Giuseppe Risi, Managing Director of Houston-based Risi Competizione has announced  that he will pair former F1 driver Marc Gene and current Champ Car driver Mario Dominguez in his team’s Ferrari F430GT in this weekend’s American Le Mans Series (ALMS) New England Grand Prix.

“We will have two new drivers in the car at Lime Rock,” Risi announced. “Jaime Melo and Mika Salo, who have been, I think, quite a sensational pairing in the 430GT, have other commitments on the July 1^st weekend, racing a 430GT in the FIA-GT series in Europe, and so we are pleased to bring two more new drivers into our team for this race. Marc Gene is a highly experienced racer in formula cars, having been first in the FISA Gold Cup Superformula and first in the Formula Open Fortuna by Nissan. He has been “Rookie of the year” on multiple occasions on different circuit, made 36 F1 starts—including filling in for Ralf Schumacher at Williams. Most recently he has been a factory test driver for BMW Williams and Ferrari. What we gain with Marc Gene is a driver with massive experience and a proven ability to get to the podium. It will be a pleasure to have him at Risi Competizione.”

Continuing, Risi noted that “we will pair Marc Gene with Mario Dominguez, another open-wheel star. Mario was CART’s rookie of the year in 2002, winning his first career victory. In 2003, he was 6th over all in the standings; in 2004, he finished 11 out of 14 races and had six top-ten finishes. Mario was on the pole for the Houston Grand Prix this year and finished third. We know he’s got the speed and believe he will adapt quickly to the challenge of driving a Ferrari race race car in the ALMS Series.”
 

Risi Competizione comes into the Lime Rock ALMS race pleased with the performance of the car, tires, and drivers, but still seeking their first ALMS win. The team has posted the fastest lap for each of the first three ALMS races but suffered through a total of four on-course collisions created by other cars. “Racing luck tends to even out over the course of the season,” said Team Manager David Sims. “We’ve had our share of incidents for the season and are looking forward to the remainder of the season. We have seven races to go and the car is getting faster each race. ”Will Lime Rock be the breakthrough event for Risi Competizione? “We won our first ALMS race at Lime Rock, “Sims remarked, “It’d be extremely nice to repeat it.”

PUTNAM LEASING JOIN RISI COMPETIZIONE

Risi Competizione, the Houston-based racing team competing in the American Le Mans Series with a Ferrari F430GT, has announced an exclusive sponsorship pact with Connecticut-based Putnam Leasing, a company which specialises in financial and leasing services for enthusiasts of new, vintage, collectible, and exclusive sports cars.

The sponsorship agreement includes a commercial relationship with Ferrari of Houston. Both Risi Competizione and Ferrari of Houston are owned by Giuseppe Risi. “This is a very unique sponsorship agreement and a perfect fit for both Putnam and Risi Competizione,” said Risi Competizione’s Giuseppe Risi. “Steve Posner, President, and Ed Yankowski, Managing Director, know the high-end car market extremely well and they have provided leasing and financial services to many of our Ferrari clients. They came to us with an innovative approach that works for everyone and we are delighted to have them as a member of the team.”

Speaking for Putnam, Steve Posner commented that “We have known Giuseppe Risi for years and we know his reputation for excellence, both on the track and in the operation of his dealership. He is unwavering in his desire for perfection in every facet of his operations. This is a very unique partnership and it has started to pay dividends for everyone right from the start. The exposure at the track, on television, and in the showroom is important for us. It’s a perfect match of capabilities.”