Milwaukee, Wis., (July 3, 2015) – When you arrive for the 11th annual Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d’ Elegance on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015, look for the crowd encircling a stunning vehicle. Chances are that crowd is checking out a Ferrari LaFerrari, owned by Chris Ruud of Racine, Wis.
A new vehicle, the LaFerrari won’t be competing for awards in the Concours d’ Elegance but will be part of the Ferrari Class gathered on the show grounds. The Ferrari class to be judged will include several classic Ferraris from the 1950s through the 1970s. Ruud will present the Best-in-Class, second- and third-place awards to the top three Ferraris in the competition during the Concours d’Elegance awards presentation Sunday afternoon, Aug. 23. More than 150 vehicles will be competing for top honors and class recognition according to Leon Flagg, chairman – The Masterpiece Ltd.
Of the 499 Ferrari LaFerrari models produced, Ruud’s pearlescent cream color is just one of two produced in that color. Most of the others are bright red, the more traditional color for Ferraris.
The LaFerrari supercar is a limited-production hybrid, with a V-12 engine coupled with an electric motor. Power output is just under 1,000 horsepower. Together with a vehicle weight of less than 3,000 pounds, this car has a top speed of 220 mph and is capable of reaching 60 mph in 2.7 seconds.
The LaFerrari is styled like a land-based fighter jet. Its interior is custom-fit for each owner, as it should be given a price tag of $1.5 million.
Ruud (left), a veteran Ferrari Challenge driver since 2006, began his racing career in the Ferrari 360 Challenge series after competing with BMWs in SCCA. He is part of the Ferrari Beverly Hills/Silicon Valley Team in the 458 Italia Challenge after being crowned Ferrari Challenge Champion in 2011 and 458 Italia Challenge Champion in 2014. Chris is a member of the Ferrari Corse Clienti group where he travels worldwide to drive some of his other race cars such as the 599XX, FXXK and the 333SP.
Ruud holds an MBA from Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif. An active member of the Racine community, he serves on the boards of Forward Racine, Pepperdine, and The Prairie School. He is also the majority owner of Deltahawk Engines, Inc. and the Attillio Group.