Ferrari 333 SP
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The Ferrari 333 SP was a sports prototype car originally built by Michelotto to World Sports Car regulations. Unveiled at the end of 1993, at the behest of amateur racer Gianpiero Moretti (owner of the MOMO auto parts business), the 333 SP marked Ferrari's official return to sports car racing after a 20 year absence. The car was built to compete in the IMSA Championship's new WSC class, which replaced the previous Group C-based GTP.
While the 333 SP was on its planning stages, Ferrari contracted Italian motor racing chassis manufacturer Dallara to develop the chassis and tub, leaving the maker to concentrate on the engine, a version of the V12 powerplant used in the 1992 Ferrari 412 Formula One car, enlarged to 4.0 L, with a power around 601 bhp (around 450 kW).
The car debuted in the third round of the 1994 IMSA Championship, at Road Atlanta, securing the first two places. Four cars were allocated to three teams, Euromotorsport, Momo Sports and Scandia. In the following round, at Lime Rock, the Italian car monopolized the podium, and would take three more wins until the end of the season. Still, by the end of the season, Ferrari were beaten by Oldsmobile to the makes championship, and Andy Evans was the best placed Ferrari driver at fifth.
In 1995, the 333 SP took its revenge, proving unreliable at the Daytona 24 Hours, but taking top honors at the Sebring 12 Hours, before securing another four wins. With the four cars taking more consistent results, Ferrari won the makes championship and Fermin Velez won the drivers title, with Mauro Baldi and Wayne Taylor taking third and fourth, respectively. The car also made its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but was never competitive in the French race, its best result a 6th spot in 1997.
The following year, the car was still competitive, and captured second place in the makes table (equal in points with winner Oldsmobile), as well as allowing ex-F1 driver Max Papis to score a final second place and Didier Theys a fourth in the drivers championship, even though the 333 won only two races. In 1997, the 333 won again at Sebring and took another four wins. However, the car was losing its competitiveness against the more modern Riley & Scott, and taking 4th, 5th and 6th in the drivers championship and second in the makes was the best it could with a four year old design.
In 1998, the car was slightly updated, and found new life in the International Sports Racing Series (later FIA Sportscar Championship), winning every race and scoring the championship's two top sports with the winners Emmanuel Collard and Vincenzo Sospiri and runners-up Didier Theys and Fredy Leinhard. In America, the car won three rounds in the IMSA Championship (including Sebring) and took Wayne Taylor to second in the final standings, as well as another makes vice-championship. In the rival USRRC Can-Am championship, the 333 SP finally managed to take the Daytona 24 Hours crown.
Starting from 1999, the car found its niche in the European races, as the newly-introduced American Le Mans Series no longer allowed the made-for-privateers Ferrari to strive against the factory teams attracted to the new series. The cars were consistently outclassed in the ALMS races, and in 2000 Doran Racing even fit a Judd engine in an attempt to stay competitive. However, across the Atlantic, the 333 SP was the car to own, and in 1999, Collard and Sospiri renewed the title, edging out Christian Pescatori, who won the followig year, with David Terrien, making it three championships in a row for the JMB Racing-entered Ferrari.
As the 333 SP became outdated in chassis, engine and aerodynamics, it gradually disappeared from international sports car racing. In 2001, no Ferrari prototype raced in the ALMS, although the Risi Competizione car made a few appearances in Grand Am, while in Europe, Marco Zadra won the FIA series but the 333 was no longer dominant. In 2002, the 333 was absent from the championship, but made a few appearances in the following year, powered by the Judd engine, at the hands of Giovanni Lavaggi's GLV-Brums team, its final appearance being at the 500 km of Monza.
