EUROINTERNATIONAL JOIN FORCES WITH CORINITHIANS FOR SUPERLEAGUE
FORMULA
Brazilian Superleague Formula football club Corinthians
have joined forces with the experienced trans-Atlantic race
team Eurointernational for its inaugural 2008 championship
assault.
Corinthians unveiled their black and white-liveried Superleague
Formula entry in Sao Paulo last month and have now finalised
a deal with Eurointernational team boss, Antonio Ferrari.
In addition to its Superleague Formula efforts, Eurointernational
will run cars in Formula BMW competition in both the US and
Europe this year, plus the US-based Atlantic Championship.
With bases in Italy and Indianapolis, Eurointernational began
in the US CART Championship in 1989 and has gone on to compete
in IMSA sportscar racing, the Indy 500, Indy Racing League,
US Formula 3, Eurocup Formula Renault Championship, Eurocup
Formula Renault V6, US Formula Renault 2000, World Series
by Renault as well as Formula BMW in both Europe and the US.
“Looking at the technical specifications of the car
and the format for the weekend, this is very much a championship
for drivers,” Ferrari said.
“You are going to need very professional and capable
pilots. It is a very challenging car to drive and having a
reverse grid will certainly provide a lot of excitement.
“It is also important to have very high quality race
teams because the Superleague Formula machine is a very serious
race car.
“At Eurointernational, we have been building up for
this championship since November last year and we are greatly
looking forward to it.”
Since its debut in 1989, Eurointernational has contested
313 events across the globe, scoring 49 wins and a total of
103 podium finishes. The squad has also recorded ten team
championships and six driver’s titles.
While Ferrari’s squad has been successful in international
motorsport, the Italian actually had his sights set on a football
career when he was a young man.
“I have always been a huge football fan and played
at a semi-professional level in the fourth division in Italy
when I was 18,” Ferrari said.
“Unfortunately, I got badly injured when I got kicked
in the head and spent six months in hospital - that was the
end of my football career. After that I headed to university
to study mechanical engineering and that led to motor racing.
“I have always been a big Juventus fan, but now obviously
I am a big Corinthians fan as well.”
The Brazilian inter-championship rivalry between Corinthians
and the Rio-based Flamengo is set to be a highlight of the
Superleague Formula championship. Ferrari is aware of the
weight of expectation from the Sao Paulo Corinthians community.
“When I was at the launch in Brazil at Corinthians
I could feel the fans have the same level of passion as they
do in Italy,” Ferrari said.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility to the fans
because they want to succeed, and of course Ayrton Senna was
a big Corinthians fan.”
Corinthians and Flamengo are set to do battle in Superleague
Formula with 20 other leading international football clubs
including AC Milan, FC Porto, Olympiacos, PSV Eindhoven, Borussia
Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht, FC Basel, Galatasaray SK, and Sevilla.
The 750 horsepower, V-12 powered Superleague Formula car
debuted at Donington Park in the UK recently and is due to
continue testing at Circuito Monteblanco in Spain after Easter.
|
