Risi Competizione/ sebring 12 hours

[Rob]

RISI Competizione aiming to continue endurance succes run
Team Update ⋅ March 16, 2010
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The Houston-based Ferrari GT2 team has, over the last two years, enjoyed a phenomenal run of five consecutive successes in international sports car racing’s major classics. It has taken victory laurels at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, and the 2009 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans.

2010, however, could offer the toughest challenge yet for Risi and its endurance racing partner, Krohn Racing, thanks to the increased level of competition in the GT class.

Team Principal, Giuseppe Risi, highlights the challenges ahead. “BMW, Corvette, Ford, Jaguar and Porsche are all joining Ferrari in making the production-based category a real jewel in the ALMS crown in terms of excitement, noise and great on-track battles for the fans and TV audiences. That number of manufacturers, represented by some of the best teams in racing today, and with some truly excellent driver line ups, also means that the contest for top honors – always close in 2009 –will be yet more intense throughout the year.

“We are prepared, as always, for the challenges ahead,” continued Risi, “but certainly don’t underestimate the task ahead. We are confident we’ve got all the elements in place for success, but you always need that little bit of luck on your side too. Having our friends from Krohn Racing back with us is part of having those elements in place – we’ve always done well with them and with them alongside us, and I’m delighted that Tracy, Nic and Eric will once again be part of our team at Sebring and beyond.”

Risi regular, Jaime Melo, and his season-long partner, Gianmaria Bruni, will be benefitting from the experience, skill and consistency of Pierre Kaffer in the #62 ‘Rosso Red’ Ferrari 430, while Tracy Krohn, Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele, piloting the #61 ‘Krohn Green’ Ferrari, will once again we warmly welcomed back into the Risi fold with the sole aim of adding to their great tally of endurance successes of recent years.

Tracy Krohn, who, with his team mates, has taken the Ferrari to two podiums finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a third place at Sebring in 2008, is very much looking forward to getting back into the F430. “The car is very predictable, and very well sorted. Risi has had great success with this car and is a very well run organization that has the results to back it up. They work hard at improving on success.

“We have very experienced drivers overall, but also with this particular car [#61]. Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele are easy to work with and we all feel the car pretty much the same which means driver styles are fairly similar. As for getting back in the car, I know that it will be better than it was before and that gives any driver more confidence.”

2010 is the super-successful F430’s last full year of international competition at this level, but Ferrari and Michelotto have not been idle over the winter months. There are three important changes to the specification of the car for this season and they are:

1) The car will run 100 kg heavier, now 1245kg;

2) It carries wider rear wheels and bigger tires front and rear;

3) It will be fitted with bigger air intake restrictors, permitted due to the increased weight and wider wheel, thus offering 9% more flow area and an increase in horsepower which should offer more straight line speed equalization for the Ferrari with its competitors compared to 2009. Horsepower figures are not available.

Visually the F430 remains outwardly very similar to the 2009 version although the car will feature more flared wheel arches and quarter panels to accommodate the bigger wheels and a different front splitter.

[Rob]

Aston Martin announces driver line-up for 12 Hours of Sebring
By Team Update ⋅ March 16, 2010 ⋅

Aston Martin Racing drivers Adrian Fernández (MX), Stefan Mücke (DE) and Harold Primat (CH) will form the 007 entry at the 12 Hours of Sebring on 20 March.

Aston Martin Racing will enter one factory LMP1 car at the prestigious American race: the scene of the Aston Martin DBR9’s GT1 class victory on its competition debut in 2005.

Fernández, who is new to Aston Martin Racing this year, is the reigning LMP2 champion in the American Le Mans Series - with extensive experience of American circuits. “I’m delighted to be contesting Sebring with Aston Martin,” he said. “I have plenty of experience of LMP2 cars, but the LMP1 Aston is another step up entirely: it’s a real driver’s car.”

Mücke helped Aston Martin to the 2009 Le Mans Series title and will be an invaluable asset to the Aston Martin Racing team as he contests the 12 Hours of Sebring for the first time. “I’m really looking forward to the experience,” he commented. “Sebring is a unique circuit; it’s a legendary name and a huge challenge.”

Primat joined Aston Martin Racing last year, competing in the Le Mans Series and at Le Mans itself. He too is a fan of Sebring. “It’s one of the most demanding circuits that I have ever raced on,” he reported. “I am looking forward to racing there again, the welcome we have received so far has been tremendous.”

The drivers have all been to Sebring to test the car, which has been modified from last year to comply with the latest 2010 Le Mans regulations. Unlike most other circuits, Sebring is extremely rough and bumpy, requiring a very specific set-up. As usual, the 007 car will run in its now-traditional blue and orange Gulf livery.

Aston Martin Racing Team Principal George Howard-Chappell commented: “We’re fortunate to benefit from a talented pool of drivers this year, and for our first trip to Sebring with the LMP1 car the accent is firmly on experience. I’m convinced that Adrian, Stefan and Harold will all do a great job. Sebring is one of the toughest races that we will face all year, particularly as we are up against some extremely strong rivals.”

Following the 12 Hours of Sebring, Aston Martin Racing will go on to contest the second round of the American Le Mans Series: the Long Beach Grand Prix on 17 April.

In addition to the American races, Aston Martin Racing will also contest the first round of the European Le Mans Series at Paul Ricard on April 11, in preparation for the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours.

[Rob]

Sebring 12H - Monday Test Session Report
March 16, 2010
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The 58th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida week got underway today with eight hours of testing at the Sebring International Raceway. Four hours were reserved for the LMP cars and the GT cars could also test for four hours.

Despite not being an officially timed session most cars did take part in the sessions. At the end of the day Team Peugeot Total had set the fastest session times, the #07 in 1:45.084 and the #08 in 1:45.122. Third fastest was the Aston Martin Racing Lola Aston Martin, with Stefan Mücke replacing Chris Buncombe in the line-up.

There was bad luck for the Intersport Racing Lola B06/10 AER of Jon Field during the session. Between Turn 9 and Turn 10 Field lost control of his car and his car flipped several times before coming to a halt. Jon Field was taken to the Highlands Regional Medical Center in Sebring for observation. Despite their car being totally destroyed in the accident, pictures of which can be seen here http://www.americanlemans.com/index_news.php?n=14567, the team was positive about building up the spare car in time for the race weekend.

As expected the Patrón Highcroft Racing HPD ARX-01c was the quickest in the LMP2 class at Sebring. Risi Competizione set the fastest time in GT2, while TRG and Intersport Racing clocked the fastest afternoon times in GTC and LMPC.

On Tuesday the American Le Mans Series will be back in action for two one-hour sessions. One at 11:20 am and the second one at 3:20 pm.

[Rob]

Sebring 12H - Tuesday Morning Session Report
⋅ March 16, 2010 ⋅
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The Green flag was shown this morning at 11.20 am for the first one-hour session at the Sebring International Raceway. In a session that was interrupted four times by red flags the works Aston Martin eventually topped the time sheets.

Within twenty minutes of the session there were already two red flag interruptions. The #08 Peugeot caused the first red flag in the opening minutes, while a car in the wall at Turn 6 meant another brief interruption just after the session had been restarted. Towards the end of the session two other red flags were caused by a GT2 Porsche and one of the Oreca FLM09s.

In between the interruptions teams were able to clock times in this - officially untimed - practice session. The red flag just before the checkered flag effectively ended the session, even though the #8 Drayson Racing Lola missed the red flag and pit entry and completed another lap. In the end it was the #007 Lola Aston Martin that had posted the fastest time (1:47.416), just 0.060s quicker than the #07 Peugeot. The Patrón Highcroft Racing car completed the top three, taking first in LMP2.

Green Earth Team Gunnar set the fastest lap time in LMPC, just over ten seconds from the fastest lap time. In GT2 it was again Risi Competizione that set the fastest lap time. The Ferrari F430 GT2 beat the #90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team car by a full second.

Top 11 times of Tuesday Morning

1. #007 Aston Martin Racing - Lola Aston Martin - 1:47.416
2. #07 Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - 1:47.476
3. #1 Patrón Highcroft Racing - HPD ARX-01c - 1:48.318
4. #16 Dyson Racing Team - Lola B09/86 Mazda - 1:48.667
5. #8 Drayson Racing - Lola B09/60 Judd - 1:51.871
6. #99 Green Earth Team Gunnar - Oreca FLM09 - 1:57.803
7. #11 Primetime-Braille Batteries Race Group - Oreca FLM09 - 1:59.948
8. #62 Risi Competizione - Ferrari F430 GT - 2:01.429
9. #90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team - BMW M3 E92 - 2:02.466
10. #81 Alex Job Racing - Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - 2:06.537
11. #88 Velox Motorsports - Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - 2:08.357

[Testarossa6000]

Go Risi Go - they are looking good. Happy to see Pierre is back on board. Also Extrme Speed 430 up there in 2nd.
Let's keep this thread for the F430s and Risi in particular - use the other ALMS thread for the foreigners.

From ALMS.com
Things stayed tight in GT2, a mouth-watering prospect for Saturday’s race. Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F430 GT was quickest in class with a 2:01.429 during the morning session for the car of Jaime Melo, Gimmi Bruni and Pierre Kaffer. Risi has won at Sebring twice in the last three years and hasn’t lost an endurance race since Sebring in 2008.

One of Extreme Speed Motorsports’ Ferraris sat second on the day. The Ferrari of Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek and Dominik Farnbacher turned in a best lap of 2:01.748. Corvette Racing’s Corvette C6.R of eight-time Sebring winner Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia was third at 2:02.327

Rest of article here (http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=news|14572)

[Rob]

PEUGEOT ON POLE: GENE LEADS FRONT-ROW SEBRING SWEEP


Dominating weekend for reigning Le Mans champions continues
2010-03-19


Marc Gene’s first trip to Sebring International Raceway has been a productive one already. The Spanish star qualified on pole position for the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with a lap of 1:45.214 (126.599 mph) for Team Peugeot Total, beating out teammate Nic Minassian by 0.627 seconds.

The two diesel-powered factory Peugeot 908 HDI FAPs will start from the front row for the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. A victory in Saturday will mean the French manufacturer holds current championships in all three of the world’s endurance classics.

Gene will drive with fellow reigning Le Mans 24 Hours winner Alexander Wurz and Anthony Davidson. Only Davidson has competed in the 12 Hours while the trio of Minassian, Sebastien Bourdais and Pedro Lamy in the sister car have 18 starts between them.

“I was very worried before coming here because I had heard so much about it,” Gene said. “There were the bumps, the fast curves. I tried to play it on video games but I had to play it so much! Then I moved on to videos and Nic helped me a lot. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have won pole position.”

The two Peugeots have been utterly dominant this week with the two fastest times in each session. That continued Friday with the 908s locking fellow LMP1 competitors Aston Martin Racing and Drayson Racing out of the front row.

Stefan Mücke qualified third for Aston Martin with a lap of 1:46.079 (125.567 mph). He is driving the Lola B09/60-Aston Martin with Adrian Fernandez and Harold Primat.

Such gaps aren’t lulling the Lions to sleep, however. As Gene can attest – even in his limited experience here – Sebring can bite back in a hard way.

“We have lost speed on the straight due to the rules. For sure the Aston Martin will be very tough,” he said. “There are a couple of very dangerous corners,” he said. “There are no corners like 1 and 17 in Europe. I just came from Bahrain and some of the F1 drivers there would come here and (pull their hair out).”

Marino Franchitti won his second career Sebring LMP2 pole for Patrón Highcroft Racing and Honda Performance Development. The popular Scot qualified the Patrón Highcroft HPD ARX-01c with a time of 1:47.684 (123.695 mph). He will drive with 2009 Series LMP1 champion – and reigning Le Mans overall winner – David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud.

You could throw a net over the three fastest drivers in class. Franchitti was only 0.054 seconds better than Klaus Graf in the Muscle Milk Team CytoSport Porsche RS Spyder; he will drive with team owner Greg Pickett and Sascha Maassen.

Guy Smith qualified Dyson Racing’s isobutanol-powered Lola B09/86-Mazda at 1:47.882 (123.468 mph). He will team with Chris Dyson and Andy Meyrick.

“It was certainly very close but we thought our competition didn’t show everything they had before qualifying,” said Franchitti, who also claimed the LMP2 pole at Sebring in 2004. “We didn’t have the best setup but it was good enough. I obviously have two talented and terrific teammates in David and Simon. We have a new big sponsor in GE and it’s great to welcome them with a pole. Hopefully we can do that with a win tomorrow.”

The Patrón Highcroft entry is an updated version of the ARX-01 lineup that debuted during the 2007 season. Franchitti drove the 01a model for Andretti Green Racing that year and loves the updates the car has received since then.

“There are certainly significant changes that were in the pipeline that didn’t come online when I was with Andretti Green,” he said. “It was nice for me to get back into a car I know and have everything be better. It’s been great. The Highcroft guys have won a lot of races but this is the one race that’s eluded them.”

Gunnar Jeannette will go down in the history books as the first pole-winner in the new Le Mans Prototype Challenge class. He won out in a terrific qualifying battle with a lap of 1:55.279 (115.546 mph) driving the Green Earth Team Gunnar ORECA FLM09. The former Panoz factory pilot outpaced Ryan Hunter-Reay in the first of Level 5 Motorsports’ two FLM09s by just 0.118 seconds.

“It was really exciting,” said Jeannette, who will drive with Christian Zugel and Elton Julian. “It’s an honor to have the first class for a new car in the series. Our G-Oil car was really hooked up. We skipped the morning practice to do race prep. We were comfortable with our qualifying setup.”

The competition between the top three cars in the class has been as tight as any other during the week. The top three qualifiers were within 0.822 seconds; Christophe Bouchut ended the session third in the second Level 5 entry at 1:56.101 (114.728 mph).

Jeannette admitted there is some uncertainly about debuting a new car and new class at America’s most grueling race.

“Even though the basis of the car is an endurance racing machine, there are some bits that aren’t race-tested,” he said. “I think we’re all going to aim to get to the finish. Christian did about a stint-and-a-half at the test so we know Michelin has given us a good multiple tire so we’ll be doing double- and triple-stints hopefully we can keep doing it lap after lap.”

Flying Lizard Motorsports Jörg Bergmeister qualified on pole for GT2. He originally placed second before Dirk Müller’s pole-winning BMW M3 was excluded from qualifying after failing a post-session stall test in technical inspections.

Bergmeister’s best lap was a 2:01.150 (109.946 mph) pass in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR that he will drive with fellow factory pilots Patrick Long and Marc Lieb.

“We made a really aggressive tire choice today but we were surprised that the competition wasn’t as fast as they were earlier in the week,” Bergmeister said. “We’re pleased to be on the front of the grid but we know it’s a long race.”

Müller had set a lap of 2:00.782.

Porsches held the top two spots with an impressive performance for Team Falken Tire. Factory driver Wolf Henzler set a lap of 2:01.201 (109.900 mph) in the car he will drive with Bryan Sellers and Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet. The team is competing in its first full season in the Series for 2010.

Risi Competizione’s Jaime Melo qualified third with a lap of 2:01.236 (109.868 mph) in the Ferrari F430 GT that he will drive with Gimmi Bruni and Pierre Kaffer. Risi hasn’t lost an endurance round since Sebring 2008.

The top seven cars were under the 2:01 mark, and eight entries – not counting Müller’s time – broke the class qualifying record.

Alex Job Racing entries swept the top three positions in GT Challenge with Leh Keen turning a best lap of 2:05.959 (105.749 mph) in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car he will share with Butch Leitzinger and Juan Gonzalez. Keen, whose only other start was at Petit Le Mans in 2005, bested Patrick Kelly by 1.159 seconds.

Kelly will drive with Ricardo Gonzalez and last year’s LMP2 co-champion Luis Diaz.

“I’ve never done this race before and only have done Petit Le Mans a few years ago,” Keen said. “The class of drivers here is very high. Now that we can run the GTC class, it brings a few more cars in. My laps were pretty clean. Our guys set up the car really well. The car is going to have more of a race setup now. It’s like a 24-hour race squished down into 12.”

AJR is a six-time winner at Sebring in GT classes and obviously knows how to get around at Sebring. But there are some new dynamics such as the new car and new class running 12 hours on such a demanding circuit.

“The one that has the cleanest race will have the best chance,” Keen said. “We were setting up the car and had a little bit of a push early this week. Turn 17 and 1 are pretty bumpy and that’s just the way the track is. Some of the understeer in 14 and 15 was bad. I think we’re close to getting something we’re comfortable with and can drive for the full race.”

Romeo Kapudija qualified the AJR Porsche he will share with Bill Sweedler and Jan Dirk-Lueders third with a lap of 2:07.205 (104.713 mph).

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the opening round of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and America’s greatest sports car race, starts at 10:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. The green flag will fall at 10:30 a.m. ET with live coverage on SPEED starting at 10 a.m. ET. Live coverage also will be available on American Le Mans Radio, as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 245.Visit the Series’ schedule page for ticket and accommodation information. Live Timing and Scoring, track schedule, entry list and much, much more will be available on Racehub at americanlemans.com.

You can follow the Series on Twitter (almsnotes) and on our Facebook page and the official YouTube channel.

58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring
presented by Fresh from Florida
Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla.
Saturday’s lineup
1. Marc Gene, Spain; Anthony Davidson, England; Alexander Wurz; Peugeot 908 HDI FAP (P1), 1:45.214, 126.599
2. Pedro Lamy, Lisbon Portugal; Sebastien Bourdais, France; Nicolas Minassian, England; Peugeot 908 HDI FAP (P1), 1:45.841, 125.849
3. Stefan Mücke, Germany; Harold Primat, Switzerland; Adrian Fernandez, Mexico; Lola B09 60/Aston Martin (P1), 1:46.079, 125.567
4. Paul Drayson, London, UK; Jonny Cocker, UK; Emanuele Pirro, Italy; Lola B09 60/Judd (P1), 1:46.460, 125.117
5. David Brabham, Australia; Simon Pagenaud, France; Marino Franchitti, Scotland; HPD ARX-01c (P2), 1:47.684, 123.695
6. Greg Pickett, Alamo, CA; Klaus Graf, Germany; Sascha Maassen, Germany; Porsche RS Spyder (P2), 1:47.738, 123.633
7. Chris Dyson, Pleasant Valley, NY; Guy Smith, England; Andy Meyrick; Lola B09 86/Mazda (P2), 1:47.882, 123.468
8. Bryan Willman, Kirkland, WA; Tony Burgess, Canada; Pierre Ehret, Santa Rosa, CA; Lola B06 10/AER (P1), 1:54.441, 116.392
9. Christian Zugel; Gunnar Jeannette, Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Elton Julian, Los Angeles, CA; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:55.279, 115.546
10. Scott Tucker; James Gue, Athens, GA; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:55.397, 115.428
11. 12. Scott Tucker; Christophe Bouchut, France; Mark Wilkins, Canada; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:56.101, 114.728
12. Mitch Pagery, Deerfield Beach, FL; Brian Wong; David Ducote; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:59.580, 111.390
13. Jörg Bergmeister, Germany; Patrick Long, Oak Park, CA; Marc Lieb, Germany; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:01.150, 109.946
14. Bryan Sellers, Centerville, OH; Wolf Henzler, Germany; Patrick Pilet, France; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:01.201, 109.900
15. Jaime Melo, Brazil; Gianmaria Bruni, Italy; Pierre Kaffer, Germany; Ferrari 430 GT (GT2), 2:01.236, 109.868
16. Jan Magnussen, Denmark; Johnny O'Connell, Flowery Branch, GA; Antonio Garcia, Spain; Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT2), 2:01.358, 109.758
17. Olivier Beretta, Monaco; Oliver Gavin, England; Emmanuel Collard, France; Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (GT2), 2:01.628, 109.514
18. Scott Sharp, Jupiter; Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, CA; Dominik Farnbacher, Germany; Ferrari 430 GT (GT2), 2:01.914, 109.257
19. Bill Auberlen, Hermosa Beach, CA; Tom Milner, Leesburg, VA; Dirk Werner, Germany; BMW E92 M3 (GT2), 2:01.922, 109.250
20. Ed Brown, Las Vegas, NV; Guy Cosmo, Long Island, NY; Joao Barbosa, Portugal; Ferrari 430 GT (GT2), 2:02.242, 108.964
21. Andrea Robertson, Ray, MI; David Robertson, Ray, MI; David Murry, Cumming, GA; Doran Design Ford GT (GT2), 2:03.622, 107.748
22. Butch Leitzinger, State College, PA; Leh Keen, Dublin, GA; Juan Gonzalez, Mexico; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:05.959, 105.749
23. Tracy Krohn, Houston, TX; Nic Jonsson, Sweden; Eric van de Poele, Belgium; Ferrari 430 GT (GT2), 2:06.680, 105.147
24. Ricardo Gonzalez, Mexico; Luis Diaz, Mexico; Patrick Kelly, Minnestrista, MN; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:07.018, 104.867
25. Bill Sweedler, Westport, CT; Romeo Kapudija, Lincolnwood, IL; Jan-Dirk Lueders; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:07.205, 104.713
26. Shane Lewis, Jupiter, FL; Gerry Vento, Palm Beach, FL; Lawson Aschenbach, West Palm Beach, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:07.412, 104.543
27. Brett Curtis, Valencia, CA; James Sofronas, Newport Beach, CA; Andy Pilgrim, Del Ray Beach, FL; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:07.751, 104.265
28. Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ; Seth Neiman, Burlingame, CA; Richard Lietz, Austria; Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (GT2), 2:07.874, 104.165
29. Richard, Henri, Los Altos Hills; Lally, Andy, New York, NY; Duncan Ende, Los Angeles, CA; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:11.371, 101.392
30. Joel Feinberg, Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Kyle Marcelli; Tom Weickardt, Whitefish Bay, WI; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 0, 0
31. Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, MI; Marc Goosens, Belgium; Ryan Dalziel, Scotland; Jaguar XKRS (GT2), 2:04.804, 106.727
32. Robert Rodriquez, Zephyr Cove, NV; Galen Bieker, Burbank, CA; Cory Friedman; Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (GTC), 2:10.312, 102.216
33. Andy Wallace, England; Tom Sutherland, Los Gatos, CA; JR Hildebrand; Oreca FLM09 (LMPC), 1:55.579, 115.246
34. Dirk Mueller, Germany; Joey Hand, Sacramento, CA; Andy Priaulx, Germany; BMW E92 M3 (GT2), 2:00.782, 110.281

[Rob]

Jörg Bergmeister inherits GT2 pole position
March 19, 2010
Jörg Bergmeister and the #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 997 GT3 RSR were promoted to the GT2 pole position after the #90 BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team BMW E92 M3 failed a stall test during post qualifying scrutineering.

As a result of the BMW being excluded from the GT2 pole position Porsche will have a 1-2 in qualifying, as Wolf Henzler put the #17 Team Falken Tire in third place. For Jörg Bergmeister it will be his first pole position in GT2 at Sebring.

Jörg Bergmeister: “We made a really aggressive tire choice today but we were surprised that the competition wasn’t as fast as they were earlier in the week. We’re pleased to be on the front of the grid but we know it’s a long race.”

The following other cars have also been moved to the back of the grid following qualifying.

#75 RSR Jaguar - Jaguar XKR - driver(s) failed to achieve minimum laps at night.
#69 WERKS II Racing - Porsche 911 GT3 Cup - driver(s) failed to achieve minimum laps at night.
#36 Genoa Racing - Oreca FLM09 - below minimum weight.

The final grid will be confirmed tomorrow after the warm up session

[Rob]

19 March 2010 | 12 Hours of Sebring 2010 www.risicompetizione.com

BEFORE THE DAWN

"It's been a long time comin', It's goin' to be a long time gone.

Appears to be a long time,
Yes, a long, long, log time
Before the dawn.
Turn, turn any corner.
Hear, you must hear what the people say,
You know there's something that's goin' on here....."

(March 19th……Sebring, Florida).

Paddocks look differently at night. The glamour and gleam caused by sunlight bouncing off transporters and tents and race cars is gone; the bustling crowds are missing; the uniformed techs—the ones left behind to do final prep on the cars that will contest tomorrow’s 12 Hours of Sebring—are deep into their cars and hard at it. Time is of the essence but they cannot hurry. Some of the crews knew three minutes into qualifying this afternoon that the Friday before the race would be a long one. Last minute details for a top professional racing team are many and exacting.

And if…just if….your car suffered a bit of an adventure in practice on Wednesday, as the Number 62 Risi Comp Ferrari 430GTC did, well….now’s your last chance to put it all right before the race starts tomorrow.

So the team works furiously, the calm with which the techs go about their duties is in direct opposite to the pace with which they work and the long list of items that must be checked, changed, adjusted, calibrated, re-filled, re-charged, re-set, and re-wired.

The goal in big time endurance racing is to arrive at the track with only a few things left to adjust on the car--- those items that are specific to a given track.

That’s the theory. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

The Number 61 car is buttoned up and in the transporter for the night. That’s the tangible signal that it’s adjusted, prepped and ready to go. The new 430GTC is running very well and perfectly balanced. It had no adventures. That’s one of the secrets of endurance racing: stay away from adventures. Adventures mean extra time and parts repairing and replacing and re-adjusting.

That was not No. 62’s fate. This year, the No. 62 car had an off and everything has to be checked, again, carefully. That’s why the long night at the Risi Comp transporter tonight as Chris Riggs and his merry men—who have waged a relentless battle with time since the start of the race meeting at Sebring on Sunday, the 14th of March—set about setting it all perfect, one more time. Dinner is what you can grab, when you can gr ab it. A break is a swallow of water or Gatorade. The work area is surprisingly quiet; everyone knows what needs to be done and so it seems as if the team is working on telepathy. When you run out of things to do, another job is handed to you, until, finally, at midnight or 1:00AM or maybe even later, the prep is done and No. 62 is rolled into the transporter for the night.

Tomorrow, the crew and drivers will be back at the track at 6:00AM; they’ll grab a quick cup of coffee and some breakfast and pull the cars out of the transporter and get them prepped for the warmup, at 8:00AM, then for the race that starts at 10:30AM, EST. (on SpeedTV!)

The storm of work that is going on now is invisible to most fans, just like the storm of work that goes on at the race workshop. But that storm will pass, the car will be finished, and then the transporters will be dark and buttoned up for the calm of the night, awaiting the rise of the sun, and the crack of engines starting as the hustle of another storm, this one 12 Hours long and very public, arrives.

[Rob]

Peugeot leads, Pirro stars in first hour

Saturday, March 20th 2010, 15:33 GMT

The #08 Peugeot leads the Sebring 12 Hours after the first hour, but Emanuele Pirro has managed to get between the two 908s in the Drayson Lola.

Alex Wurz had led the race from the start in the polesitting #07 Peugeot, while Pirro quickly overtook Aston Martin's Adrian Fernandez for third, then chased down the two leaders.

As the top three got into heavy traffic, Pirro sliced through into second place ahead of Sebastien Bourdais' Peugeot, and then stayed on Wurz's tail until making Drayson's first pitstop after 40 minutes.

The Peugeots ran a further five and six laps before stopping, with the #08 car leaping into the lead as it eschewed a tyre and driver change, whereas Wurz handed over to Marc Gene and fell to third behind Pirro, whose stop was also fuel only.

Highcroft is already dominating in LMP2, despite receiving a pit speeding penalty. The Cytosport Porsche is the HPD's only rival as the Dyson Lola-Mazda headed for the paddock with a misfire less than 20 minutes into the race.

Wolf Henzler thrust the Falken Porsche into the GT lead for the first half hour of the race, as the top six cars in class all ran nose to tail. Jorg Bergmeister then hit the front for Flying Lizard, but lost out to Jan Magnussen's Corvette when the GT leaders pitted under the first yellow of the race, caused by Joel Feinberg crashing Primetime's LMPC entry.

The timing of that yellow handed Level 5's two LMPC cars a one-lap advantage over the squad's rivals, led by Genoa and Green Earth Gunnar, while Alex Job's Leh Keen dominated GTC in the opening hour.

[Rob]

Quick up date, Risi is leading the GT2 class. Very very close racing, lots of action.

[Rob]

Risi still leading. They took lead early on after saftey car period. Bruni was struggling with bad understeer, pitted then the safety car came out. The field pitted, Bruni inherited the lead YES :-D Been there ever since. The vettes are 9 laps down on Risi.

[Rob]

Sebring 12H - Hour 1 & 2 Report
March 20, 2010
After two laps behind the pace car the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Fresh From Florida started at 10:30 am Florida time. Even before the race had started Joel Feinberg already spun his #11 Oreca FLM09. The American driver returned to the pit to have his right-front tyre replaced…and returned to the pit again quickly afterwards to serve a stop and go penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

The race was not even 15 minutes old when the Jaguar XKR was already seen coming into the pits for what would be a long stop. The front hood was opened as soon as the car came to a stop, with steam coming from the car. It would be in and out of the pit more than once in the first half an hour.

At the front the Peugeots were lapping quick, but the Drayson Racing Lola Judd kept close. Behind in LMP2 Chris Dyson came into the pit, the Dyson Racing Lola Mazda went behind the wall instantly.

Thirty minutes into the race Jörg Bergmeister managed to pass Wolf Henzler and reclaimed the lead, which he had lost to the Team Falken Tire driver at the start. Soon after both Corvettes also passed Henzler. Behind them Emanuele Pirro passed Sebastien Bourdais for second place, the Italian ace using his experience and the traffic to get by the French driver.

Pirro pitted after 40 minutes and by that time the RSR Jaguar was also back in. The battle in GT2 kept going, with the several cars close to each other.

Just before the one hour mark other teams also started to come into pit for tyres, fuel and driver changes. But while some teams were pitting, the first full course caution when the Primetime Oreca FLM09 went off at Turn 4. The safety car, a Jaguar, came onto the circuit…just when the RSR Jaguar was officially announced as the first retirement of the 2010 race.

One hour into the race Peugeot was in the lead with the #08, ahead of the Drayson Racing Lola and the second Peugeot. Highcroft lead in LMP2, #55 Level 5 Motorsports in LMPC, #92 BMW in GT2 and #80 Alex Job Racing in GTC.

Fifteen minutes after the safety car came out the track went green again, Bourdais had no problem at the restart and got away from the rest of the pack.

In GT2 the battle heated up with Bruni putting full pressure on Auberlen in the BMW. At the final corner the Italian outbraked the American and moved the Risi team into the lead.

Behind the leaders the LMPC cars kept battling, with the Bouchut and Hunter-Reay fighting for the lead. The teammates did not give way to each other and fought as if they were fighting for victory in the final hour.

At 12.13 pm the Green Earth Team Gunnar Oreca FLM09 spun, but managed to continue. Minutes later there were also problems for the BMW of Joey Hand, losing several places.

Heading into the pit lane was the #3 Corvette. When it stopped the front hood was opened and mechanics checked out the car. Shortly after it had gone out it was back in to serve a stop and go penalty. But rather than going out on to the track after serving it the Corvette went behind the wall.

After two hours it was still a Peugeot 1-2. The #08 of Lamy/Bourdais/Minassian way ahead of the #07 of Gene/Wurz/Davidson.
The Lola Aston Martin of Primat/Mucke/Fernandez was third overall.
Patrón Highcroft Racing was leading LMP2 at the two hour mark, Level 5 Motorsports had a 1-2 in LMPC, with the #55 car leading the #95. In the GT2 category the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT2 was ahead of the #92 BMW E92 M3 and the #45 Lizards Porsche. Alex Job Racing #81 in first place in GTC.

[Rob]

still leading GT2 class...
8 62 GT2 Pierre Kaffer Ferrari 430 GT 122 -15 lap -1 lap 1 --- 3:21.244 2:01.583 37 3 120 14:48:23.881 fastest Gianmaria Bruni

[Rob]

Peugeots ahead after three hours

Saturday, March 20th 2010, 17:38 GMT

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Pedro Lamy held a half minute lead over Peugeot team-mate Anthony Davidson as the Sebring 12 Hours passed its quarter distance point.

But while Peugeot has established itself in one-two formation over recent stints, Aston Martin and Drayson Racing are both still on the lead lap.

The Drayson Lola fell back from the Peugeots and dropped to fourth behind Aston when it made its second pitstop and Emanuele Pirro handed over to Jonny Cocker. The young Briton caught up with the Aston Martin again, then lost further ground when he almost ran out of fuel and had to cruise back to the pits.

Stefan Mucke is currently in the Aston and is only 9s behind Davidson, with Cocker a further 29s adrift.

Highcroft HPD continues to lead LMP2 by a lap over the Cytosport Porsche. Dyson is now back in the race, its Lola-Mazda re-emerging from the paddock after an hour-long stop to replace an oil pump.

Fortuitous yellow flag timing helped Risi Ferrari vault to the front of the GT2 pack, where it has remained as its closest rivals ran into trouble just before the three hour mark.

The #92 Rahal Letterman BMW was second until going off the road just after its most recent pitstop and filling its air intake with grass and mud. That briefly elevated the #4 Corvette to second - until the two Corvettes tangled into the pitlane after a miscommunication, damaging both cars. The #3 entry had already been delayed by a stop for steering rack attention.

Flying Lizard therefore picked up second with its #45 car, having been battling with the #4 Corvette before the pit drama.

Level 5's #55 car has a two-lap advantage in LMPC over the Genoa car, with the second Level 5 machine having recently headed into the paddock, and the Green Earth Gunnar car having lost time by spinning and stalling. The #81 Alex Job Porsche leads in GTC.

[Rob]

Peugeot ran 1-2 overall at the four-hour mark of the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida with Nic Minassian leading Anthony Davidson by 8.439 seconds one-third of the way through the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The two Peugeots started from the front row and were two laps clear of Harold Primat in Aston Martin Racing’s Lola B09/60-Aston Martin. It’s been Peugeot all the way with the exception of a fantastic scrap early on between Drayson Racing’s Emanuele Pirro and the two Peugeots. The Drayson Lola-Judd lost several laps with alternator issues, however.

Patrón Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham led in LMP2 driving the HPD ARX-01c held a one-lap gap over Muscle Milk Team CytoSport’s Porsche RS Spyder and Sascha Maassen.

Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F430 GT of Gianmaria Bruni led three GT2 cars on the lead lap. Jörg Bergmeister in the Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Porsche 911 GT3 RSR sat second, about 20 seconds clear of Dirk Werner in the first of BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team’s BMW M3.

In LMP Challenge, Level 5 Motorsports’ Mark Wilkins held a one-lap cushion in his ORECA FLM09 over Tom Sutherland behind the wheel of Genoa Racing’s entry.

In GT Challenge, 1990 Sebring class winner Butch Leitzinger led in one of Alex Job Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries. He was a lap better than The Racer’s Group Duncan Ende.

[Rob]

Risi still leading GT2 class, update.....
8 62 GT2 Pierre Kaffer Ferrari 430 GT 136 -17 lap -1 lap 1 --- 2:02.628 2:01.583 37 0 0 00:00:00.000 Pierre Kaffer

[Tommy_F]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30mQkTYD_9w


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgppELJmY8w


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rvY6jtvhL0

more here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MT89Motorsports#g/u

[Testarossa6000]

Bravissimi!!! :clap

Risi Competizione won in GT2, the team’s sixth straight victory in a major endurance race. Jaime Melo, Gimmi Bruni and Pierre Kaffer took a one-lap victory in their Ferrari F430 GT over BMW Rahal Letterman Racing’s two BMW M3s, which swapped positions on the last turn of the last lap.

Risi now has won consecutively at Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans, etching even more history in the F430 GT.

“I think it’s everything together,” said Melo, who won for the third time at the 12 Hours. “The team is a very, very good team. With three drivers who are very consistent like Gimmi and Pierre… that’s the way to win this kind of race. The Michelin tires are very consistent and work well for us. The preparation of the car is the key to this race. I know the F430 from when we started developing the car. We want to put it in the history books, so we want to win this year so bad. We can send it off in a good way.”

The fight in GT2 was a fantastic scrap before attrition started to take its toll. Team Falken Tire led early on in its Porsche and had two wheels come off on consecutive laps. The second hit the then-second-place Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche, which lost three laps in the pits. Corvette Racing’s two Corvettes collided in pit lane when one Corvette C6.R tried to leave its pit box and another came in simultaneously.

That left the Risi Ferrari and two BMWs to duke it out. All totaled, the winning Risi Ferrari led for approximately 10 hours. It led from nearly the 90-minute mark until a caution period just past the halfway point when the Lizard Porsche beat the Ferrari out of the pits. It took Bruni all of a half lap to retake the lead.

“We showed the three of us, Risi, and Michelin worked really well together,” said Bruni, who won for the first time in the Series. “This really helps. (with momentum). We've known each other a while. Jaime has been with this car for a good long time.”

http://www.americanlemans.com/files/stories/images/Risi_8hrs_032010.jpg

[Rob]

BELISSAMO RISI!! fantastic race, had lucky Risi t shirt on all way. Sixth straight enduro win, WOW Forza Ferrari Forza Risi and Forza Gimmi, Jaime and Pierre.

[Rob]

Sebring 12H - Hour 11 & 12 Report
March 21, 2010
The final two hours of the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh From Florida started with drama. Just after 8:30 pm the #01 Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari F430 GT2 was seen on the track with flames coming from the rear. At the end of the Ulmann Straight Scott Sharp stopped the car and had the fire extinguished by one of the corner workers.

The clean-up operations due to the fire caused another full course caution. Most teams used the opportunity to pit as soon as it was reopened, but no leads were lost due to these pit stops. Positions remained unchanged.

Andy Wallace in the Genoa Racing Oreca FLM09 encountered more of the team’s bad luck. The car had stopped out on the track and was towed back to the pitlane. A place it had visited already more than the team wanted.

Twenty minutes after the yellow flag came out the green flag was waved and we got underway again for the last hour and a half of racing at the Sebring International Raceway.

The LMPC cars hit more trouble in the minutes after the restart; first Wallace was back in the pit with electrical problems, a minute later the Intersport Racing car of David Ducote was back in with a steering wheel issue.
Drayson Racing also came in again, the water issue was not solved and the squad had to fill the car once more. The car would be back in later again.

GTC cars also hit trouble. Duncan Ende’s #63 Porsche came into the pit after a spin on the track. A few minutes later the #32 Porsche, which had only just returned to the track, returned to the pit again and was again moved behind the wall.

After 11 hours of racing Wurz and Bourdais were still leading, their nearest rivals – the #007 Aston Martin – 3 laps down.

Seven minutes into the final hour Pagerey brought the Intersport Racing FLM09 in the pit, the car went behind the wall with troubles. Coolant system problems were reported and the car would not return to the track.

When Alexander Wurz went into the pit for another scheduled stop the Austrian driver was passed by Bourdais. But with one stop left for the #08 Peugeot as well it was clear that this would not last till the finish and in fact five minutes later the French driver pitted and Wurz got back in the lead.
Christophe Bouchut, leading comfortably in LMPC, served a stop and go penalty with just 45 minutes left on the clock. It did not harm their lead. The Primetime #11 was given a black flag after spreading oil all over the track.

Just twenty minutes were left in the race when Stefan Mücke in the 3rd placed Lola Aston Martin nearly caused his crewmembers to suffer a heart attack when the German spun the car at the hairpin and then stopped. Fortunately for AMR he managed to get it running again and maintained his position.

In the remaining minutes nothing changed and at 10:32 pm it was Alexander Wurz who crossed the line in first place, making it the first non-German manufacturer victory since 1998. Even though the French flag will now be added to the long list of winners on the Sebring pit wall none of the three drivers on-board the #07 Peugeot 908 HDI FAP is French. Behind Wurz Bourdais secured a Team Peugeot Total 1-2, with Aston Martin Racing taking the final podium spot.

Dirk Müller, second in the GT2 class whilst going into the final lap, hit the tyres at Turn 17. Even though the German was able to continue, teammate Dirk Werner was able to get by him and take second place for BMW. The BMWs were beaten fair and square by the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT2 of Gianmaria Bruni, Pierre Kaffer and Jaime Melo.

Klaus Graf in the Muscle Milk Team Cytosport Porsche RS Spyder took the class win in LMP2, four laps ahead of the Highcroft Racing HPD ARX-01c.

Level 5 Motorsports took the first ever win in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge. Christophe Bouchut, Scott Tucker and Mark Wilkins stayed out of trouble and finished 10th overall. The nearest LMPC was the #99 Green Earth Team Gunnar car in 17th overall and 16 laps down on the #55 car.

Alex Job Racing secured the podium clean sweep in GTC. The #81 of Butch Leitzinger, Leh Keen and Juan Gonzalez beat their team mates in the #23 and #80 cars.

– Michelin Green X Challenge Results after 12 hours –

1. #08 Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDI FAP
2. #07 Team Peugeot Total - Peugeot 908 HDI FAP
3. #8 Drayson Racing - Lola B09/60 Judd
4. #6 Muscle Milk Team Cytosport - Porsche RS Spyder
5. #1 Patron Highcroft Racing - HPD ARX-01c
6. #007 Aston Martin Racing - Lola B09/60 Aston Martin

[Rob]

Checkered Flag for GT2. Risi takes the podium. Back to back Sebring endurance wins 2009 - 2010 #alms #sebring12

Giuseppe Risi: "Sebring win was a combination of prep & luck. Hats off to my team! 2010 GT2 to be a battle with worthy competitors" #alms

Full race report tomorrow. Full Party Tonight. Thanks to all for your support!" - Don Pierce. #alms #sebring12

[Rob]

http://i40.tinypic.com/2ep0kk3.jpg

[Rob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5lJT7-Z00U

[Rob]

Lasting success for F430

Maranello, 21 March – Thanks to the victory yesterday at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the spectacular endurance race, the first round of the prestigious American Le Mans Series, the F430 GT2 from the Risi Competizione team has now three wins in a row since 2008. At the end of the race in Florida, which lasted from 10:30am to 10:30pm, the car started by the Ferrari Houston team and excellently driven by Jaime Melo, Gianmaria Bruni and Pierre Kaffer, crossed the line in sixth overall place after 331 laps or 1,970 kilometres, ahead of the two BMW with Bill Auberlen – Tommy Milner – Dirk Werner and Dirk Müller – Joey Hand – Andy Priaulx. Great enthusiasm for team principal Giuseppe Risi, who, at the end of the race, underlined together with his equipe the importance of such a good start into the season and how the F430 is still such an extraordinarily competitive car.
The series’ next race will be held on the city circuit of Long Beach in California on 17 April.

[Rob]

A promising one-two finish for Peugeot (they only won because Audi wasnt allowed to race, they got Audi barred)
By Team Update ⋅ March 21, 2010
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Team Peugeot Total made the trip to Florida with a view to preparing for June’s Le Mans 24 Hours, and it will return home on Wednesday with plenty of valuable data in its computers, plus a landmark one-two finish in the race itself. In addition to securing its third consecutive one-two, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP is the first French car to win at Sebring since the race was first held in 1952.

The N°07 car (Wurz/Gené/Davidson) finishes ahead of the N°08 sister car (Bourdais/Minassian/Lamy)

After starting the 12 Hours of Sebring from the front row of the grid, the two Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs were never separated by more than a handful of seconds, despite the searing heat, omnipresent traffic, safety car appearances and race incidents.
Nor were they slowed by the slightest mechanical problem, and the team will be looking to confirm the cars’ reliability when it stays on for two more days of testing here in Florida on Monday and Tuesday. At the end of the day, all that split the two machines at the finish were a puncture, two spins and their respective pit stops. After 12 hours’ racing, it was finally the N°07 Peugeot of Marc Gené, Alexander Wurz and Anthony Davidson which took the chequered flag in first place after 367 laps, closely tailed by the sister car in the hands of Sébastien Bourdais, Nicolas Minassian and Pedro Lamy. After the 2009 Le Mans and last autumn’s Petit Le Mans, Sebring is Peugeot’s third straight one-two finish. It is also the first win for a French car in the American classic and puts an end to 11 years of German domination of the race!

An action-packed race
Alexander Wurz started in the N°07 car running on soft tyres and succeeded in shrugging off the pressure of team-mate Sébastien Bourdais in the sister car which was on medium-compound rubber. Pirro managed to split the two Peugeots for a while in his Lola, and the enabled the N°08 to gain an advantage as it took control and covered two stints on the same set of tyres. The lead enjoyed by Bourdais/Lamy/Minassian was further extended when Anthony Davidson span shortly after the four-hour mark. The ground lost was recovered by the halfway point, however, with the pit-stop timing causing the two French machines to trade positions again. A further change in the order came when the N°08 car emerged in front after a refuelling stop. The drama continued on Lap 262 when the leading car fell back a place after picking up a rear-left puncture. This put the N°07 Peugeot back in front, and that’s how the race ended, with the result pretty much sealed when Sébastien Bourdais span making a final bid in the last half-hour.
Great Britain’s Davidson was the first driver to take the flag, sharing victory with his 2009 Le Mans- winning team-mates Alexander Wurz and Sebring rookie Marc Gené. The crew of the N°08 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP crossed the line in its immediate wake to make it a one-two finish for the French make, while the day’s fastest race lap was the work of Sébastien Bourdais.

Monday and Tuesday will see a car continue the team’s endurance testing work at Sebring, with Marc Gené, Anthony Davidson and Simon Pagenaud all on duty.

Olivier QUESNEL: “Our mission here was to validate a certain number of developments and we achieved that goal to the letter. Despite the absence of our main rival, I believe we put on a great show and team orders were only issued after the final pit-stops, with half an hour remaining. It was quite tense, but also very instructive. Reliability promises to play a key role at Le Mans, and the two 908 HDi FAPs ran like clockwork here, and our refuelling work, race strategy and the work of the entire team were all very strong, too. We can be proud to have added a French victory to this race’s roll of honour, and the 908 has now succeeded in winning all the main endurance races. It’s a promising result, but we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball…”

Anthony DAVIDSON: “This is a fantastic result for me and for Team Peugeot Total. I thoroughly enjoyed driving the 908! It was nice that the race turned out to be so close, and it’s great to have marked my debut with the team with a win. I would like to thank everyone for their tremendous work.”

Alexander WURZ: “Finishing first and second is a perfect result for Peugeot. The outcome was only really settled after the last round of pit-stops and we pushed hard throughout the race.”

Marc GENE: “This was great practice ahead of Le Mans, both for the drivers and everyone in the team. It was good training for overtaking round what is a very demanding circuit…”

[Rob]

EXTREME SPEED MOTORSPORTS SUFFERS DISAPPOINTING DEBUT IN SEBRING
Team Finishes 6th in GT2 Class in No. 02 Car, Endures Sad Ending in No. 01
2010-03-21
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For 10 of the 12 hours in today’s 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the day was progressing favorably for Extreme Speed Motorsports’ debut race in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

Then coming into Turn 17, just after the competition’s 10-hour mark this evening, a major rear fire ended the race for the team’s No. 01 Ferrari F430 GTC, driven by Scott Sharp, Johannes van Overbeek, and Dominik Farnbacher. Extreme Speed Motorsports’ No. 02 car, driven by Ed Brown, Guy Cosmo, and Joao Barbosa, went on to complete the race in sixth place in the highly competitive GT2 Class.

The problem in the No. 01 car began shortly after the team made a change to the front brakes. With Sharp behind the wheel coming out of the pit, he heard a thumping noise coming from the car, which accelerated as it gained speed. Sharp pitted again, the problem was inspected, and determined to be ok. The noise continued though as Sharp got back on the track, and then on the back straightaway during lap 271 the car started “glowing,” Sharp said.

Sharp was able to quickly exit the car, unhurt, and the IMSA safety team swiftly extinguished the fire.

“It was a sad ending to our first race, but it was a very good day until then and I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and professionalism of this team,” Sharp said after the race. “Everybody did their job and gave it everything they had – we came a long way and it’s a shame we couldn’t finish both cars, but I’m very pleased with our overall performance out there today.”

The team’s No. 02 Ferrari started in ninth position on the grid this morning, advancing into the seventh place spot mid-race, and finished the 12 hours on the track in sixth place.

“This is undisputedly one of the toughest competitions in motorsports, and to finish in sixth place, for a new team like our’s, I’m extraordinarily proud of our team and the effort everyone put in,” said Brown. “It’s unfortunate what happened with our No. 01 car, especially for as hard as we worked out there, but we’re pleased that our No. 2 car finished, and we’ll build from what we learned today.”

Extreme Speed Motorsports is sponsored by Tequila Patrón, along with support from Ferrari Corse Clienti and the team’s official tire technical partner Michelin. Patrón, a longtime supporter of motorsports racing, also recently signed on as a sponsor of the full American Le Mans Series

[Rob]

Another great victory for the 430 GTC, dominating the endurance races
http://i40.tinypic.com/21jtauf.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/i56nbr.jpg
Maranello, 21 March – Spring started for Ferrari in the best possible way. The night in Florida brought another success for the 430 GTC started by the Team Risi Competizione, this time at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the first race in the American Le Mans Series. Meanwhile the victories for the team from Houston are growing: this was the third success in the last four editions of this race, confirming the excellent performance in the classical endurance races, where the team also won the last two editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Petit Le Mans. 331 laps for Jaime Melo, Gimmi Bruni and Pierre Kaffer, bringing home the 430 GTC with number 62 on the sixth overall place, 36 laps behind the Peugeot with Ferrarista Marc Gené, the winner of the race together with another two former Formula 1 drivers, Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson. “This is another very special moment for us,” Team Principal Giuseppe Risi said. “There are similar moments when you fight and win, but on this track it's something special, even more so when it's for the third time in four years with the 430. I hope that this win shows the clients of the 430, what a great car they bought.”

Great satisfaction also for the three drivers. “I'm so happy. We couldn't ask for more for the start of the season,” Jaime Melo said. “The Michelin tyres worked very well, just like the team and my colleagues did: this is the key to winning races like the 12 Hours of Sebring. I've been always racing the 430 since the start of its development in 2006 and we want it to become part of the history of Granturismo competitions.”

“After last year's second place it's really fantastic to be back winning,” Gimmi Bruni added. “I had lots of fun: we fought right from the start. We passed the leader and pulled away. We weren't in the lead only twice, but we overtook more than anybody else.”

The third driver, the German Kaffer, was happy about another win: “I'm glad that I contributed to the best possible start of the season. I want to thank everybody, especially the mechanics, who have done some great work, adjusting the mistake I made early last week. It's great driving such a car and it's even better with Jaime and Gimmi.”

Three more Ferraris participated in the first ALMS race: two from the team Extreme Speed Motorsport and the second car from the Team Risi Competizione. The best was number 2, with the sixth overall place in its class with Cosmo-Barbosa-Brown ahead of Krohn-Jonsson-Van de Poele. Less lucky was the car with Sharp-van Overbeek-Farnbacher, which had to retire due to mechanical problems after 271 laps.

The second race in the American Le Mans Series will be held on the Long Beach city circuit, in California, on 17 April.

[Tommy_F]

EXTREME SPEED MOTORSPORTS SUFFERS DISAPPOINTING DEBUT IN SEBRING


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1S4Ff_UUmA&feature=player_embedded

[Rob]

RISI continue winning streak with GT2 victory at Sebring
By Team Update ⋅ March 22, 2010
http://i43.tinypic.com/atu434.jpg
Houston-based Risi Competizione gave a dominant display of endurance racing today at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with its #62 Ferrari F430 GTC winning the GT2 class for the third time in four years and placing an impressive 6th place overall.

The race win, in the hands of Gianmaria Bruni, Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer, extended a winning streak of endurance classic victories encompassing Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans which began in France in 2008.

The team’s #61 car, piloted by Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele, overcame an intermittent misfire, which had plagued them for much of the race and caused a loss of power, to finish 7th in class and 14th overall.

Team Principal Giuseppe Risi was both proud and emotional at the end of the long, hot race and said: “This is a very special moment, once again. There are always special moments when you race hard and have success, but even more so to win at Sebring and to do so for the third time in four years with the Ferrari 430. I hope that this goes a long way towards letting every 430 owner in the whole world know what a great car this is.”

While the GT race offered much potential excitement for race fans at the green flag, with extremely strong entries from BMWs, Corvettes, Ferraris and Porsches, various track and pit incidents befell many of Risi’s competitors. After leading for over ten of the 12 hour race, the #62 car took the checkered flag one lap ahead of the BMWs of Dirk Werner and Dirk Müller.

Jaime Melo (#62-GT2 Ferrari 430) paid tribute to the Ferrari 430 GTC and to his team: “I am really happy – we couldn’t ask for more than this at the start of the season. The Risi team is very, very good and, with three drivers who are very consistent like me, Gimmi and Pierre were today, it’s the way to win this kind of race. The Michelin tires work well for us and we can always rely on them completely. Having said that, the only problem we had was in my first stint when the tires went off a bit in the second half of the stint – because we’d done a few more laps in qualifying than our competitors. I know the 430 from when we first started developing the car in 2006 and we want to put it in the history books in the best way possible so we want to win this year so bad. By doing that, we can send it off in a good way.”

Gianmaria Bruni (#62-GT2 Ferrari 430 GT) “It’s a fantastic feeling to win, after being 2nd last year. It was special because it was kind of a dream race and I enjoyed it a lot. We were fighting at the beginning, then overtook the leader and pulled away. We were only not in the lead twice and both times we overtook the leader which was fun. We showed that the three of us drivers, Risi, and Michelin worked really well together and this really helps with momentum going into the rest of the season. I think it will be a great season!”

Pierre Kaffer (#62-GT2 Ferrari 430 GT): “It’s a wonderful feeling to win another endurance race and it’s awesome to drive the for best GT2 team with a Ferrari. From my part I am pleased to have been able to help the team start the season so well and give them a good way forward for Long Beach and the rest of the season. Thanks especially to all the mechanics who did a brilliant job after my little mistake earlier in the week – you really get to enjoy driving this car and to do it here with Jaime and Gimmi was really great.”

Tracy W. Krohn (# 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430): “Overall it was a fairly good result. The problem was the car was misfiring and at the end we broke something in the right rear suspension. Nic was driving the car. I was going to get in the car for the final stint but with the motor misfiring and a broken rear shock it probably didn’t make sense to feel something you hadn’t gotten used to so we just kept Nic in and kept ahold of seventh place. I think under the circumstances, with the car underpowered and crippled, that was a pretty good finish. Both Nic and Eric did an outstanding job. Otherwise the car was pretty good. Brakes were good, balance was good, tires were good. It’s just one of those things that happens in racing once in awhile.”

Nic Jonsson (# 61 Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430): “It’s always fun to drive the Ferrari, of course. It’s kind of an honor to be driving a Ferrari in any type of race series. Unfortunately, today we had some electrical issues that caused the engine to cut out on us and lose power randomly. Then in the last hour and a half we also had a right rear shock go out on me, so it was a pretty rough last stint in the car. We brought it home in seventh place, which was mid-pack. We beat both the GM factory cars, the Corvettes, so we’re pleased with that. Everything worked in the middle of the day for some laps in a row without any interruption and we were able to run basically in the top 3-4 pace, which I’m very happy with. The sister car (No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari) won. They were definitely the class of the field and we couldn’t stay with them by any means. They were about a second quicker than we were. Otherwise I’m very pleased.

“Eric did a fantastic job. Tracy also did a good job staying out of trouble. The car was good, except the interruptions we had electronically, which the team didn’t have anything to do with. The preparation of the car was as good as always. I’m looking forward to going to Laguna for another 6-hour race and getting even more prepared for the big race in Le Mans in June.”

Eric van de Poele (#61-GT2 Ferrari 430 GT): “I’m always very happy to finish a race at Sebring because it is always so hard. Again, we had a little problem but generally we did very good pit stops; I don’t think any of us made a mistake on the track, so that’s important; and the car was nearly perfect from a chassis point-of-view, except for the misfire from the engine. I had a problem with the brakes but except otherwise everything was fine and consistent. I’m happy always to finish this race. It’s a pleasure to drive for Giuseppe and Tracy. I also want to say congratulations to Jaime, Gimmi and Pierre and the whole Risi team. Everyone did a great job.”

[epiclyaddicted]

I don't really follow Le Mans that actively, but I thought I read somewhere that this is the last year for the 430 in GT racing? If that's true, then is Ferrari planning to replace it with a sort of a 458 Italia GTC next year?

[Rob]

I did read that aswell, hope they dont as 430 GT is stunning. 430GT could do with tad more top end speed, the chevys and BMWS got bit on us now. But if the 458 is coming im sure it is going to have that touch more speed the 430 Gt is missing now. Havent seen any pics yet or heard any tech spec of it (YET)

[epiclyaddicted]

Yeah the 458 should have more top end speed as the basic engine is slightly bigger and a lot more powerful than the one in the 430. Will be interesting to see how the already gorgeous 458 looks in race-spec.