A DREAM FESTIVAL FOR ENTHUSIASTS OF FERRARI AND MASERATI

An exotic gathering of Ferraris and Maseratis from the UK and the Continent, in the biggest assembly of these Italian thoroughbreds ever seen in the UK, will take place at Brands Hatch race circuit this summer.

The 2002 'Ferrari Maserati Festival' will provide a spectacular weekend of racing and displays to celebrate the two famous Italian marques. Dedicated to the current F1 Champions and to the illustrious Maserati brand, this event will take place at the Kent motor racing circuit over the weekend of 3 and 4 August.

It follows last year's successful inaugural Ferrari Festival which attracted over 30,000 spectators and more than 200 race cars to the circuit.

The weekend's racing will feature rounds of the European Ferrari 360 Challenge, the Shell Historic Ferrari Maserati Challenge, the Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge and the FIA Thoroughbred Grand Prix Cars.

Formula One fans will be able to witness demonstrations on the track by the 1999 ex-Michael Schumacher Ferrari F399 F1 car, and Veloqx Motorsport's Ferrari 360 N/GT cars, driven by race drivers Calum Lockie and Jamie Davies. A special guest at the Festival will be ex-Ferrari F1 driver, Ivan Capelli.

The weekend theme will not be confined to the famous Italian sports cars - for there will be displays by the Red Arrows aerobatic display team on the Sunday and the Red Devils parachute display team on both Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a cavalcade featuring the latest entrants to the high performance GT car segment, the Maserati Coupe and Spyder. Maserati now operates as a sister company to Ferrari.

In addition to this incredible weekend of entertainment, a unique musical event will take place at Brands Hatch to coincide with the Festival. A concert, featuring a very special guest of Ferrari and his band, will take place on the Saturday evening along with a show by Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

Richard Mackay, Managing Director of Maranello Concessionaires Limited, distributor of Ferrari and Maserati in the UK, said: "This Festival will be a Ferrari and Maserati enthusiast's dream with hundreds of cars racing on the track and on display in the paddock. The concert on Saturday evening will add a new dimension to this memorable event, and is sure to be a sell-out.

"These two marques enjoy enormous popularity in this country and we know the success of last year's Festival will be exceeded this year," he added.

Further details on the event and information on tickets are available from the following places:

· Race meeting only (£20.00 for a weekend pass): Octagon Motorsports on 01327 850235.
· Race meeting and concert (£45.00): Wembley Ticket Office on 0870 730 0360.

Ferrari and Maserati customers can obtain further details on special hospitality packages, including weekend circuit passes and concert tickets, from authorised dealers or from the Ferrari Owners' Club.