Centenari Mac3

Last updated
Centenari Mac3
Category CN
Constructor Centenari Racing SRL
SuccessorCentenari MG3
Technical specifications
Engine Alfa Romeo 2,959 cc (180.6 cu in) V6 naturally-aspirated mid-engined
Tyres Pirelli
Competition history
Notable entrants Centenari Racing SRL
Notable drivers Xavier Pompidou
Giovanna Amati
Marco Lucchinelli
Debut 1998 1000 km of Monza

The Centenari Mac3 was a Le Mans Prototype, originally built by Centenari in 1998 for the CN category of the International Sports Racing Series. It was updated in 2006, and the new version was renamed as the MG3. Both cars used the same naturally-aspirated 3.0 L Alfa Romeo V6 engine. The Mac3, in conjunction with the older M1 model, helped Centenari to take joint-second in the 1998 International Sports Racing Series CN Team's Championship.

Le Mans Prototype sportscar endurance racing class

A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were created by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The technical requirements for an LMP include bodywork covering all mechanical elements of the car.

Centenari Racing SRL, usually referred to as Centenari, was an Italian racing team and chassis constructor company based in Italy, predominantly building sports prototypes. The team were active in international events between 1997 and 2006, having started off in national events in 1991.

Alfa Romeo Italian automotive manufacturer

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian luxury car manufacturer, founded by Frenchman Alexandre Darracq as A.L.F.A. on 24 June 1910, in Milan. The brand is known for sporty vehicles and has been involved in car racing since 1911.

Contents

History

1998

For 1998, Centenari developed a new car for the International Sports Racing Series (ISRS) – the Mac3 – and the team expanded to a two-car effort, with the older M1 being retained. The team started their season at the 1000 km Monza, which was part of the GT Italian Challenge and the Challenge Endurance Italia, with Loic Depailler, Xavier Pompidou, Giovanna Amati and Marco Lucchinelli driving the new Mac3, and Merzario, Giovanni Li Calzi, Robin Donovan and Fulvio Ballabio driving the older M1. [1] Although the two cars were qualified in seventh and twelfth respectively, [2] neither car had a successful race; the Mac3 didn't make the start, and the M1 retired after 73 laps. [3] The Mac3 did, however, finish sixth in the ISRS season opener at Paul Ricard; both Centenaris were classified in the CN category, and they were the only cars in that category to finish the race. [4] This was followed by a ninth overall finish (second in the CN class) for the Mac3 at Brno. [5] For Misano, Centenari entered three cars; two M1s, and a Mac3. Both M1s retired, but the Mac3 finished twelfth, and fifth in class. [6] At Donington Park, the Mac3 completed too few laps to be classified. [7] Anderstorp saw the Mac3's gearbox fail after 31 laps. [8] Nürburgring saw the Mac3 finish in twelfth place overall; however, this was the second-to-last position in the CN class (the M1, which finished in thirteenth overall, was last in class). [9] At the penultimate round at Le Mans, the Mac3 finished tenth overall and second in class. [10] A Mac3 was then used in the Hockenheim round of the Internationales FRC Rennen by G. Gomez, but was not classified. [11] The Mac3 was not entered in the ISRS season finale at Kyalami. [12] Centenari were classified joint-second in the CN Team's Championship, and eleventh overall, at the end of the ISRS season. [13]

Centenari M1

The Centenari M1 was a Le Mans Prototype, originally built by Centenari in 1991 for the Italian Prototype Championship. In 1997 and 1998, it was used in the SR2 and the CN category of the International Sports Racing Series. Two cars are known to have been built.

1000 km Monza endurance sports car event

The 1000 Kilometres of Monza was an endurance race, mainly for sports cars, which was held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.

Xavier Pompidou is a French racing driver.

1999-2001

Josef Pfyl and Joa Barbosa drove the Mac3 in multiple events in 1999. [14] Pfyl won twice, at Dijon on 3 April, [15] and at Varano on 2 May; [16] whilst Barbosa won at Dijon on 19 June. [17] Frederico Leone also entered a Mac3 that year, in a race at Hockenheim on 23 October, but did not finish. [18] Pfyl and "Gianfranco" were the main Mac3 drivers in 2000. [14] Pfyl's best finish was second in a race at Gurnigel on 10 September, [19] whilst "Gianfranco" won at Vallelunga on 2 April. [20] Luigi Francucci drove the Mac3 to 16th in a race at Misano on 22 October. [21] Centenari entered João Barbosa, Georg Paulin and Andrea Piccini in the Mac3 at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga, but retired after 53 laps. [22] In 2001, "Gianfranco", Pfyl and Walter Margelli were the car's most regular drivers; "Gianfranco"'s best finish was a fourth at Misano on 8 July, [23] Pfyl's was a second at Dijon on 15 April, [24] whilst Margelli's best finish was fourth at a race held on the Autodromo del Levante on 23 September. [25]

Autodromo Riccardo Paletti motorsport venue in Italy

Autodromo Riccardo Paletti is a motorsport race track near Varano in the Province of Parma, Italy. The track began as a small 550 m (0.34 mi) oval in 1969, and this was then expanded to a full 1.800 km (1.118 mi), 11 turn race track. This new layout was inaugurated officially on 26 March 1972.

ACI Vallelunga Circuit motorsport venue in Italy

The Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi is a racing circuit situated 32 km north of Rome, Italy, near Vallelunga of Campagnano. Vallelunga was built as a sand 1.8 km oval in 1959. From 1963 the circuit held the Rome Grand Prix, and in 1967 a new loop was added when the track became the property of the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI). Further refurbishment was undertaken in 1971. The track is named for the famous Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi.

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli motorsport track in Italy

The Misano World Circuit, also known as Marco Simoncelli Circuit is a race track located next to the town of Misano Adriatico in the frazione of Santa Monica. Originally designed in 1969 as a length of 3.488 kilometres (2.17 mi), it hosted its first event in 1972. In 1993, the track length was increased to 4.064 kilometres (2.53 mi).

2002-2005

In 2002, the Mac3 was entered in two rounds of the Interserie by Jo Zeller Racing. Classified as a Division 5 car and driven by Pfyl, it won its class (finishing fourth overall) in the first race it was entered in, the first race of the Most weekend, [26] and second in class, seventh overall, in the second race at Most. [27] Jo Zeller Racing entered the car again at the Hockenheimring round of the Interserie, with Pfyl finishing tenth overall (fourth in Group L) in race one, [28] and eighth in race two, third in Group L. [29]

Interserie is the name of a European-based motorsport series started in 1970 that allows for a wide variety of racing cars from various eras and series to compete with less limited rules than in other series.

Jo Zeller Racing is a Swiss motor racing team. It was founded in the early 1990s by Jo Zeller. Currently Jo Zeller Racing competes in the Remus F3 Cup. Jo Zeller always focussed on regional and continental championships in Germany and Europe.

Autodrom Most

Autodrom Most is a motorsport race track near Most in the northwest of the Czech Republic.

Motori di Carlotta entered the Mac3 at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga in 2005; the car, driven by Filippo Vita, Diego Borgese and Luigi De Luca, qualified in second place overall, [30] but retired from the race just after the two-hour mark, having completed 75 laps. [31]

2006-2007

Centenari Racing entered the 6 Hours of Vallelunga in 2006, with the Mac3 being updated to create the new MG3. The new car featured an Alfa Romeo engine, just like the M1 and Mac3, with Giovanni Mezzasalma and Giovanni Cassibba being employed to drive it. [32] Centenari finished thirteenth overall, and second in the CN4 class, having completed 182 laps in the race. [33]

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References

  1. ↑ "Monza 1000 Kilometres 1998 - Photo Gallery". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Monza 1000 Kilometres 1998 - Qualifying results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Monza 1000 Kilometres 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Paul Ricard 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  5. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Brno 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Misano 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Donington 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Anderstorp 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Nürburgring 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Le Mans 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Internationales FRC Rennen - GP Kurs Hockenheim - 1998-10-03". Euromontagna.com. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "International Sports Racing Series Kyalami 1998 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "FIA SCC - final positions and tables - 1998". World Sports Racing Prototypes. Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Centenari Mac3". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Dijon - 1999-04-03". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Varano - 1999-05-02". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Dijon - 1999-06-19". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Hockenheim - 1999-10-23". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Gurnigel 2000-09-10" . Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Vallelunga 2000-04-02" . Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  21. ↑ "Misano 2000-10-22" . Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "Vallelunga 6 Hours 2000 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Misano 2001-07-08". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Dijon-Prenois 2001-04-15". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  25. ↑ "Misano 2001-09-23". Euromontagna. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  26. ↑ "Interserie Most 2002 - Race 1 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  27. ↑ "Interserie Most 2002 - Race 2 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  28. ↑ "Interserie Hockenheim 2002 - Race 1 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  29. ↑ "Interserie Hockenheim 2002 - Race 2 results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  30. ↑ "Vallelunga 6 Hours 2005 - Photo gallery". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  31. ↑ "Vallelunga 6 Hours 2005 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  32. ↑ "Vallelunga 6 Hours 2006 - Photo gallery". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
  33. ↑ "Vallelunga 6 Hours 2006 - Race results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
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