VIN: the Giampiero Moretti Ferrari 333 SP chassis 004
History of chassis 004
Chassis 004 was the first 333 SP supplied to Giampiero Moretti, founder of the MOMO steering wheel company.
Moretti began his racing career in 1961 and, over the next few years, sporadically took in a variety of circuit races and hillclimbs in his native Italy. Moretti started to get more serious in 1969 when he acquired his own Porsche 910 and sometimes co-drove Corrado Manfredini’s 907.
During the next couple of seasons, Moretti was most frequently seen behind the wheel of Manfredini’s Ferrari 512 S and a Lola T212 which, in 1972, appeared under the MOMO Racing banner.
The success of the MOMO company (widely considered to manufacture the best sporting steering wheels in the business) enabled Moretti to race a variety of GT and Prototype cars for the next couple of decades. Throughout this time his rides included the De Tomaso Pantera Gr.4, Porsche 934, 935 and 962 plus machinery from March, Alba, Spice and Gebhardt.
With his Italian heritage and direct link to Ferrari, with whom he supplied steering wheels, it was little surprise that Moretti (who had been a key player in persuading Ferrari to build the 333 SP) ran one of the exciting new V12-engined cars for the ‘94 IMSA campaign.
The works-supported machine (leased from Ferrari North America) replaced a Nissan NPT-10 Moretti had raced during 1993. As usual, this latest mount would appear in MOMO’s trademark red and yellow livery.
To partner him, Moretti recruited Chilean ex-F1 and TWR driver, Eliseo Salazar, who came out of retirement to tackle the 1994 IMSA campaign.
The quartet of 333 SP Ferraris used during the ‘94 IMSA season first appeared in round three, the Road Atlanta 2 Hours, where Moretti and Salazar finished second behind Jay Cochran’s Euromotorsport entry.
Chassis 004 then secured a hat-trick of pole positions and race wins: Lime Rock, Watkins Glen and Indianapolis. The last three races of the year brought a trio of second place finishes at Laguna Seca, Portland and Phoenix in what had proved an excellent campaign.
For the 1995 season, Moretti ran a new Evoluzione spec. 333 SP (chassis 011).
Meanwhile, chassis 004 was sold to Remo Ferri who owned Ferrari of Toronto.
During the autumn of 1995, Ferri sold 004 to American investment fund manager, Andy Evans.
Evans acquired 004 for his own team, Scandia Engineering, which already had possession of chassis 003 and 010. During late 1995, chassis 004 appeared in Scandia livery at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and at the Texas Motor Speedway for the US launch of the Ferrari F50.
However, chassis 004 was destined never to race in Scandia trim. Instead, the car was loaned back to Giampiero Moretti for the 1996 IMSA season; Moretti wanted to run two cars that year and 004 was called up owing to a shortage of new Ferraris.
Having appeared at the pre-season Daytona text (where it went quickest), chassis 004 (now in Evoluzione trim) subsequently contested the opening seven races of the ‘96 season for which Moretti was partnered by upcoming Italian youngster, Max Papis (plus Didier Theys and Bob Wollek for the longer events).
In those seven outings, chassis 004 took four pole positions and three wins (at Road Atlanta, Lime Rock and Watkins Glen). There were also three second place finishes, a third and a seventh as 004 continued its unblemished record of never having yet posted a DNF.
Outside of its three wins in ‘96, 004 notably finished second at the Daytona 24 Hours and third in the Sebring 12 Hours.
Unfortunately, the race at Sears Point on July 14th proved to be 004’s last as, shortly afterwards, this extremely successful 333 SP was destroyed in an accident while testing at Mosport ahead of round eight.
Giampiero Moretti subsequently borrowed the tub from 005 (which was built up to MOMO Corse trim for the last three rounds of 1996) after which a brand new replacement was acquired for the 1997 season (which we refer to as 004 ‘B’ – covered separately).
Notable History
Giampiero Moretti (MOMO Corse), Milan
17/04/1994 IMS Road Atlanta 2 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
30/05/1994 IMS Lime Rock 2 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
26/06/1994 IMS Watkins Glen 3 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
10/07/1994 IMS Indianapolis 2 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
24/07/1994 IMS Laguna Seca 2 Hours (E. Salazar) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
07/08/1994 IMS Portland 2 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
01/10/1994 IMS Phoenix 2 Hours (G. Moretti / E. Salazar) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
Early 1995 sold to Remo Ferri (Ferrari of Toronto), Toronto
Late 1995 sold to Andy Evans (Scandia Engineering), Washington
10/1995 SEMA Motor Show, Las Vegas
12/1995 Texas Motor Speedway Ferrari F50 launch
Back to Moretti
04/02/1996 IMS Daytona 24 Hours (G. Moretti / B. Wollek / D. Theys / M. Papis) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
17/03/1996 IMS Sebring 12 Hours (G. Moretti / M. Papis / D. Theys) 3rd oa, 3rd WSC class (#30)
21/04/1996 IMS Road Atlanta 3 Hours (G. Moretti / M. Papis) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
05/05/1996 IMS Texas 500 mile (G. Moretti / M. Papis) 7th oa, 5th WSC class (#30)
27/05/1996 IMS Lime Rock 1 Hour 45 (G. Moretti / M. Papis) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
09/06/1996 IMS Watkins Glen 6 Hours (G. Moretti / M. Papis) 1st oa, 1st WSC class (#30)
14/07/1996 IMS Sears Point 3 Hours (G. Moretti / M. Papis) 2nd oa, 2nd WSC class (#30)
Wrecked on test at Mosport
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
