TCR NoScope Mugello 500 - Announcement

Mugello Autodromo Internazionale,
Hidden in the Tuscany hills of Italy’s Central Coast, this 5.2km (3.25mi), 15 corner ribbon of Tarmac is Italy’s unsung hero. With elevation changes, fast and slow corners, difficult ripple strips and close walls, it is a very technical track by any standard. In 2012, Mark Webber hailed it as an astonishing track and was pleased to do 10, clean laps of the circuit, comparing it to 1000 laps of the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina GP track. Sebastian Vettel also praised it highly, calling it one of the greatest race tracks in the world, yet sadden by its absence from the Formula 1 Calendar.

And this, is where TORA is headed.

On April the 4th 2015, TORA will be heading to the Mugello Circuit for a 500 mile (800km) endurance race around the infamous Italian track. Drivers will take turns completing in 3 38 lap stints and 1 final 40 lap stint, as a privateer or with team mates to complete the 500 miles as quick as possible. Best overall time wins.

The cars are possibly the best part.

What would a great Italian race be without an even better Italian car. The Ferrari 355 Challenge. The F355C is a sports car built by Ferrari from May 1994 to 1999. It is an evolution of the Ferrari 348 and was replaced by the Ferrari 360. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered two-seat coupe, targa, or convertible. Design emphasis for the F355 was placed on significantly improved performance, as well as drivability across a wider range of speeds and in different environments. In 1995 Ferrari introduced a race ready F355 Challenge model for use specifically in the Ferrari Challenge. The Ferrari F355 Challenge model was created by starting with a standard Ferrari F355 Berlinetta model and modifying it with a $30,000 factory-to-dealer supplied kit. The initial 1996 cars came with cage mounts factory fitted and carpets removed, each year the cars arrived with more and more race parts factory fitted, culminating in the 1998 full evolution cars which were supplied as virtually complete race cars though parts such as the rear wing still needed to be fitted.

We can’t let the Ferrari race alone right? That would be ridicolo. Partnering the Italian Prancing Horse will be something out of a town called Norfolk, in Britain. Between 1976 and 2004, Lotus built one of their most famous cars, the Esprite. In 1996 the Esprit V8 used Lotus' self-developed all-aluminum, twin-turbocharged (Garrett T25/60 turbos) 90-degree V8, Code-named Type 918, in front of the same Renault transmission as before with no Chargecooler. Derek Bell developed an uprated gearbox that overcame a lot of the gearbox problems with a much thicker single piece input shaft. The Type 918 engine was detuned from a potential 500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS) to 350 bhp (261 kW; 355 PS) to prevent gearbox damage due to the fragility of the Renault UN-1 transmission. In period tests, zero to sixty miles per hour came in at 4.4 seconds and top speeds of over 175 mph (282 km/h) were achieved.

With both cars balanced evenly and with lap times just tipping the 2 minute mark, the racing is set to be intense, close and never dying. We hope to see you all there, in the stands, in the pits or in the cars for 500 miles of fantastic racing, in fantastic cars at a fantastic, technical circuit.