Cavallino Classic brings Ferrari exotica to Miami’s exclusive new Concours Club track

The day was reserved for entrants to the Concorso and members of The Concours Club only. Participants enjoyed a day of driving fun with cars of various vintages around one of the most technologically-advanced circuits in the world.

“Cavallino is a terrific event with a great history and we’re happy to bring new life to it in Miami,” The Concours Club President Aaron Weiss told Motorsport.com. “Our membership has a great culture of Ferrari lovers and this event was perfect a perfect fit for us.”

Located within the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport, Concours Club members can drive the circuit at a moment’s notice or arrive by air and be at the starting line in minutes.

The two-mile track took two years to complete and offers seven different configurations, including a 2,100-foot front straightaway and a 46-foot wide driving surface.

The Concours Club boasts some of the most advanced track telemetry of any private course. One of the main calling cards is that there are no human flag marshals. Instead, The Concours Club employs a digital tracking system that representatives say is among the most accurate data gathering found on any track in the world.

Weiss added: “The Concours Club was born of the dream of our founder Neil Gehani who is a great motorsport enthusiast and Ferrari Challenge Am North America champion himself. Perhaps better than anyone else, he understands that key balance between the social side of amateur motorsport and our facility, and its proximity to Miami, reflects that interaction.

“His genius was finding this location, it’s like no other. Nobody else has been successful in building a motorsports country club within 30 minutes of a major metro area, and it allows us to have events like this that features casual attendees.”

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Weiss is also excited by the potential for the upcoming Miami Grand Prix to throw the spotlight further on to motorsport in the local area.

“F1 is going to be a game changer,” he said, “And you can see the Hard Rock stadium from our building – we’re so excited and big supporters of this race, and we’ll have our own hospitality suite onsite, the Concours Club Lounge, so we’ll be inside Turn 3 with all of our members. It’s going to be so great for our city.”

As well as a day of on-track excitement, Cavallino guests also enjoyed the luxury amenities of the resort and indulged in the exquisite cuisine of Verge, the restaurant curated by the club’s Culinary Director, chef Brad Kilgore.

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Following Thursday’s track day, almost 150 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic participants took the Tour d’Eleganza, with their Ferraris parading along the Ocean from Deerfield Beach to Palm Beach. The convoy was escorted by the police drove for about three hours, stopping along the way to enjoy some of the most iconic spots of the drive.

They stopped at the Four Seasons Resort of Palm Beach, a five-star hotel, and at the Sailfish Club of Florida, a staple of Palm Beach’s history. The destination of the tour was at The Breakers, where, after parking their Ferraris on the Brick Promenade, participants enjoyed a fabulous party under the stars by the Ocean Lawn.

The Breakers then hosted the Concorso d’Eleganza – celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Ferrari household with the special lineup of 75 Ferraris, one for each year.

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO

Photo by: Jorge A. Guasso

1964 Ferrari 250 GTO

Photo by: Jorge A. Guasso

Participants and guests had the opportunity as well to admire exclusive 250 GTO car models, displayed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of this legendary model that marked the history of Ferrari itself.

The Best of Show for the category Overall Outstanding Ferrari Gran Turismo was attributed to the wonderful 1966 365 P Speciale s/n 8971 driven by Roberto & Jami Quirroz. The car also won the People’s Choice Award, a new award with the winner chosen by the Concorso spectators.

The Best of Show for the category Overall Outstanding Ferrari Competition went to Aaron Hsu’s unique 1964 250 GTO s/n 5573 GT.

One of the most stunning cars on display was the Ferrari 333 SP, Chassis #1, which has just been restored by Michelotto.

Ferrari 333 SP

Photo by: Jorge A. Guasso

Ferrari 333 SP

Photo by: Jorge A. Guasso

The weekend concluded at Mar-a-Lago, the historic mansion built from 1924 to 1927, which hosted the Classic & Sports Sunday event.

It started with the presentation on the lawn of the many wonderful classic cars and Italian sports cars from the so-called Motor Valley, the Italian “land of speed”. The guests voted for the Peoples’ Choice Award, which has been given to Kevin J. Caulfield for its 1951 Ferrari 212 Export s/n 0108 E.

The day concluded with the much-anticipated Gala dinner with a totally new format, this year hosted by chef William, grandson of Enzo Ferrari’s personal cook, who came from Modena in honor of this special occasion. During the dinner, participants enjoyed traditional hand-made tortellini and other delicacies from Emilia-Romagna Region, the land of Motor Valley.

In the charity auction, a day at The Concours Club sold for $11k, with the first-ever issue of the Cavallino magazine going for $2100.