CROFT CIRCUIT will be staging its own version of The Italian Job this weekend as the inaugural Ferrari UK Challenge Series heads to North Yorkshire for the latest event of its 2019 season.

Following rounds at Brands Hatch in May and Snetterton last month, Croft’s two-day event will be headlined by two feature races by the one-make V8 turbo charged Ferrari 488 Challenge series prior to the season finale at Silverstone in September.

This is the first time in the history of Ferrari that the brand has offered a one-make racing series outside of Italy.

The UK is the second oldest market for Ferrari, after the USA, with the first Ferrari cars brought into the UK by ex-Ferrari driver and World champion Mike Hawthorn in the late 1950s, before the official import of cars began in 1960.

This means there is a long and proud association with Ferrari and motorsport in the UK, which is also now the Prancing Horse’s second largest market worldwide for new cars.

This weekend’s racing will showcase all things Ferrari, and in addition to the Ferrari 488 Challenge UK Series, support action will come from the Ferrari Trofeo Pirelli Classic.

There will also be circuit and paddock displays across both days.

Qualifying gets underway at 9.30am this morning, with the first race starting at 2pm. Sunday’s action starts at midday, and adult admission is £16 on the gate, with an adult weekend ticket costing £27 if bought on the gate.

Accompanied children aged 15 and under will be admitted free on both days, and there is also free car parking and paddock access.

Meanwhile, there is now only a couple of weeks to go until the return of Croft’s popular Retro and Classic Weekend.

The weekend, which is organised by the Historic Sports Car Club, will be staged on the weekend of August 3-4, and feature a host of sideshows and musical acts to complement two days of track action.

Tickets are available now, with advance adult admission costing £12 on Saturday (£15 on the gate) and £15 in advance on Sunday (£18 on the gate).

An adult weekend ticket costs £24 in advance or £30 on the gate. Accompanied children aged 15 and under will be admitted free on both days.