Giuseppe F1
27th December 2008, 22:07
Stumbled across this old grandprix.com news story from January 2005.
Ive never seen any annoucements on this since - did it ever happen in any way, shape or form does anyone know??
Also below, a related story from italiaspeed.com :
--------------
http://www.italiaspeed.com/2005/motorsport/others/01/hpe/0701.html
08.01.2005 High Performance Engineering, a Modena-based engineering enterprise run by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, is currently developing engine technology for NASCAR application
High Performance Engineering (HPE), a Modena-based engineering enterprise run by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, is currently developing engine technology for NASCAR application.
Little actual concrete detail has emerged about either the scale or the ambitions of this exciting new project. However it is expected that at least one NASCAR team will use engines now being developed by HPE during the course of this coming year.
If this goes-ahead it would represent a major step, as European firms have found it extremely difficult to break into the tight-knit NASCAR scene, which is mostly located in a series of clusters around Charlotte, in North Carolina.
With NASCAR's engines at present being supplied by Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge, immediate speculation has to turn towards Chevrolet, which is owned by General Motors, themselves a Fiat Group shareholder, and through their Powertrain joint venture project with Fiat, now significantly embedded into the Italian engineering scene.
HPE, which is presently located in the very premises where Enzo Ferrari first set up his sportscar concern all those years ago, was founded by Piero in September 1998, with its first major, high-profile involvement coming through significant engineering input into the engines of the motorbikes raced by Ducati Corse.
Piero, born in 1945, has worked for his father's Ferrari concern pretty well all his life, and to this day remains the firm's only private shareholder, as well as holding a seat on the board. In recent years he was the prime mover in the Ferrari 333SP programme, a sports-prototype that went on to win several championships as well as taking outright victory at the legendary Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours.
The core activities of HPE today, which is actually 40 percent owned by Ducati, focuses mainly engineering design and engine development, as well as offering solutions in the area of 'Precision Methodologies'.
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA. Above: Alexandre Thiebault, Dario Calzavara, Piero Ferrari and Michele Lavetti pose with the SX2 during its March 2004 launch
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA. Above: Alexandre Thiebault, Dario Calzavara, Piero Ferrari and Michele Lavetti pose with the SX2 during its March 2004 launch
Piero Ferrari has worked for his father's sportscar concern pretty well all his life, and to this day remains the firm's only private shareholder, as well as holding a seat on the board
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
Their growing number of prestigious clients includes Ferrari Sport Management, Ferrari Industrial Management, Lombardini Motor, Piaggio Industries Air, Maserati, and I-TEA. Closely involved with HPE, which also presents solutions to "dynamics, flexibility and creating a powerful structure in the planning in field" is Ennio Askaris, who is widely known for his contribution to the Ferrari F50 project.
The last name on the list, I-TEA, is undoubtedly worthy of mention here, especially as HPE gained more prominence last year due to their close involvement with the new 'Terra Modena SX2' motorbike, which was publicly launched last March.
The 450cc bike was jointly developed by HPE, and a new company called I-TEA, (Iniziative Tecnologiche Applicate). Dario Calzavara, who worked alongside Piero Ferrari and Marco Piccinini at the heart of the Ferrari F1 team during the early 1980s, founded I-TEA in February 2003, to help with several new business start-ups, one of which is budding motorbike manufacturer, 'Terra Modena'.
Last year Terra Modena built around 35 of the new SX2 model bikes, race versions of which took to the racetrack immediately, and with success, across the world. This year up to 150 of the machines are expected to be built and sold as the company shifts production upwards to a 1,000 per year target in 2007.
HPE sum up their mission as follows: "The continual major importance attributed from HPE to the customer satisfaction generates a constant push towards investments in human resources and in instruments of calculation and simulation, to the aim of being able to offer a service, to an optimum level, that is professional, ever more and more qualified, all without but losing sight of the fundamental characteristics: dynamism - flexibility - passion."
For HPE to break into NASCAR circles, and prosper within the confines of their tightly controlled engine regulations, would be a significant achievement, and could turn out to be lucrative source of new earnings.
The huge popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, which draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage, could pave the way for the leading Italian sportscar maker's to become involved in this exciting arena, as they continue to seek ways to open up their share of this key market.
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns14060.html
JANUARY 7, 2005
Ferrari to enter NASCAR!
The latest word from Italy is that the NASCAR teams are sitting up and taking notice of some of the engine technology which is available now in Modena, Italy, and that High Performance Engineering, a company run by Piero Ferrari (Enzo's son) is to be developing engines for one of the NASCAR teams in 2005.
It is not clear which teams is involved but with engine development largely in the hands of the automobile manufacturers Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford it is likely that the work will be done for one of them. The most likely connection is with Chevrolet as there are links between General Motors and Fiat.
HPE is independent of FIAT but works for both Ferrari and Maserati, doing high-performance engine development work.
HPE is owned by Piero Ferrari but the Ducati company has a 40% share of the business. HPE, which is headquartered in the same building where Enzo Ferrari started the car company, has been responsible for some of the more interesting developments Ducati engine developments in recent years.
In 2003 the company joined forces with a company called Iniziative Tecnologiche Applicate, run by Dario Calzavara (a man who was once head of the Pirelli F1 programme) to build a motorcycle called the Terra Modena SX2 which featured a 450cc HPE engine, which was designed for racing and to attract customers for roadgoing versions of the bike.
NASCAR is big business in the United States but few European companies have been able to make money from the series as the US championship has an impressive infrastructure of its own, clustered around Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ive never seen any annoucements on this since - did it ever happen in any way, shape or form does anyone know??
Also below, a related story from italiaspeed.com :
--------------
http://www.italiaspeed.com/2005/motorsport/others/01/hpe/0701.html
08.01.2005 High Performance Engineering, a Modena-based engineering enterprise run by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, is currently developing engine technology for NASCAR application
High Performance Engineering (HPE), a Modena-based engineering enterprise run by Enzo Ferrari's son Piero, is currently developing engine technology for NASCAR application.
Little actual concrete detail has emerged about either the scale or the ambitions of this exciting new project. However it is expected that at least one NASCAR team will use engines now being developed by HPE during the course of this coming year.
If this goes-ahead it would represent a major step, as European firms have found it extremely difficult to break into the tight-knit NASCAR scene, which is mostly located in a series of clusters around Charlotte, in North Carolina.
With NASCAR's engines at present being supplied by Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge, immediate speculation has to turn towards Chevrolet, which is owned by General Motors, themselves a Fiat Group shareholder, and through their Powertrain joint venture project with Fiat, now significantly embedded into the Italian engineering scene.
HPE, which is presently located in the very premises where Enzo Ferrari first set up his sportscar concern all those years ago, was founded by Piero in September 1998, with its first major, high-profile involvement coming through significant engineering input into the engines of the motorbikes raced by Ducati Corse.
Piero, born in 1945, has worked for his father's Ferrari concern pretty well all his life, and to this day remains the firm's only private shareholder, as well as holding a seat on the board. In recent years he was the prime mover in the Ferrari 333SP programme, a sports-prototype that went on to win several championships as well as taking outright victory at the legendary Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours.
The core activities of HPE today, which is actually 40 percent owned by Ducati, focuses mainly engineering design and engine development, as well as offering solutions in the area of 'Precision Methodologies'.
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA. Above: Alexandre Thiebault, Dario Calzavara, Piero Ferrari and Michele Lavetti pose with the SX2 during its March 2004 launch
The Terra Modena SX2 motorbike was jointly developed by High Performance Engineering I-TEA. Above: Alexandre Thiebault, Dario Calzavara, Piero Ferrari and Michele Lavetti pose with the SX2 during its March 2004 launch
Piero Ferrari has worked for his father's sportscar concern pretty well all his life, and to this day remains the firm's only private shareholder, as well as holding a seat on the board
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
For High Performance Engineering to break into NASCAR circles would be a significant achievement. The popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage.
Their growing number of prestigious clients includes Ferrari Sport Management, Ferrari Industrial Management, Lombardini Motor, Piaggio Industries Air, Maserati, and I-TEA. Closely involved with HPE, which also presents solutions to "dynamics, flexibility and creating a powerful structure in the planning in field" is Ennio Askaris, who is widely known for his contribution to the Ferrari F50 project.
The last name on the list, I-TEA, is undoubtedly worthy of mention here, especially as HPE gained more prominence last year due to their close involvement with the new 'Terra Modena SX2' motorbike, which was publicly launched last March.
The 450cc bike was jointly developed by HPE, and a new company called I-TEA, (Iniziative Tecnologiche Applicate). Dario Calzavara, who worked alongside Piero Ferrari and Marco Piccinini at the heart of the Ferrari F1 team during the early 1980s, founded I-TEA in February 2003, to help with several new business start-ups, one of which is budding motorbike manufacturer, 'Terra Modena'.
Last year Terra Modena built around 35 of the new SX2 model bikes, race versions of which took to the racetrack immediately, and with success, across the world. This year up to 150 of the machines are expected to be built and sold as the company shifts production upwards to a 1,000 per year target in 2007.
HPE sum up their mission as follows: "The continual major importance attributed from HPE to the customer satisfaction generates a constant push towards investments in human resources and in instruments of calculation and simulation, to the aim of being able to offer a service, to an optimum level, that is professional, ever more and more qualified, all without but losing sight of the fundamental characteristics: dynamism - flexibility - passion."
For HPE to break into NASCAR circles, and prosper within the confines of their tightly controlled engine regulations, would be a significant achievement, and could turn out to be lucrative source of new earnings.
The huge popularity among Americans for this highly exciting branch of motor racing, which draws comfortably larger crowds than either the open wheel Champ Car or Indycar series' can manage, could pave the way for the leading Italian sportscar maker's to become involved in this exciting arena, as they continue to seek ways to open up their share of this key market.
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns14060.html
JANUARY 7, 2005
Ferrari to enter NASCAR!
The latest word from Italy is that the NASCAR teams are sitting up and taking notice of some of the engine technology which is available now in Modena, Italy, and that High Performance Engineering, a company run by Piero Ferrari (Enzo's son) is to be developing engines for one of the NASCAR teams in 2005.
It is not clear which teams is involved but with engine development largely in the hands of the automobile manufacturers Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford it is likely that the work will be done for one of them. The most likely connection is with Chevrolet as there are links between General Motors and Fiat.
HPE is independent of FIAT but works for both Ferrari and Maserati, doing high-performance engine development work.
HPE is owned by Piero Ferrari but the Ducati company has a 40% share of the business. HPE, which is headquartered in the same building where Enzo Ferrari started the car company, has been responsible for some of the more interesting developments Ducati engine developments in recent years.
In 2003 the company joined forces with a company called Iniziative Tecnologiche Applicate, run by Dario Calzavara (a man who was once head of the Pirelli F1 programme) to build a motorcycle called the Terra Modena SX2 which featured a 450cc HPE engine, which was designed for racing and to attract customers for roadgoing versions of the bike.
NASCAR is big business in the United States but few European companies have been able to make money from the series as the US championship has an impressive infrastructure of its own, clustered around Charlotte, North Carolina.