Risi Competizione Ready To Turn Luck Around At Petit Le Mans For Season Finale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RISI COMPETIZIONE READY TO TURN LUCK AROUND AT PETIT LE MANS FOR SEASON FINALE Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTLM No. 62: Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA), Toni Vilander (FIN), James Calado (ENG) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Houston, Texas (September 27, 2016)...The Risi Competizione has a vast history at the Road Atlanta circuit and has been competing in the renown Petit Le Mans race since its inception in 1998. It started with a victory for Risi back then in the legendary Ferrari 333SP, with drivers Wayne Taylor, Eric van de Poele and Emmanuel Collard. The Risi Team is ready to come full circle now and finish off the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with a victory in the final round. This season has had a few challenges and bad luck for the popular Houston, Texas-based team. The past three races have seen the No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and Finn Toni Vilander lead in class and look to be headed to a victory or podium, only to have it snatched away in the final minutes. The Rosso Corsa (racing red) Prancing Horse team is more than ready to shed its bad luck and get back to the winning ways that have made Risi Competizione one of the best Ferrari GT teams in the world. Three victories, eight podiums, 13 Top Six finishes and five poles in 20 entries over 15 years is a statistic not many can match. Since the inaugural Petit Le Mans victory in 1998, Risi Comp has stood on the top step in 2008 and 2009 with the Ferrari 430 GT. Both Giancarlo Fisichella (2011 in Ferrari 430 GT) and Toni Vilander (2012 in Ferrari 458) have victories at Petit Le Mans on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn North Georgia road course. This race will be third driver, James Calado's first drive with Giuseppe Risi's team and first time on the Road Atlanta circuit. Calado previously competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this past January, in his only other IMSA WeatherTech appearance. Calado has been competing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) this season with Gianmaria Bruni with AF Corse in the GTE Pro Class. He currently has one victory, one pole and four podiums, including at the recent double-header race at Circuit of the America (COTA) with WEC, where he finished second in class. He has been competing in WEC since 2014. In 2013 he was the Sahara Force India F1 reserve driver, along with competition in GP2. He has a single-seater background before switching to GT cars. Risi Competizione's Team Principal Giuseppe Risi with Race Engineer, Rick Mayer Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer: Risi Competizione has raced at Petit Le Mans 14 previous times and won three times, including the inaugural race. How can that history be turned into success "The current BoP (Balance of Performance) now has us in a position to compete and be competitive. We've had good cars at Road Atlanta for most of the races we've run here. We know the track tendencies and understand what it takes to win here. We just need some good luck as opposed to our recent string of bad luck." For a 10-hour race with an added new driver to the team, how do you go about planning for the variables? "James (Calado) will be a welcome addition to the Risi team. He's proven himself convincingly in WEC. James should just slide right in. We shouldn't have to change any particulars of how we approach a race event. Toni and Giancarlo are both quick at Road Atlanta as well. I think we have a great line-up for this event." Tell us about James and why he was selected to drive for Risi Competizione this year at Petit and what he brings to the table. "He's been super quick this year in WEC. He also did a considerable amount of development testing with the F488, so he knows the car well. For James it's just a different track but the same car. We're super happy to have him for this event." What are the three most important things to pay attention to for the race this weekend? "Having a good, safe reliable car that inspires confidence in the drivers, as well as good pit work and strategy." Petit Le Mans is the season finale. What will you remember most about this season and what do you want the Risi Team's 2016 legacy to be? "I hope it's to win this final race and the Le Mans 24 Hours this year was certainly memorable. We've had a number of different issues that have kept us from reaching the top step this season. Currently we're in the best position to finally capitalize this year. We just need a little good luck, hopefully the race gods are with us at Petit." The Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 in the pouring rain at the 2015 Petit Le Mans race Giancarlo Fisichella, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: This will be your fifth time racing at Petit Le Mans and with one victory under your belt. How do you like the fast and challenging Road Atlanta circuit? "It's a fantastic track. It's not very long, but the shape of the corners and the circuit itself, with the ups and downs and elevation changes, which I enjoy, makes it very challenging. The crew will do well, as they always do, and I think we can get a good result for the final race." Ferraris have done well at Road Atlanta and Petit. What do you see as a positive in driving the Ferrari 488 GTE in the race? "Yes, the Ferraris have done well here - the [Ferrari] 430 and 458, and even back to the Ferrari 333SP. Now we will see if we can get a good result for the new 488." It will be a relatively large field of 41 cars on a rather short circuit. How will you handle traffic best in the race? "We always deal with this. Yes, it's a short circuit and many cars but with a long race you must be more patient. You have to have a car at the end so you cannot take too many risks." Petit Le Mans is the season finale. What will you remember most about this season and what do you want the Risi Team's 2016 legacy to be? "This has not been a year of good luck for us. We want to change that at Petit and go out of the season with a victory. That is our goal." Toni Vilander, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: This will be your fifth time racing at Petit Le Mans and with one victory under your belt. How do you like the fast and challenging Road Atlanta circuit? "I like the track a lot. It's a quite short lap but still very challenging. Hopefully we will have good speed from Practice 1 forward." Risi Competizione has raced at Petit 14 previous times and won three, including the inaugural race. How can that history be turned into success this year? "Every race has its own story. I believe the team is looking forward to the first win of the season and, of course, it's nice to know that the track has suited Ferrari well in past." You have a new co-driver added to the team with James Calado. Have you worked with him before or how well do you know him and how will you help get him up to speed? "I know James but I haven't raced in the same car yet with him. I don't think there will be any issues as he is true professional and a really fast GT driver." What are the three most important things to pay attention to for the race this weekend? "Traffic, stay out of trouble and have a fast car in the end." Tire wear, braking and use of the curbs are all important elements of preserving the car for your fellow drivers and to last to the end of the race. As a driver, how do you best manage those things and more challenges for the Petit race? "Of course you want the car to be fast in the end of the race. But also nowadays cars are so well built we can drive pretty hard the whole race." It will be a relatively large field of 41 cars on a rather short circuit. How will you handle traffic best in the race? "This will be a big issue. We need to stay calm until the end of the race." Petit Le Mans is the season finale. What will you remember most about this season and what do you want the Risi Team's 2016 legacy to be? "That's a difficult question. It has been roller coaster season. After Le Mans we really improved our speed, but something always has happened towards the end of the races. It has been a pleasure driving for the team and together with Giancarlo but we probably deserved more." James Calado, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: This is your first time driving in Petit le Mans, at Road Atlanta and with Risi Competizione. How did the invitation come together and what are your thoughts on being a part of the successful American Ferrari team? "I was asked by Ferrari to do this race. I told them previously how much I enjoyed Daytona, which was my first race in America this year. I guess Risi, Ferrari, Toni and Giancarlo have faith in me! They have given me another opportunity and it's great to have my first experience with the team at such a prestigious race!" How are you going about learning the new circuit? "I'm learning on YouTube and when I get to the circuit the team will get me further informed with data." What's your history with your co-drivers, Giancarlo and Toni, if any? "I know both drivers well but it will be my first time alongside them as teammates. They are experienced so I will take everything on board and try to learn as fast as possible." What are the three most important things to pay attention to for the race this weekend? "I would consider those to be patience, preserving the car and learning the track for me." Tire wear, braking and use of the curbs are all important elements of preserving the car for your fellow drivers and to last to the end of the race. As a driver, how do you best manage those things and more challenges for the Petit race? "I would say the best way to manage is by not using the full capacity of the curbs and trying to look after the car by not pushing 100% all the time. I know that in America they use full course yellow instead of a yellow flag, so I guess pace isn't everything until the last couple of hours. It's 10 hours and all the drivers will need to preserve the car, especially the brakes as mentioned." It will be a relatively large field of 41 cars on a rather short circuit. How will you handle traffic best in the race? "Common sense, I guess. I am experienced with traffic, which is a good thing, and one of my strengths in racing. Extra caution is needed however as it's a longer race." Practice for Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta begins on Thursday, September 29 at 11:15 a.m. EDT for one hour, then again in the afternoon from 3:25-4:25 p.m. and night practice from 7:30-9:00 p.m. Friday will have a one-hour morning practice session at 10:15 a.m., followed by a 20-minute qualifying session for the GTLM class at 3:55 p.m. The Saturday early morning warm-up runs 8:40-9:00 a.m. EDT and will be followed by the start of the 10 hour Petit Le Mans race at 11:10 a.m. Live timing and scoring is available for all on-track sessions at IMSA.com and the IMSA Smartphone app. Tune-In Information: Live coverage of Petit Le Mans airs Saturday, October 1 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports 1, from 2:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. on FOX Sports 2 and on the FOX Sports GO app. The race will be streamed live in its entirety for international audiences on IMSA.tv and the IMSA Mobile App. IMSA Radio will feature the broadcast team from Radio Le Mans and be carried live for the entire race. IMSA.tv also will stream audio from all practice and qualifying sessions, in addition to video from qualifying. 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