Shell Am share a separate race. Each class has its own results, podium, and championship points. All four use the same Ferrari 296 Challenge; the divisions reflect driver ability and experience.

Both races use staggered rolling starts: Pirelli Am rolls a little behind Pirelli, and Shell Am rolls a little behind Shell.

Ferrari’s Challenge Committee reviews each race entry and assigns the driver to one of the four competitive classes. The 2026 North American rules leave the criteria to the committee, without fixed lap-time cutoffs, experience requirements, or an FIA driver-rating formula for class placement. Every racer needs a current IMSA license and Ferrari’s approval. Classifications are typically reviewed after two events and can change during the season; sustained strong performance can also lead to promotion for the following season. Assignment and reassignment decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Trofeo Pirelli

Trofeo Pirelli is the highest competitive level, bringing together the quickest and most accomplished drivers in the Challenge field. It races on the same grid as Trofeo Pirelli Am, with the two classes scored separately. Its 296 Challenge has a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 690 hp and 740 Nm of torque, with no hybrid system, plus dedicated Pirelli slicks and carbon-ceramic racing brakes. The same specification serves all four classes, so a Pirelli entry’s distinguishing feature is the driver’s level.

The day ended for me with Johnny Kaminskey finishing first, a 15-second lead over second-place Roberto Perrina. Brad Fauvre of Ferrari of San Francisco finished third.

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Trofeo Pirelli Am

Trofeo Pirelli Am is the amateur division within the Pirelli field, for competitive drivers placed below the outright Pirelli category.

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Coppa Shell

Coppa Shell serves amateur and gentleman drivers at a lower competitive level than the Pirelli divisions, including experienced recreational racers. It races on the same grid as Coppa Shell Am, in a separate race from the two Pirelli classes, with Shell and Shell Am scored separately.

At the start of the second Coppa Shell race Charlie Menard (starting second, on the outside of the pole sitter) got the better launch, turned into T1 a few feet ahead of pole sitter Blake Rosser and, leaving him no room, gently touched his car and sent #113 into a spin.

Blake caught Kevin Orsini (#116), and both cars crashed into the barrier outside T1 which cased immediate red flag for the race. Kevin hit the barrier pretty hard, but both drivers were OK after the accident.

Based on the race results it doesn’t look like Charlie Menard got penalized for the move — in fact he won the race with a 6-second lead over Chuck Whittall.

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Coppa Shell Am

Coppa Shell Am is the most accessible competitive division, generally accommodating less experienced racers and amateurs at the lower end of the Challenge’s performance ladder. Coppa Shell Am drivers share the grid and race with Coppa Shell, competing for their own class results and championship points.

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Club Challenge

Club Challenge offers owners dedicated lapping sessions and driver development, with lap times and coaching helping them improve without entering the championship races. The Sonoma photos include the current 690 hp, 3.0-liter V6 296 Challenge and the previous-generation 488 Challenge, whose 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 661 hp.

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Ferrari 488 Challenge

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Ferrari 488 Challenge

Ferrari 296 Challenge

Club Competizioni GT

What can beat the engine noise of a twin-turbo V6 296 Challenge? Only the naturally aspirated V8 of a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3!

The Ferrari F430 GT sounded even better at Laguna Seca, but the Sonoma round didn’t feature any.

Club Competizioni GT is a non-competitive program for owners of Ferrari GT racing cars, supported by qualified technicians and instructors. Here, 296 GT3s share the track with naturally aspirated V8 458 Italia GT3s.

The 296 GT3 and 296 Challenge both use a non-hybrid, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, but they are built for different racing rules. The 296 Challenge produces 690 hp and uses a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, 19-inch wheels, and carbon-ceramic CCM-R Plus brake discs. The GT3’s quoted output is around 600 hp, subject to the BoP rules of each GT series. It uses a six-speed sequential gearbox, 18-inch wheels, and a chassis designed for adjustable setups and rapid bodywork repairs during endurance races. Its published dry weight is 1,250 kg, compared with 1,330 kg for the Challenge.