From the Crew - An Interview with Alan Woodard of Newport Imports

Alan Woodard is the Service manager at Newport Imports and acts as the dealership support team manager for the three 348 Challenge cars they sponsor. These include the #23 car of John Marconi, the #35 car of Priscilla (Bo) Moore, and the #13 car of Randy Mills. As of this writing, John Marconi is the points leader with two first and two second place finishes. The Southwest Region asked Alan a few questions about what it was like to travel to all the races in support of a 348 Challenge car:

FCA:

What does the dealership do for the cars you support?

Alan:

We do everything from installation of the Challenge kits to mechanical support of the cars before, after, and between races. Every Challenge car has to have a supporting dealer so there is a strong tie between the competitors, the dealers, and Ferrari.

FCA:

What are the Challenge kits like?

Alan:

The kits consist of a roll cage, racing harness, lightweight seats, shut off switches, brake ducts, fire bottle, emblems, and decals. It takes about 50 hours to install a kit and that involves removing carpeting, welding in brackets for the belts and cage, etc. Overall, it is a well designed kit but Ferrari is continually refining it. For example, we are working on installing some new cooling ducts on our cars right now because Ferrari realizes that Willow Springs at the end of July is going to be very hot on brakes and motor so they've updated the kit.

FCA:

What is your opinion of the cars?

Alan:

I think they're great. I've ridden around the track with John and others and the handling on the cars is astounding. The cars are pushed to the limits and beyond, entering drifts and breaking the rear end loose but they remain very predictable. If I were to buy a Ferrari, it would be a 348.

FCA:

What is your favorite aspect of the series?

Alan:

For me personally, it is getting together with the other dealers and Ferrari North America. The series has really brought the whole network closer together.

FCA:

What do you like least?

Alan:

Well, the series has a big impact on trying to run our service business. We send a lot of mechanics to the races so that we provide the best support we can for the cars but many of the races are back East so by the time you add travel time, we're gone for as many as four days. That puts a lot of pressure on the guys back home to keep up with our day-to-day business.

FCA:

How have the cars held up?

Alan: Quite well. There have been a few instances of electrical problems, especially one which causes one bank of cylinders to stop firing, but other than that the cars run real well.

FCA:

What about tires?

Alan:

Pirelli has made a special tire just for the 348 Challenge cars. It is a great tire and part of the deal is that they provide each car with two sets per race weekend. Additional sets can be purchased for $1,600 per set. Many people don't realize that the compound on the front is a D4 while the rear tires run a softer D1. Also of interest is that Pirelli brings all the tires into the US under a "temporary use permit" so we have to return them after we've chewed them up and then Pirelli sends them back to Italy. This helps avoid some import tariffs.

FCA:

How does Pirelli assist at the track?

Alan:

They have a whole crew of guys at every race. They pre-mount all the tires for all the cars and mark them with the car number, all we have to do is put them on. They also take tire temperatures for each car and recommend tire pressures. They work really hard all weekend and are really a big help (even though they only speak Italian).

FCA:

Is the 348 Challenge is a success?

Alan:

I think so. FNA and the FCA will learn from this year and next year should be even bigger and better - many people who wanted to get in this

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