The second edition of the Mugello Historic Festival takes place next weekend at the renowned Tuscan circuit. The event has attracted a very wide array of highly prestigious cars that have made motor racing history and is unique of its kind in Italy. The highpoint of the weekend will, of course, be the staging of the first round of the Shell Ferrari Historic Challenge 2008.

The championship is organised by Ferrari’s Corse Clienti (Client Racing) division and brings not only veteran and classic Ferraris but also equally legendary historic Alfa Romeos and Maseratis back to the track. Now on its 13th edition, the Historic Challenge is geographically split into two series (Europe and North America) and also into various categories based on production year and brake type (disc or drum). A total of 46 cars spanning over 40 years of sporting history between them will be taking part in the Mugello round: these range all the way from a 1937 Maserati 6CM to a 1981 512 BB LM with a 1963 and 1972 312 PB in between!

The event programme will also include the FIA Lurani Trophy, GP Masters, WSM Sportscars, GT and Sports Endurance Masters races as well as other competitions for 1970s prototypes and GTs.

There will be celebrations too for the 40th Anniversary of one of the most important Prancing Horse models ever built, the 365 GTB4, which was universally dubbed the Daytona to commemorate Ferrari’s fantastic one-two-three finish in the 1967 edition of the eponymous 24 Hour Race. Around 20 365 GTB4s will be retracing the road route of the Circuito delle Tre Provincie, the last race in which Enzo Ferrari competed as a driver, before parading into the Scarperia circuit on the Sunday.

The Historic Festival gets underway with free practice sessions and qualifying on Friday April 4th, then some more qualifying followed by the first races on Saturday April 5th while Sunday will be devoted entirely to racing. Admission is free for the public on Friday but an all-in ticket (field and paddock) for Saturday and Sunday costs 15 Euro (10 Euro concessions, under-14s free).