Pro Drifting Ferrari | Federico Sceriffo | Formula Drift

Motorsports has been an international passion since its inception well over a century ago, from the high banks of a famous super speedway in the middle of the United States to the remote areas of the Far East. Racers speak their own language with the machines they pilot. So when an Italian-born drift driver began searching for solutions to make his pro-drift Ferrari better, he walked through the door of FuelTech, an international technology company that specializes in motorsports. At that moment the two groups shared an instant connection before a word was even spoken. That is the quick way to sum up the relationship between Formula Drift competitor Federico Sceriffo and Anderson Dick, founder and CEO of FuelTech. Beyond the tech solutions for Sceriffo’s Ferrari, the fun-loving attitudes of both parties also made it the ideal partnership that is sure to last a lifetime.

This is the first part of a series of stories that show the collaboration between Sceriffo and FuelTech as they work together to push his Ferrari to the top of the drifting world. The groups will eventually shed the nitrous and make a push into a turbocharged combination, much like one FuelTech’s custom turbocharged Ferrari project vehicle. The Ferrari V-12 is a complicated engine platform and it caught FuelTech’s attention as a great way to show off the capabilities of an FT600 engine management system. The highly inclusive ECU offers sequential injection and ignition, O2 Closed Loop, data logger, delay box, Boost Controller, Nitrous Controller, GearControl, and full power management capabilities. Many of those same features are also standard in the FT550, FT550 LITE, and FT450.

One advantage of having the ECU handle all those systems is the ability to cross-reference the data with FTManager software on a single computer screen, helping the tuner make educated decisions in an organized and efficient manner. Additionally, the FT600, FT550, and FT450 have a customizable digital display for the driver and the anti-glare TFT touchscreen offers the ability to make adjustments without hooking up a PC computer. It offers driver feedback in real-time, which also simplifies Sceriffo’s cockpit with a single digital panel and eliminates the need for gauges.

The colorful Ferrari produced impressive final results with 870 whp on nitrous and 650 whp in naturally aspirated trim. The engine benefits from an E85 conversion, exhaust upgrades, and the aforementioned nitrous system. All testing was conducted on FuelTech’s Mainline Hub Dyno.

If you’re wondering how an Italian drifter ended up on the shores of the United States, the story began back in 2005 when Sceriffo transitioned from rally car racing to the then-new drift motorsport scene. He was certainly the first known Italian to make a high-level move into the sport and one of the early pioneers on the drift scene in Europe. His popularity and thirst to face the best brought him the Far East, to Japan, so he could learn more as a driver and expose himself to the roots of the sport. The United States and its Formula Drift series is the final frontier for the international driver as he competes in the world-famous series.

From the raw power of outlaw drag racing to the high-tech Ferrari V-12 in the drift curves, there is a reason you’re seeing #FuelTechEverywhere