Classic Ferrari Racing Series roars into 2025 season at Donington Park

A Ferrari F355 Challenge in the open-paddock

Usually, you’d expect owners of rare, classic Ferraris to keep them tucked away under covers – pristine, polished, and protected from wear. But that’s not the ethos of the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain, who believe these cars were built to be driven on historic tracks.

That belief powers the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic (SFCC) series — the only championship in the world dedicated solely to racing pre-1999 Ferraris, including icons like the 308, 328, 348, and the formidable 355 Challenge.

The rules are refreshingly simple: if you own one of these classic machines, and you’ve got the nerve to drive it flat out, you’re welcome to join the grid.  That’s what sets the SFCC apart. It’s as much about preserving the cars as it is about celebrating their ability to perform.

Not Just for Show

The Ferrari F355 Challenge (#60) and the Ferrari 328 GTB (#34) on Starkey’s Straight

The 2025 season got off to a thunderous start at the Donington Historic Festival, where the classics weren’t just parked for admiration — they were wheel-to-wheel through Starkey’s Straight. It made you understand why the Ferrari brand is a timeless, household name.

This was not a classic car demonstration where they parade the circuit as a part of a rolling museum of classic Ferraris. The drivers I saw in the SFCC series pushed their cars to the best of their ability, and then some.  I watched a white Ferrari F355 Challenge spin out on the Melbourne Hairpin while taking the bend with three others. The moment summed it up perfectly – there’s pride on the line here, not just trophies.

A white Ferrari 355 Challenge (#8) taking the Melbourne Hairpin

A Community of Passionate Drivers

Many entries are owner-drivers, bringing a wealth of mechanical knowledge and personal investment to the grid. Between sessions, you could find drivers in the open paddock wiping down bodywork, discussing tricky turns on the circuit, or simply having a chat over a drink – a nice, serene atmosphere. 

When the visors go down and the engines fire up, however, these drivers push hard. Every overtake and every corner – it all matters more when it’s your pride and joy out there on track being pushed to its potential. It’s great to see these classic Ferraris showing their worth as symbols of motorsports heritage. 

A Ferrari 328 GTB (#67) avoiding the aftermath of the Ferrari 355 Spin-out

Each car had its own character – some were in pristine condition, appearing freshly restored. Others were wearing battle scars with pride. From behind my lens, I saw moments of precision, tactics and passion that you’d never get from a static display of these machines.

It’s no surprise that models such as the F335 were one of the dominants on track. Attaining lap times of around 1 minute 47 seconds, these cars were factory-built customer racing cars. They had stripped interiors, roll cages, and bespoke racing parts that made this model particularly attractive for racing. They are highly collectible machines – especially with documented race history. 

A Season of Circuits Still to Come

The only F355 Spyder at the event 

What makes this series especially exciting is that Donington Park was just the beginning for SFCC. The racing series continues across some of the UK’s most legendary venues, offering fans and followers the chance to see these cars tested in different environments of varying difficulty.

The SFCC will continue its 2025 series with stops at some of the UK’s most iconic circuits:

– Thruxton – 21^st-22^nd June 

– Oulton Park – 26^th-27^th July

– Brands Hatch – 10^TH August

– Castle Combe – 20^th-21^st September

Each circuit brings something different – not only in how the cars will perform, but also whether another model Ferrari can secure the win. Will the 355 Challenge cars dominate the series this year? Will the 335 Spyder, or even the 328 GTB, have an edge over a notoriously difficult track such as Oulton Park? It leaves you excited about the unpredictability combined with the shared admiration for the machinery under the chassis.

Why This Series Matters

A Yellow Ferrari 355 Challenge (#10) 

This is what I love most about the racing series – is that it’s ongoing. It’s not a one-off event in the year – there’s many opportunities to watch and experience the V8 engines roar through the circuit. As the series continues, we’re bound to witness more surprises, more rivalries, and more moments that remind us why Ferrari has such a firm grip on the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide. We’re not looking back at what these cars used to be, but what an impact they can still bring to the modern day of racing design.

For me, being trackside with a camera is about chasing moments that words can’t always capture. Examples include capturing the blur of Ferrari’s driving through the smoke that another car had left after spinning out at the Melbourne Hairpin. I’m not just photographing cars; I aim to document the adrenaline, commitment, and character in motion. There’s something raw and beautiful about catching a classic Ferrari right at the edge – the driver at full-focus, tires under heavy braking and exhausts flaring.

Experience the Magic for Yourself

A Ferrari 308 GTB being worked on in the open=paddock

I believe that if you’ve never been to a racetrack, the SFCC offers something rare: access to living history, in motion. It’s one thing to admire the work that goes into a Ferrari. It’s another thing entirely to hear one, smell one, and see one shooting down the straight at 120mph.

So, if you missed their appearance at the Donington Historic Festival, don’t worry. You’ve got four more chances this season to witness the Superperformance Ferrari Club Classic magic in person – and believe me, it’s worth it.

Story and photos by Sue Chan-Wyles.

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