The Project

The sports car racing division of the Care Group was created in 2000 to undertake the development, production, sale and racing of sports cars.

The project began with a partnership with Prodrive in the UK for the development of the racing version of the Ferrari 550 Maranello to compete in the FIA and ALMS Championships.

The objective of Care Racing Development is to provide racing teams, professional and gentlemen drivers who are sports car enthusiasts with a powerful, proven GT/GTS race car to use in various championships in Europe, USA and Asia and able to meet sponsors and collectors’ expectations.

In 2001, despite starting midway through the FIA GT Championship, the F550 GTS achieved outstanding results. Out of five races, the car claimed two victories, in Austria and Spain, and a third place at the Nurburgring.

In 2002, two racing agreements were concluded. The first was with BMS Scuderia Italia to race two cars in the FIA GT Championship, and the second was with Prodrive to take a F550 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, as well as four rounds of the American Le Mans Series.

The objective of introducing the Ferrari Maranello GTS to the US market was more than met as the car claimed one class victory, two seconds and a third place in just four rounds of the ALMS.

In 2003, the project enjoyed a very successful year and the Care Racing Ferraris really made their mark on the international sportscar scene. BMS Scuderia Italia operated 3 cars in the FIA GT Championship, one of behalf of Care Racing, and won almost everything in sight – 8 GT victories out of 10 on the way to both Teams’ and Drivers’ titles.

A link between Veloqx Motorsport and Prodrive for Sebring and Le Mans paid handsome dividends when Veloqx Prodrive Racing comprehensively outclassed the GTS competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to take the winners’ laurels. Prodrive Ferrari also brought alive the ALMS races with the performance of two 550s, winning the last four races of the season including the prestigious Petit Le Mans.

An additional partnership for 2003 with Solution F was also a highlight – particularly for Care Racing’s Frédéric Dor. He was one of the team of drivers, along with Luc Alphand and Jérôme Policand, who competed at Le Mans alongside the Veloqx Prodrive Ferraris, finishing a very creditable 5th in class.

In 2004, and with 3 cars in the FIA GT Championship, BMS once again claimed both Drivers' and Teams' Championship titles. A Prodrive Ferrari returned to Le Mans with a driver line up which included former World Rally Champion Colin McRae and they finished 3rd in their class.. Larbre Competition joined them at Le Mans, on top of their racing in the FFSA French GT Series and the Le Mans Endurance Series. Larbre won every round of the Le Mans Endurance Series GTS class and took more points than any other team in the Series. Hitotsuyama Racing also introduced the Ferrari 550 to the Japanese GT Championship.

2005 saw the widest distribution to date of the Care Racing Ferrari 550;

Italian team BMS came 1st and 2nd overall in the GT1 category of the LMES championship, as well as 1st and 3rd overall in the Italian GT championship with an outstanding 9 victories and 23 podium finishes.

British team Cirtek, supported respectively by Russian Age Racing and Convers Bank participated in both the FIA GT Championship and in the LMES, where it achieved 3 podium finishes and claimed 3rd overall place in the GT1 category.

Hitotsuyama Racing continued to race in the newly-renamed Japan Super GT Championship.

Larbre Compétition took 3 victories, 6 podium finishes and the overall drivers' championship in the FIA GT with Gabriel Gardel, after an intense battle with the factory-backed Maseratis. In the FFSA, Larbre won 2 races and finished second overall in the championship with a total of 7 podium finishes.

Finally, the Czech Menx team participated in the LMES for the first time, claiming one GT1 class victory and 2 podium finishes, and were 4th overall in the championship.

2006 should prove to be just as exciting with the return of several key players.

Menx, supported by Convers Bank, will race in the renamed Le Mans Series, as well as make their debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Larbre Compétition will return to the French FFSA GT Championship, as well as a couple of rounds of the FIA GT Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Cirtek Racing, under the banner of Russian Age Racing will participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Finally, Hitotsuyama Racing have decided to run in the brand new Japan Le Mans Challenge.

Looking to 2007, Care Racing Development will once again set its sights on the Le Mans Series, and will also be focussing on increasing the exposure of the Ferrari 550 in the various national GT championships such as the French FFSA GT, the Italian GT and Spanish GT Championships.