Risi Enters Two Ferraris For Rolex 24

[Rob]

458 Italia Grand Am...
Media Release | Posted December 24, 2011

Risi Competizione, which will enter a pair of Ferrari F458 Italia Grand Am's in next month's 50th Rolex 24, has yet to confirm its 2012 program beyond the Daytona enduro. (Photo: John Dagys)
North America's most experienced and successful endurance racing team, Risi Competizione, is returning to the 24 Hours of Daytona for the first time since 2004 with a new association, a new car and what promises to be one of the strongest GT Ferrari driver line ups ever assembled.

Risi will join forces with, and be supported by, two of the key members of the Ferrari North America dealer network and Ferrari Challenge racing series, Ferrari of Silicon Valley and Ferrari of Ontario. Risi Competizione with American Canadian Racing will enter two Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am cars in next month's twice-round-the-clock classic. The 50th anniversary of the 24-hour race will be run between January 26 and January 29, 2012.

Ferrari, the iconic Italian auto company, together with its GT development and manufacturing partner, Michelotto, has designed and developed its latest GT challenger, the Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am, specially for the North American Market.

Based on Ferrari’s European GT3 racer, the new car turned its very first laps at the famous Daytona International Speedway in July of this year under the watchful and experienced eyes of both the manufacturer and its pre-eminent North American racing team, Risi Competizione.

With more production components than the GTE-specification 458 Italia GTC, including different suspension, brakes, gearbox and tires, there will be much for the extremely experienced and able Ferrari squad of drivers to familiarise themselves with. Powered by a higher-output V8 engine than its European GT3 cousin, with over 500 brake horsepower available, the modified braking system helps to balance the regulated absence of ABS and traction control.

The driver line up will boast a five star roster of talent and will be fully confirmed very soon, together with driver pairings for the No. 62 and No.63 entries. Also to be confirmed in due course will be Risi's further racing plans for 2012.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/grand-am-risi-enters-two-ferraris-for-rolex-24/

well, with this news next years race i will be watching with alot more interest :xmasbiggrin:

[Nova]

Good luck to the Risi Ferrari's..Im only 4 hours from Daytona, going to try n go...

[Rob]

Good luck to the Risi Ferrari's..Im only 4 hours from Daytona, going to try n go...

be good to go there. Now we have Risi racing in it, for sure ;-) go watch it with more interest.

Driver line up.....

[Rob]

RISI COMPETIZIONE WITH AMERICAN CANADIAN RACING ANNOUNCE DRIVER LINE UP
Houston, Texas, 4 January 2012. With its two-car Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am entry to the Rolex 24 at Daytona recently confirmed, Risi Competizione with American Canadian Racing is pleased to announce its all-star roster of driving talent.
The Daytona effort, backed by long-time Risi Competizione sponsor Motorola as well as QT Technologies, and supported by a consortium of Ferrari dealers including Ferrari of Ontario, Ferrari of Beverly Hills, Ferrari of Silicon Valley, Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale, Boardwalk Ferrari, Ferrari of Vancouver, and Ferrari of Houston, will present a very highly experienced driving team to contest the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The line up brings together drivers who have been successful in Formula One, Indycar and the international GT series in North America and Europe and also includes two former Daytona winners. Representing Ferrari in the 50th anniversary running of the twice-round-the-clock endurance classic to be held between January 26 and January 29 will be:
Gianmaria Bruni (IT)
Giancarlo Fisichella (IT)
Toni Vilander (FI)
Raphael Matos (BR)
Andrea Bertolini (IT)
Olivier Beretta (MC)
While several names are well known as Risi regulars, including Gianmaria Bruni, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, there are some highly talented and experienced additions to the line up for Florida’s 24 hour race.
Gianmaria Bruni and Giancarlo Fisichella, who have raced with Risi Competizione previously, had a standout year in 2011 with multiple titles to their names by the time the season ended. Competing in both the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) and the Le Mans Series (LMS), the Italian duo won three of the seven rounds of the ILMC to take for Ferrari the GTE Pro Team and Manufacturer titles, and only narrowly missed out on a coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans victory in June. In the European based Le Mans Series, they won the GTE-Pro Drivers and Team championships. They also drove the winning car in the 2011 Petit Le Mans.
Risi regular, Toni Vilander, a multiple GT race winner for Ferrari in FIA and also in previous ALMS Seasons for Risi, secured in 2011 the Ferrari 458 Italia’s first North American ALMS victory at Road America. Vilander also picked up a win at Imola in Italy in the ILMC series in a 458 Italia. Vilander ran the entire 2011 season for Risi Competizione in ALMS.
Former Indy Lites Champion, Raphael Matos, joined the Risi Competizione team towards the end of 2011 and was one of the first test drivers at Daytona International Speedway for the Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am. The Miami, Florida-based Brazilian won the GT category of the 2008 Rolex 24 Hours and so brings valuable Grand-Am racing experience to the group.
Long time Ferrari GT test and development driver for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team, Andrea Bertolini brings to the team an extremely impressive resumé including four FIA GT championships. Bertolini has also previously raced for Risi Competizione in a Maserati MC12.
Olivier Beretta is a five-time ALMS GTS/GT1 champion and has six class wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, two FIA GT Championship titles and an overall victory in the 2000 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona to his name. The Monaco resident joins Ferrari after eight seasons with GM’s Corvette Racing team and so is very familiar with US racing.
All six drivers will be present at the Roar before the Rolex 24 at Daytona from 6-8th January.

http://www.motorsport.com/grandam/news/risi-competizione-announces-2012-daytona24-driver-lineup/

[Nova]

Haha, if I can go, I will hang as close to the Risi garage or any Ferrari garage I can...my camera will
be working overtime. I feel this is an historic venue, and Im so glad to see Ferrari participating more.

[epiclyaddicted]

Anyone know if the Dubai 24 hours is this weekend or not? And if so, is it on telly in the UK?

[Rob]

Anyone know if the Dubai 24 hours is this weekend or not? And if so, is it on telly in the UK?


There is highlights on Motors TV at 21.00 :-??

[epiclyaddicted]

There is highlights on Motors TV at 21.00 :-??

Ok thanks mate. Radio lemans will probably have commentary as well.

[Rob]

Ok thanks mate. Radio lemans will probably have commentary as well.

here you go mate....

http://www.gtplanet.net/2012-dubai-24-hours/

[epiclyaddicted]

here you go mate....

http://www.gtplanet.net/2012-dubai-24-hours/

Awesome, thanks mate! :-)

[Nova]

Well Ferrari is currently running 7th in GT, Porsche looks killer with their new car..This series 458 is a new car also I think, built to GA specs. Risi
had to start from the back, but theres still 23 hours to go....Porsche is always going to be tough as they pull all of their resources for GT racing,
where Ferrari is all about F1, with their GT programme run by private teams.
Go Ferrari's...7 Ferrari's against what..27 Porsches? Good race so far..

[Nova]

1 Risi car running 9th, the other has engine problems..Fisi is there, but not sure which team he is driving for.
Live stream at Speed.com. Great race so far.

[Rob]

1 Risi car running 9th, the other has engine problems..Fisi is there, but not sure which team he is driving for.
Live stream at Speed.com. Great race so far.

Fisi is in car Risi #62

[Rob]

FerrariRaces Ferrari Challenge
@
@robertallum1 Risi 63 has P6. Unfortunately Risi 62 retired after 5 hours

[Nova]

Yes but Risi 63 has unlapped itself and is now 4th in GT and running fast ....baby...get em guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
We back in it!

[Rob]

Yes but Risi 63 has unlapped itself and is now 4th in GT and running fast ....baby...get em guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
We back in it!

hope can et that gap down and get up on podium. But this battle at at front with McNish and AJ, wow, this close after 22 hours.

[Nova]

Yea thats killer, how about the restart after the last yellow??? the Risi is now in 3rd in GT..this is all coming down to the wire!!!

[Nova]

He lost it there but regained 3rd..wow...

Shoot, we've dropped to 5th..still hanging though...

So we did finish 5th, 9th, 18th and I think 22nd, plus the no finish of the other Risi car. Looks like we were making a push there
almost getting 2nd, not sure what happened..but its a new car, 5 Ferrari's against 27 Porsches, BMW's and GM.

Congrats to the Ferrari teams for finishing 24 hours. We gave it heck.

[Nova]

I must say, Ford really put it down, taking the top 3 spots at the 24..They debuted the Riley Ford, and I like the style of this years DP cars better than the
previous design. Chevy also debuted the Vette DP.

[epiclyaddicted]

Good race for Ferrari, having two cars finish in the top 10 despite starting so far back. Shame about the 62 Risi Competizione, without the engine failure, that would have finished in the top 10 as well.