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| The Inside Line: Nick Longhi |
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Longhi talks racing with Andy Lally in the paddock at VIR.
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TheRaceSite You drove a Ferrari 512M in the Le Mans classic a couple of years ago. Tell us about that. . . .
Longhi: I did the Le Mans classic in 2004 in the Ferrari 512M that Mark Donohue raced and that's a fantastic event. The crowds are incredible, even at the Classic event. The concept of downforce was still not completely understood at the time the 512M was built and it was a challenge to drive it at high speed on the Mulsanne straight. If you drive that car at reasonable speeds on American race tracks that are not that fast, the 512M feels very heavy to drive. It feels like a burly, loud and heavy car and it's very hot. At Le Mans, the car literally lifts up when you get going around 180-190mph. You really have to steer it when you're going that fast - it moves around and the door started coming open.
TheRaceSite Tell us about your involvement with the Ferrari Driving Experience and the FXX customer program.
Longhi: I've had a relationship with Ferrari for around ten years now, where I've coached drivers in the Ferrari Challenge series and also consult with Ferrari on the series, on the setting up of the series and the running of it. I also work on car introductions for them and was involved with Corse Clienti with the FXX program. It's been a great relationship. There are a lot of people at Ferrari that have interest in driver training because the cars are so fast, and that's sort of developed into what I am doing now. There are two official Ferrari driving schools in the world - one is at Modena in Italy and the other is at Mont Tremblant in Canada and the course is only open to Ferrari owners. The reason it is at Mont Tremblant is that we needed a great race track that also has high-quality facilities nearby. The village of Mont Tremblant is five minutes from the track and has a five-star hotel, which is a setting that you can't get anywhere else in North America. 2006 was our first year and we sold out in three months, and we're sold out for all of 2007 already, but Ferrari also does not want to risk lowering the quality of the training by making it bigger. The feedback we've had from the customers that have gone through it is that they are phenomenally happy. (for more information on the Ferrari Driving Experience, visit www.experienceferrari.com)
TheRaceSite You've spent a good deal of time in the Ferrari F430, which is also the car used at the Driving Experience. How is that car?
Longhi: I've driven most of the exotic sports cars that are being sold today and there's no doubt in my mind that the F430 is the single best sports car you can buy today. It's a very well-built car.
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