Yahoo Autos Companc fights for first overall Ferrari Challenge win in Montreal
Wet conditions fell over Montreal for Ferrari Challenge North America Race 2 on Sunday, but did little to hinder drivers’ ambitions for a victory or podium on the big stage of the Canadian Grand Prix — and as the 2024 season officially reached its halfway point.
Watch video highlights below:
Trofeo Pirelli
Matias Perez Companc (Ferrari of Central Florida) advanced to the top-tier Trofeo Pirelli class this weekend in Montreal, previous running in Trofeo Pirelli Am the past two events, and quickly found success on Sunday with an overall victory.
After earning pole position, Companc was overtaken before the green flag by Dylan Medler (The Collection), who led the majority of the race but was assessed a 15-second time penalty for his actions at the start. Despite Medler’s looming penalty, Companc still fought back to ensure he crossed the finish line first and passed Medler with five minutes remaining.
Medler’s deduction would have proved less costly if not for a race-ending yellow flag, which dropped him to sixth-in-class after winning Race 1 less than 24 hours earlier. Roberto Perrina (Ferrari of Seattle) finished second and hometown hero, Martin Burrowes (Ferrari of Quebec), finished third on the podium after a runner-up finish on Saturday.
In Trofeo Pirelli Am, it was Tony Davis (Continental AutoSports) coming away with a weekend sweep in Montreal after his first victory of the season the day prior. While Davis’ race was fairly uneventful, championship leader Brian Cook (Ferrari of Seattle) looked to bounce back from a DNF on Saturday by starting second, but met the same fate on Sunday after an early spin in the wet conditions.
Omar Balkissoon (Ferrari of Fort Lauderdale) mirrored his performance in Race 1 with another second-place result, while Brandon Kruse (Ferrari of Central Florida) finished third-in-class.
Coppa Shell
The Coppa Shell class saw some of its best driving of the season on Sunday, with race winner Robert McWilliams (Ferrari of Washington) and others pulling off impressive maneuvers to advance throughout the race. McWilliams managed a double pass on polesitter Sureel Choksi (Ferrari of Denver) and a competitor from Trofeo Pirelli Am to solidify his position in the lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Choksi – looking to rebound from an unfortunate Race 1, Turn 1 incident on Saturday – attempted to hold on to second place. However, Chuck Whittal (Ferrari of Central Florida) flew from fifth at the start to Choksi’s bumper by the halfway point. Whittal made the pass to clinch his second runner-up finish of the weekend, while Choksi welcomed a return to the podium in third.
In Coppa Shell Am, Steve Check (Ferrari of Rancho Mirage) stood his ground to capture his second win of the season. Polesitter and Race 1 winner Darren Bernstein (Ferrari of Washington) fell off at the start of the race, leaving Check and Roger Monteforte (Ferrari of Central New Jersey) to duel for the lead. The two bumped door-to-door and Monteforte momentarily gained the lead, but Check ultimately battled back for the win.
Bernstein reclaimed second place by the race’s end, and Monteforte crossed the finish line third.
New York bound
Ferrari Challenge North America will not need to travel far for its next doubleheader, which takes place at Watkins Glen International on July 10-14. This will mark the series’ return to Upstate New York for the first time since 2022, and the 488 Challenge Evo classes will once again reunite with Trofeo Pirelli and Coppa Shell. Three events remain for the three categories in 2024 and all races, including replays from this weekend in Montreal, are available on the Ferrari YouTube channel.
