10.09.2003 RISI COMPETIZIONE REFLECT ON A WELCOME RETURN TO THE FRONT AT LAGUNA SECA
Life in the GT Class of the ALMS returned to the classic competitive battle of Ferrari versus Porsche that has highlighted the series at last weekend's Fry’s Electronics Sports Car Championships at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as the Michelin-shod Calpont Risi Competizione Ferrari battled into second place in GT class behind the factory Porsche. The podium placing, coming after a disappointing DNF at Road America, was hard-earned and enthusiastically enjoyed by the team and the crowd.
“This is precisely what we needed as we move to the close of the season” said Team Principal Giuseppe Risi. “Road America was tough for us, because the car was performing brilliantly, and then failed to finish because of an electrical problem. One of the reasons why we have been able to compete so well against the factory Porsches throughout the season has been the consistency of the 360GT and our preparation. Michelin has been particularly helpful in developing the car and improving our times. But one must expect a few setbacks during a season. That’s racing. We diagnosed the problem, corrected it, and are back, as our podium finish demonstrates. Now, we look forward to Miami.”
Return to the front
The tight, twisty, up-and-downhill 2.238 mile Laguna Seca course is one of sports car racing’s classic tracks. Drivers must be very careful when picking their spots to pass and the nature of the circuit puts a premium on braking and handling.
Team Manager David Sims remarked that “We made some changes to the ignition system and the car never missed a beat. We also tried a new set of shock absorbers and they turned out to be very, very good. The drivers liked them and so we went with them for the race.” Recapping the race, Sims noted that “There was an accident on lap 1, and we got involved with it, meaning it slowed us down and put us back to sixth in class from our starting grid position of fourth. Then, the guys started working their way through the field. We got to third, held it and put some distance on the cars behind us, and then one of the Porsches ran into trouble and we took second. Anthony did a great job and then Ralf took over and finished it out for us, ending up well ahead of the third place car. A good effort from everyone and yes, it’s great to be back on the podium.”
The podium finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was the fourth in five races for the Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT. At Sonoma, the team finished third; at Three Rivers, they picked up a second place finish, and followed up with another second place showing at Mosport. The did DNF’d (did not finish) at Road America and rebounded with a second place finish at Laguna Seca.
Looking forward to Miami
The next ALMS race is September 26th-27th, the Grand Prix Americas in Miami. David Sims noted that “We’re definitely back on track. Miami is the next race and we still have more development projects in mind for the car for that race. Miami is going to be a tough race, it’s a street course and very rough. Michelin has been brilliant at support and assistance for us throughout the season and they will have some suggestions on how to improve our times as well. You cannot afford to stand still in this series.”
Calpoint Risi Competizione's weekend
The Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT started the week at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Laguna Seca is a 2.238 mile circuit notorious for its tight, twisting, uphill and downhill curves. The premium at Laguna Seca is on handling and braking. The tight nature of the track makes it imperative that drivers pick their spots when making a pass.
The Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT turned in a total of 38 laps in Practice on Friday, September 5th, with both Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro putting in seat time. Best lap for the session was a 1:28.587, for an average speed of 90.948, done in lap no 37. This time placed the Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT ahead of all the other 360GTs in the session as well as nine other Porsche 911 GT3RS’. Top time in the session was put in by the factory Porsche driving by Maassen and Luhr, at 127.744.
Practice Session 1: The team put in a total of 23 practice laps in the first session. The best lap of 1.27.758 was good enough to place the Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT at 4th in class and the car was, again, the fastest Ferrari in class. Best time in the session was a factory Porsche with a 1.25.916 lap.
Practice Session 2: The no. 35 Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT turned a best lap of 1.28.309 to remain at 4th in the highly competitive GT class. With Kelleners and Lazzaro driving, the team put in a total of 27 laps. Again, the beautifully prepared 360GT was the fastest Ferrari, following a pattern of consistency in performance which has been present since the start of the ALMS season.
Provisional Grid: The Calpont Risi Competizione 360GT qualified fourth in class, with a 1.27.557 lap time and an average speed of 92.018 miles per hour. This was the fastest Ferrari 360GT time of the day and also put the No. 35 car ahead of thirteen other cars in the class, including 10 Porsche 911 GT3RS racers.
