14.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
RISI COMPETIZIONE LEAD A FERRARI WHITEWASH AT LE MANS 1ST AND 3RD PLACES FOR THE HOUSTON TEAM IN THE GT2 CLASS

In today’s 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, won overall by Peugeot Sport, the Houston-based Risi Competizione team once again demonstrated its dominance in endurance GT racing by winning the GT2 class for the second year in succession with a two lap advantage over the second placed finisher, BMS Scuderia Italia.  This is the fourth endurance win for the team owned by privateer Giuseppe Risi, and comes after 2008 Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 Sebring 12 Hours.  

The Ferrari 430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer was not only joined on the podium by its sister Ferrari which finished third – piloted by Krohn Racing’s Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele – but they led an astonishing Ferrari result which shows that nine of the ten Ferrari 430s entered in the race were classified in the top 11 places in class.  Only a Spyker intruded in an all-Ferrari top ten.  

In the year that the Italian marque celebrates the 60th Anniversary of its last overall win of the world’s most famous and sportscar race, it is a result that Ferrari’s President can be proud of.  As official starter of this weekend’s 24 hour race, Luca di Montezemolo, made mention whilst at Le Mans of the very high level of competition between all automobile manufacturers entered in the race and of how much regard he had for the event.  

The #82 Ferrari of Melo, Salo and Kaffer had a faultless race, with no mechanical worries, and were able to profit from a well prepared car, consistent and reliable Michelin tires, a superb driver line up which had the experience and skill to outlast many of their competitors in varying temperatures and track conditions, and a team which didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the entire 24 hours.   

The only unscheduled pit stop was for an additional set of tires on Sunday morning at 0927 hrs.  It was a similar story for the #83 Krohn green car which also only had one unscheduled pit stop for tires at 0109 hrs on Sunday morning.  

Both cars stopped 26 times during the twice round the clock event, and led the GT2 category from the sixth hour to the chequered flag.  

Team Principal Giuseppe Risi was overwhelmed by what had been achieved.  “This is a very special day; winning this again after what we did last year makes it even more so.  To have ten Ferraris here and have two of our cars placed in the top three is a simply magnificent result.  These are the best teams in the world who race here  so it is extremely special to have achieved this outcome, and to have entered the history books as part of Ferrari’s racing folklore.  I can’t say enough about it.”  

Mika Salo didn’t consider that this victory was any harder than last year’s.  “It’s the same but we had a lot of opposition this year, faster cars than last year, but it’s a 24 hour race so lots of them had problems and in the end it was only our car which worked perfectly and didn’t have any mistakes.  To have three Ferraris on the podium and two of them from Risi is pretty good for the team who did an excellent job.  It’s easier to win this race when you know how to do it already, like from last year.  You know you don’t have to be the  fastest;  you just have to save the car a little bit, be careful not to make mistakes and hit anybody or let them hit you.  In the beginning of this year’s race we had to go a little faster than last year, but it turned out very well.”  

Jaime Melo:  “To be honest I didn’t expect to see the Porsches out of the challenge from the first few hours.  Before the race we all though they were really strong, but I think Risi Competizione has really prepared well for this race in the past year as well as more recently.  Pierre, Mika and were able to do really consistent lap times, and it was a really easy car to drive so that helped us to do our job.  Like Mika said we had no problems.  Tire changes were perfect every time so we need to say thanks to Risi Competizione for those and to Michelin as well as we could triple stint the tires from quite early on. “  

Pierre Kaffer:  “It’s my first year with Risi Competizione and if you ask me whether I have experienced more pressure to do well at this or any other event, then it would be in Sebring because it’s always difficult there for whoever joins a team to be on the pace and there can be disappointment.  Jaime and I do the ALMS and in America sometimes it’s difficult for me as I don’t know tracks yet.  Here in Le Mans I know it really well and I have the self confidence.  I know we have a very good car, and a very good base for this year and Risi do always a great job on preparation and everything to do with the strategy.  Everyone works for the same result;  every mechanic didn’t just do their job but made they also did it for the victory.  I am proud to join such a nice team, to be a little part of this team and it will be nice to be there. “  

Nic Jönsson:  “This result is fantastic; for us it’s just like a win. Having the #82 sister car taking the win and us taking third in the whole scheme of things is like a win for the whole team.  Risi Competizione  have done a fantastic job gain.  Both cars ran flawlessly the whole way through and there’s very few teams you could say that about: it’s unbelievable and  astonishing.  You almost get goose bumps every time you go out there on the podium – it’s the biggest sportscar race in the world.  You can win races back in the States and stuff,  but to finish third here is probably better than any win in the USA.  And to do it the way we did it!  You just have to stay out of trouble, be patient, try not to race people we know we can’t out-race.  Of course, Tracy started racing just six or seven years ago and has been on the podium twice at Le Mans and it’s always a team effort.  We’ve done that,l; it’s a great result for him and a big thanks to Giuseppe Risi for being part of this team.  I can’t say enough that I’m happy.”  

Tracy Krohn:  “I bumped into Ron Fellows [former Corvette driver and now consultant]  about midnight and after we’d chatted and just as I was leaving he said “Tracy, keep it on the track.”  To stand up there for the second time in three years is awesome;  you’re stunned and  on top of that it’s a very knowledgeable group of fans.   Nine of the 10 Ferraris finished – it’s phenomenal  and, absolutely,  to be part of that in what is not just an endurance race,  but rather a sprint race is humbling.  You have to remember that we don’t driv e this car very often [The Ferrari), the three of us.  You couldn’t have predicted what might happen...it’s becoming pretty good.”  

Eric van de Poele:  “I’ve been part of a winning team in three different classes at Le Mans and even though we didn’t win today we had a podium and had a special result.  It’s much easier when you are with a good team and people around you, and of course when you get the  right material.  Here [at Le Mans] you have to say it’s tough for GT2 competition and even if I was dreaming about a podium in my head I thought it was nearly impossible.  But we had a good strategy and we knew we had good package in general with tires, car, and drivers as well.   Absolutely no problems at all and could save time in pits and it’s a real team effort and especially here because all the pit stops were faultless.”  

Risi Competizione is a Houston-based racing team, wholly owned and directed by Giuseppe Risi, which has been very successful in sports car racing in both Europe and the United States. In addition to racing Ferraris and Maseratis, Risi Competizione also provides competition development, management, and support services.   Tracy W. Krohn, of Houston, Texas, continues his successful racing relationship with Risi Competizione for the third year in succession.  Krohn is also a team owner/driver of the Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype team in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series which won its first race of the 2009 season at New Jersey Motorsports Park a month ago.  

The Official Sponsors of Risi Competizione, 2007 ALMS GT2 Team Champions and 2008 Le Mans GT2 winners, are Boardwalk Autogroup, QT Technologies, Motorola, AdShip, Michelin.

14.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
RISI COMPETIZIONE LEAD GT2 FERRARI WHITEWASH AT LE MANS

In today’s 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, won overall by Peugeot Sport, the Houston-based Risi Competizione team once again demonstrated their dominance in endurance GT racing by winning the GT2 class for the second year in succession.  This is the fourth endurance win for the team owned by privateer Giuseppe Risi, and comes after 2008 Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 Sebring 12 Hours.
 
The Ferrari 430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer was not only joined on the podium by its sister Ferrari which finished third – piloted by Krohn Racing’s Tracy Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele – but they led an astonishing Ferrari result which shows that nine of the ten Ferrari 430s entered in the race were classified in the top 11 places in class.  Only a Spyker intruded in an all-Ferrari top ten.
 
The #82 Ferrari of Melo, Salo and Kaffer had a faultless race, with no mechanical worries, and were able to profit from a well prepared car, consistent and reliable Michelin tires, a superb driver line up which had the experience and skill to outlast many of their competitors, and a team which didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the entire 24 hours.
 
A full release and quotes will be issued later this evening.

14.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
0900 HRS > SUNDAY #82 HOLDS STRONG LEAD; #83 MOVING ON UP

At the three quarters point in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the two Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GTs have been running like clockwork, with no concerns or worries.  The only worry that has threatened in the last two hours is the possibility on the radar screens of some inclement weather.  The #82 remains at the head of the GT2 class into the 18th hour.
 
The team’s drivers through the night have benefited, or endured, depending on your point of view, from several extensive safety car periods due to serious accidents to both an LMP1 car and one of Risi’s leading competitors, the Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche.  Fortunately the drivers of both these cars have escaped serious injury.
 
Prior to these interruptions, the Risi and Krohn drivers were double or triple stinting in their Ferraris.  Houston’s Tracy Krohn settled into an excellent rhythm in his double stint and recorded some of his fastest times of the week so far which contributed to the #83 progressing up the classification from 8th to 5th. 
 
The next report will be issued after the conclusion of the race at 1500 hrs, Sunday June 14

14.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
0300 HRS > #82 HOLD GT2 LEAD INTO HALF DISTANCE

Both Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT2 entries are running strongly at half distance, with the #82 continuing to hold a class lead claimed in the sixth hour of the race.
 
Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo have all triple stinted, changing their Michelin tires at every second stop, and have run without any mechanical problems or worries.
 
Nic Jönsson and Eric van de Poele have completed triple stints and Tracy Krohn a double, and the drivers of the Krohn green car are all very happy with the progress of their race, lapping consistently and to their race pace, with only one unscheduled pit stop after a spin by the Belgian veteran. 
 
Nic Jönsson:   “Well it all seems to be going okay at the moment.  Lots of our competitors have had problems but we’ve got our own race plan and we’re doing well on that.  Both Eric and Tracy have run at night now and that all went well and I’m going to be going in as it goes from night to dawn which can be challenging but I’m looking forward to it”.
 
Pierre Kaffer:  “It was okay!  At the beginning of the stint I needed to take my time, because I did not want to crash the car, to take the measurements of distance between the LMP cars and me in the dark.  I had to figure out which cars were which and how quickly the Peugeot, for example, would pass me.  After a couple of laps I got into the rhythm and it was okay.  I have to say the car was perfect, the guys did a great job, and the gearbox is very light [easy to use].  I had big understeer at the beginning but it’s much better now, especially in the Porsche Curves so we can lap fast and stay safe.” 

13.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
CHRIS RIGGS - SATURDAY BLOG

with CHRIS RIGGS  

(Chief Mechanic, Risi Competizione) 

Well here we are not far past midway through the race. We’ve had a little struggle but everything’s running extremely well now; no problems at all with the driver changes and the pit stops have been excellent. It’s running like clockwork which is kinda nice actually and that’s all I can say at the moment.

We had to get up at 6am and get here for 7 as warm up was at 8.30am so the 24 Hours of Le Mans always turns out to be somewhere nearer 40 hours than 24. There’s always work to be done before the race starts, always something and today we had to get the garage looking really good as well as half of the Ferrari factory seemed to be here from Maranello. You never sit down and just wait for the race to start at 3pm because there’s last minute spares to ready, last minute ideas or prep that can be done. The large amount of time that you think you have between the warm up and the green all goes away.

Once the race starts you definitely try and rest as much as you can and try not to think too much about the timetable. It can seem pretty endless.  I try not to look at the TV too much and I just kinda let the race do its own thing. We get a four-lap warning from Rick Mayer, the #82 car’s engineer, when we are going to be doing a pit stop so I just wait for that to come through, get kitted up with gloves, fireproof balaclava and goggles and get ready to go.   

There’s a pretty regular supply of food into the pits to keep up going, and it’s tempting to over eat just because it’s there. We are being catered for by an Italian Ferrari team, AF Corse, who we get on well with and who we helped out when they came to Sebring and they have done a great job of giving us good healthy food. It’s a little different to what we’re used to but it’s good all the same.

Anyway, I’m off to get a bit more sleep between stops. We’re leading the GT2 class at this stage (and have been for the last five hours) so wish us luck!

13.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
2100 HRS > #82 LEADS GT2 CHARGE, #83 RACING TO PLAN

At quarter distance of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT of Jaime Melo, Mika Salo and Pierre Kaffer is holding a firm lead in the highly competitive GT2 class, while the Krohn Racing crewed #83 car has been running steadily within the top eight in class.
 
Neither of the Risi Competizione entries have experienced any mechanical problems, and all six drivers have cycled through the car.  They have only once been slightly delayed during a pit stop when both the cars in neighboring pits were also stopped and space was severely limited.
 
Melo started the race and had a great on-track battle with the leading Porsches in the class for the first ten laps of the race before handing over the Pierre Kaffer after a double stint.  Both Kaffer and Salo have since completed double stints.
 
Melo said [at 1800 hrs] after his stint:  “I had lots of high speed understeer but the stint was quite good.  I think the Porsches were playing with us as they have so much power on the straight – they would drop back a little and then come back alongside me quite easily.  I’m not worried though as I think the car feels good and we have a good chance.”
 
Car #83 has been the first of the Risi cars to triple stint its Michelin tires and it was Tracy Krohn who safely brought the car home at the end of that time.  “By the last four laps of my stint the tires were not great but it was still quite warm at that time so it’s looking good for tire wear in the night.  Other than that everything was good and I’m looking forward to getting back in again.”
 
 
The next bulletin from Risi Competizione will be issued at 0300 hrs, Sunday June 14

13.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
CHRIS RIGGS THURSDAY/FRIDAY BLOG

with CHRIS RIGGS  

(Chief Mechanic, Risi Competizione) 

First of all apologies that we skipped a day...hope you were keeping up on what’s been happening on americanlemans.com!

Thursday’s always a pretty busy day for us as there’s a ton of stuff to do on the cars.  We put in our race engines and gearboxes, even though it was prior to qualifying, so that’s almost ten hours work before we start to think about anything else.  The changes on both the #82 and #83 cars went smoothly; Ferrari reliability is always great so it’s nice to be able to install them and not worry.  I’ve got a little bit more responsibility this year as it’s my first year as a crew chief at Le Mans.  There’s extra stress because of the prestige of the event and because Ferrari’s president Luca di Montezemolo is coming to officially start the race.  The boss (Giuseppe Risi) naturally wants it all to be extra special so we’re working hard towards that.

By the time you’ve finished Wednesday night’s practice and got into bed it’s well past 1am and then we do the same again on Thursday so we’re starting to get short of sleep long before the weekend.  My girlfriend Megan will tell you that I’m a little grouchy when I’m short of sleep!

Yesterday’s four hours (two hours 7-9pm then from 10pm to midnight) didn’t really feel like qualifying; it felt more like a normal night practice. It’s very different to IMSA partly because of the duration – no 20-minute sessions here – and partly because of the organization as far as tech and the regulations are concerned.  Let’s just say that rulings here can be very French...which is strange considering that this is where the foundation of our IMSA rules stem from.

Anyway, qualifying went well for both our cars and Jaime, who set the quickest lap of all the Ferraris, was very happy with the set up.  We tried a new auxiliary lighting system and the drivers were all happy with it, plus they are all comfortable in the car.  The radio [chat] was quiet which is always a good sign. Our sister Krohn car ran the whole qualifying session as Tracy was having a good time being back at Le Mans and so far we’ve had no mechanical issues on either car, as we would expect. 

Today there’s no track action and we’ve been making sure we have all the parts and equipment prepped ready for the race.  We’ve got a few new guys on the team and it takes a little while for everyone to get into the groove but we’re all getting on good and everyone seems happy. 

It’s almost here now, and Saturday will be a very long day as it finishes on Sunday!  We’ll wake up tomorrow at 6am and probably won’t come back to the hotel till Sunday at 9pm so it’s early nights for everyone tonight.  Wish us luck.

13.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
CHRIS RIGGS WEDNESDAY BLOG

Today we finally got running although we didn’t start until the evening so had the whole day to work on the cars.  This year there’s not been an official practice day ahead of the race so we had six hours track time instead of the usual four.  With a four-minute plus lap, that still doesn’t give you much track time to run through all the drivers and make any changes. 

It’s a pretty important session as we work on things like track familiarisation, driver comfort, car set up, tire evaluation and the position of the lights at night time.  That last one is critical, especially when the drivers have been in the car for 2/3 hours at a time and are getting tired, they need to see well. 

During the day we had to work on fitting an updated AC unit which was a case of last minute parts and a last minute struggle.  It seemed like it all worked okay although it wasn’t hot enough to test it fully.  It always seems like everything goes smooth and good right up to the last minute. 

And guess what...it’s still raining!!  Actually it was a bit on and off all day so we got some dry laps in but the majority of the practice session was wet.  Everyone’s been here before but it’s always difficult to get back in the groove; another reason to get some good practice in before qualifying tomorrow and then the race.
 
We did some more pit stop practice, refined it and think we’ve got it now. The ACO want us to be so safe with fire suits and so forth but there’s more photographers and people than ever standing in the way when the car comes into the pits.  I think that’s more of a danger than anything else; we do what we can but we spend a lot of time moving people out of the way. 

So the session is now over and everything went good and everyone seems happy – we just have to hope for some better weather tomorrow.  We got the drivers sorted and back in the groove and got everyone settled and comfortable in and with the car.  We’ve got quite a lot of work to do tomorrow and hopefully we’ll then have a really good race car.

11.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
MELO LEADS THE FERRARI ASSAULT ON LE MANS

Winners of the GT2 category twelve months ago, Risi Competizione showed that they will  still be a force to be reckoned with in this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with a perfect display of speed, reliability and consistency during today’s qualifying session.

Jaime Melo set the fastest time of the ten Ferrari 430s which will be battling five Porsches, a Spyker and an Aston Martin for GT2 honors in the world’s most famous endurance race.  His time of 4:04.056 was set under the hours of darkness in the third of the four hours of qualifying but was not enough to be able to match the Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche of Jörg Bergmeister who claimed pole position.  Melo’s Red number 82 will line up in third place in the category, while Nic Jönsson’s time of 4:08.758 places him and his Krohn Racing colleagues in the distinctive Krohn Aviation-liveried number 83  on the sixth row of the GT2 grid.

Both Risi Competizione entries profited from the first proper dry running of the week so far to work on set up and carry out longer fuel and tire runs as well as assess the real race pace of their cars.  Team Principal, Giuseppe Risi, said after the end of the evening, “I am satisfied that we managed to run through the program we’d set ourselves for these last two days, despite yesterday’s inclement weather.  Jaime is pleased with the balance of the car, which is the most important thing, and I know that Tracy was really enjoying his night laps in the car – he didn’t want to come back into the pits and stop!  We now just have to have a smooth run for the race and in particular try and avoid any pit stop penalties.  These new regulations are likely to catch out more than one team but I hope that we aren’t one of them.”

Jaime Melo:  “I was hoping to get out a bit earlier in the second session [the car was slightly delayed by the completion of some scheduled pre-race mechanical preparation] to get some daylight and I think I could have been a little bit faster then.  In the dark you cannot see your lines as well so you are a bit more conservative.  I’m happy as third is not bad and the important thing is that the car is really well balanced; we will be able to keep a good lap time which gives me a lot of confidence for the race.”

Nic Jönsson:  “It’s great to get a few dry laps in before the race.  The Risi Competizione and Krohn Racing guys did a great job to set the car up and it seems to be very mechanically sound.  Everything is working very well, we tried a few different types of tire and it seems like the soft tire in the night will work well to get rid of the understeer.  We know we won’t win this race on speed but we can win it by being smart and staying out of trouble and out of the pits.  That’s what we are focussing on and what we will be concentrating on doing.   I’m looking forward to it.”

The 77th running of the world’s most famous sportscar race, which begins at 3.00pm (local, 9.00am CDT) on June 13, will be seen by over 250,000 spectators, up to 350 million TV viewers worldwide, and reported on by 1,800 journalists from over 35 nations.

10.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
RAIN, RAIN AND MORE RAIN

After the long wait and build up, the green flag finally dropped at 6:00 pm this evening for the first six hours of track time in preparation for the weekend’s 77th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.   When the timing clocks stopped at midnight, Jaime Melo had set the second fastest time in the GT2 class and fastest time of the 10 Ferrari 430s present at Le Mans. 

Despite the practice session being run in very varied weather conditions, the Risi Competizione team achieved all it set out to do and the six Risi and Krohn Racing drivers were satisfied that good progress had been made in preparation for tomorrow’s qualifying and the race itself.  

In the brief period of time that the track was dry the #82 Ferrari F430 GT concentrated on set up, using last year’s baseline as a starting point, while the #83 car worked primarily through a program of driver re-familiarisation and tire evaluation.  As much of the session turned out to be wet, it was an ideal opportunity for all drivers to not only complete their mandatory night laps after 10:00pm but also to assess what compromises might have to be made between wet and dry set ups should conditions change suddenly during the coming weekend’s race.   While it is currently forecast to be dry and warm tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, there is the possibility of thunderstorms on Sunday.

There were no mechanical issues during the six hours, although there were various long stops in the pits while drivers and engineers waited for weather conditions to settle.   With GT2 cars being limited to a specific number of sets of tires for the entire race week, judicious and prudent use of tires was called for and both drivers and engineers had to work closely together to achieve that goal.

For Pierre Kaffer, today was his first experience of driving the Risi Ferrari 430 in the wet so he was given plenty of time behind the wheel.  “It reminded me of last year’s test day here at Le Mans when conditions were always changing.  I think we made the best out of it and we got a very good set up at the end, moving forward all the time through the session with our performance in the car.  It’s nice to be a part of this professional team, and with such professional team mates; everyone jumps in the car and makes progress on the set up, all moving forward in the same direction.  That’s now the base for the race and hopefully tomorrow will be dry but I think we are in a good position right now.”   

Jaime Melo said after his time in the car:  “I got some dry laps and in those conditions the car’s balance was good but in the wet we need to work on the car set up a bit more; we’re not far from a good car.  The conditions were quite difficult because sometimes it was raining heavily and at others parts of the track were drying.  It’s difficult to set up and manage the car in these conditions.  Hopefully it’s not going to rain – I’m very confident of the car in the dry to be honest.   We’ve not had a chance to see what the gap is really like between us and the Porsches, but I think we’ve got a good car for the race.  We’ll see what happens with the weather and try our best tomorrow.”  

Returning to the Ferrari 430’s cockpit for the first time since his victory with Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, Mika Salo said:  “My first laps back at Le Mans weren’t in ideal conditions because of the weather but it was the same for everyone.  For me I haven’t driven anything since Sebring so I didn’t have much of a feel for the car. I’ve driven so many thousands of miles here anyway but tomorrow I’ll get some more laps and get the feeling back.  It will be okay.”    

Nic Jönsson had the difficult task of being in the car while conditions were at their most variable:  “I think it’s hard to say who’s quick and not because everyone was running different tires.  There were dry conditions at the beginning of the session then it got semi-wet, then real wet, so I think it’s hard to read anything into the times.  The car works real good and everyone got their minimum laps in so that was our main goal for today.  Tomorrow we will do some more work on set up and go fast!”

Anxious to erase the memory of Le Mans 2008, Tracy Krohn was nonetheless reminded of certain aspects of last year’s race:  “The track was real greasy and damp most of the time I was out, but it was absolutely great to be back at Le Mans.  It was also good to be back in the car at night and in the wet...it feels quite normal for here!  The competition is always tough at Le Mans and it’s such a challenging circuit. The sheer length of a single lap being over eight miles is a challenge in itself.”

Krohn Racing’s Eric van de Poele was delighted to be back at Le Mans and with Risi Competizione:  “For us it was quite okay as we had planned to do a few laps in the night and get used to the car again. We assessed different tires so we know what we have to expect with the soft and hard wet-weather tires and also some of the dry ones.  You know it’s a big advantage to be part of a team like this with a sister car which is one of the top cars in a Championship, and together we can all use the information we find together to make progress.”  

09.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
CHRIS RIGGS TUESDAY BLOG

with CHRIS RIGGS  

(Chief Mechanic, Risi Competizione) 

Hey again from a wet Le Mans...it seems it’s not just going to be us who got rained on during tech! We got through all of that okay apart from a couple of tiny stickers here and there – Risi Competizione doesn’t usually have too many issues fortunately. We’ve had all day at the track today so have been able to use some time prepping our tools which will work differently here in Europe from America. The power phase is 220V against 110V so all the adaptors, converters and transformers need to be got ready, and air lines have a different fitting as well...never mind the frustration of trying to order dinner! It’s not like ordering from Outback with a big beer; it’s a slow process of translation and small portions. That makes me start to miss home a little bit.

Another important thing we’ve done today is pit stop practice. The rules have changed this year and we can now only use one air gun and two people instead of the two gun/four mechanics in previous years. Since we’ve left the USA everyone’s been putting a lot of thought into different scenarios for this and, since we’ve been here, it seems that every time a car comes out of its garage to do practice, there’s a big audience from other teams – watching and timing – to try and pick up extra ideas.

Each team is likely to have their own ‘style’ depending on their people. We thought about having one of our wheel gun men, Jonny, to the fronts and I do the rears but that wouldn’t work because the guns are different side to side as far as the torque goes. After some more thought and watching a few others, we’ve decided our current scenario is that we’ll go with two inside wheel guns and one outside (which is okay as long as only one gun is in use at any one time) – but this might change at any time! When the car comes into the pits, and once refuelling is finished, Jonny and Adam will change the right front.

There’s no wall here to come back over, there’s a line in front of the garage that you have to use as your ‘wall’ so they will come back over and then Steve and I will change the right rear and step across the line once we’re finished. Jonny and Adam will then change both outside wheels and once they are back across the line, with all the tires and equipment, Steve will drop the car from its jacks and off it will go. If we get it wrong in any way we get a penalty....it’s going to be a long race.

08.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
CHRIS RIGGS MONDAY BLOG

with CHRIS RIGGS  

(Chief Mechanic, Risi Competizione) 

Well here we are back at Le Mans and the weather doesn’t seem to have changed at all since this time last year. It’s still raining! We got here last Tuesday, and our two Ferrari 430s and all the freight arrived the next day. We will have been here for six days before we even turn a wheel so we’re anxious to get at it.

We know that we’re not going to have such as ‘easy’ race as last year (easy in the sense that nothing went wrong) because of some strong competition but there’s still a good vibe. The Ferrari finally looks like it’s a race car again and has all its Le Mans special ‘clothing’ on – the special legality stickers, transponders, and so on. It takes a day’s work to go from a transportation to tech-ready car, including putting all the fluids back in such as oil and water, re-fitting the bodywork and floors. The cars look really naked when they arrive; they are wearing their doors and not much else.

Tech’s a big deal here; thousands of people lined up in the town center watching. Transportation of the car is fun; we use the same company and drivers each year and they remember us. Getting through the small roads with a large trailer and a half million dollar Ferrari is scary – but they do a good job.

Tech is based on stations you move through in a big L-shape. First of all you get asked lots of basic questions about what brakes, wheels, and gearbox you have. The second stage is more like what we’re used to in ALMS, details such as the wheelbase, track, wing height, bumper overhangs and floor flatness and total weight of the car without fuel. The next stage covers electrical systems and mechanical legality like fire extinguisher nozzles, headlights, then finally the timing and transponders section. The last stage is the mechanics’ favourite: photography! You get yelled at in English and French to move this way then that; you’re always in someone’s way and, oh yeah, it’s still raining. Very frustrating. Roll on tomorrow – one day nearer to practice starting but lots of work to do.

05.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
LOOKING FOR A DOUBLE AT LE MANS

Risi Competizione is on its way to France for its 2009 assault on the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans with just one simple, but momentous, challenge ahead; to repeat the dominant GT2 success achieved at La Sarthe twelve months ago. 

The Houston, Texas-based team, linked again for Le Mans with its endurance partner, Krohn Racing, has retained many of the elements within the 2008 winning package including the race-proven and reliable Ferrari F430 GT Berlinetta, created by Ferrari SpA with final build by Michelotto.  Add to that the extremely consistent and successful Michelin tire package, a largely-unchanged driver line-up, and a team which has now recorded GT2 class victories at the last three major endurance races – the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2008 Petit Le Mans and 2009 12 Hours of Sebring – and one would assume a quiet confidence in success.

However, as Team Principal, Giuseppe Risi, notes as pragmatically as ever, the task ahead is not one to be undertaken lightly. “There are undoubtedly high expectations of us after our recent successes in the endurance events, and especially our result last year.  But, and this is a big but, you can never underestimate the task ahead at Le Mans.  We go into the race composed, and with a certain level of confidence about our preparation and ability to be competitive, but at the same time we are very aware that anything can happen at any time.  

“I believe that Risi Competizione has the equipment and the drivers capable of winning in our intensely competitive category, which would be a fitting tribute to Ferrari’s 60th Anniversary of its first win at Le Mans.  I’m delighted to welcome Tracy Krohn and his colleagues back within the team, and I know he’s raring to go racing again.  Our chances of a successful result are doubled with a two-car entry.

“There are, however, new regulation changes this year which might threaten any team’s chances of success, notably the pit stop rules reducing the number of people able to carry out a tire change.  It only takes one infraction and you potentially end up losing time with a penalty and we all know that the winning car is not necessarily the fastest on the track throughout the 24 hours, but the one which spends the least amount of time in the pits.” 

Returning for an attempt at back-to-back class victories will be the Sebring-winning driver line up of Jaime Melo, Pierre Kaffer and Mika Salo.  Although Kaffer was not with Risi Competizione last year, he brings solid Le Mans experience to the team including a podium finish in a Ferrari 430, and the trio established an excellent working relationship earlier this year.  Melo has arguably the most miles under his belt in an F430 of any Ferrari driver in the world, and has admitted that he has matured greatly behind the wheel in the last twelve months.  Also not short of experience is Mika Salo who, although he stepped back from a full season of racing to pursue other opportunities, is as familiar to and with the Risi Competizione team as Melo. 

Renewing its successful racing relationship with Krohn Racing for the second time this year, the 2007 class runners-up at La Sarthe, Tracy Krohn and Nic Jönsson, will be running in the now-familiar and distinctive Krohn-green liveried car #83.  They are joined once again by Krohn’s highly experienced Grand-Am team mate, Eric van de Poele, a face very familiar at La Sarthe and a previous LMP1 class winner in 1998 in the Doyle-Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP.  Jönsson will be arriving directly from the latest round of the Rolex Sportscar Series at Watkins Glen, and it will be the first race for Krohn and van de Poele since the 12 Hours of Sebring.  They can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the Ferrari, and are aiming to improve upon a troubled 2008 race, and repeat the result of 24 months ago. 

Ferrari has a very special relationship with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and is one of the two most successful marques in the race’s history. Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Italian manufacturer’s first overall win, courtesy of the 166LM of Luigi Chinetti and Lord Selsdon in 1949,  Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, has been invited to Le Mans by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest to give the official start signal for the race on Saturday, June 13.  

In addition to the nine overall wins clocked up between 1949 and 1965, Ferrari has also taken numerous class victories in the French race, the most recent of which were was delivered in 2008 by the F430 GT of the Risi Competizione team. In ten days time, a total of 10 Ferrari F430s will be lined up at the start by eight private teams.

The 77th running of the world’s most famous sportscar race, which begins at 3.00pm (local, 9.00am CDT) on June 13, will be seen by over 250,000 spectators, up to 350 million TV viewers worldwide, and reported on by 1,800 journalists from over 35 nations.  For regular updates and information on the Risi Competizione team’s quest for success, check this website regularly or go to www.krohnracing.net

Ferrari victories at 24 Hours of Le Mans

1949 Ferrari 166 MM - Luigi Chinetti/Lord Selsdon
1954 Ferrari 375 - Plus José Froilan Gonzalez/Maurice Trintignant
1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa - Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien
1960 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa - Oliver Gendebien/Paul Frère
1961 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa - Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien
1962 Ferrari 330 TR - Phil Hill/Olivier Gendebien
1963 Ferrari 250 P - Lorenzo Bandini/Lodovico Scarfiotti
1964 Ferrari 275 P - Nino Vaccarella/Jean Guichet
1965 Ferrari 250 LM - Jochen Rindt/Masten Gregory

Risi Competizione victories at 24 Hours of Le Mans

1998 Ferrari 333 SP (LMP1) – Wayne Taylor/Eric van de Poele/Fermin Velez (Doyle Risi Racing)
2008 Ferrari 430 GT (LMGT2) – Jaime Melo/Mika Salo/Gianmaria Bruni

DRIVER QUOTES:  CAR 82

Pierre Kaffer:   “I think Le Mans is such a great race, the biggest sportscar race in the world.  I always remember my first laps there in 2004 and it’s always nice to be part of this race because it’s so special.   The Risi Ferrari was really strong here last year but I think this year will be tougher because Porsche have developed their car a lot over the winter so we have to push hard.  From what I saw in the Daytona and Nürburgring 24 hour races this year, these are not long distance races any more but more like sprint races.   You have to push for the whole 24 hours but you never know what might happen, like a puncture or something.  We know our Ferrari is very reliable and will last for this length of time and maybe we can pressure the Porsches so much they will get into trouble.” 
  
Jaime Melo:  “I think the approach to this year’s race is going to be same as last year.  It doesn’t matter what last year’s result is, this is a new race.  There is perhaps a bit more pressure this year because Porsche is stronger than last year – we don’t know what the real gap between us will be because last year they had problems.  Mika and Pierre both have good experience at Le Mans, and know what to do, so our approach will be the same:  keep the car on the track.  We know we have a consistent car and can give our competitors a hard time – hopefully we will have a race without any problems. 

Mika Salo:  “We got lucky last year when the two leading Porsches crashed, but even without that we had the speed and reliability to compete.  I believe our car and team effort was stronger than the Porsches’.  We have to be like that again this year and that’s what we hope we will be.  Our pace is pretty much the same as last year, our driver line-up is good, and we have a very professional team so that should all give us an advantage.  Of course it was nice to win at Sebring but that’s just practice for Le Mans, it’s just half the distance.  Everything  usually starts happening at Le Mans after 12 hours…when it all hits the fan, and that’s when you’ve got to concentrate even harder.”  

DRIVER QUOTES:  CAR 83

Nic Jönsson:    “I think it’s always great to drive a car with such history as the Ferrari, being at Le Mans or not. I’m sure with the 60th anniversary Ferrari is going to have a lot of special people there. Also there are 10 Ferraris competing there this year versus five (GT2) Porsches so obviously the marque is very well represented at Le Mans this year.  I think we have as good of a chance as anyone else. In a 24-hour race it’s not so much about pure speed, it’s all about managing your tires and brakes and making sure you stay out of trouble, especially during the night.  Also to try to just do the scheduled pit stops; if you do that and nothing goes wrong, you are going to be in a position when the sun rises in the morning to be running up front. That’s what we are aiming for again this year.”

Tracy Krohn:  “I am sooo ready to get back in to the Ferrari 430 GT and race at Le Mans.  The Ferrari actually drives a lot like our Proto-Auto Daytona Prototype; the DP just has more downforce and bigger tires. Thus the transition, as far as balance of the car is concerned, feels pretty natural.  We have had good success with Risi in that we have finished 2nd at Le Mans in 2007, 3rd at Sebring and 4th at Petit Le Mans in 2008.  I believe that we have also had a couple of other Top 10s as well in the last couple of years. The Risi team is always well prepared and completely professional.  We have also had the benefit of the Michelin tires and good support from Michelin as well.

“Competition is always tough at Le Mans. It’s such a challenging circuit. The sheer length of a single lap being over eight miles is a challenge in itself. Then you add so many talented drivers, many of them factory drivers, on the course with you and you have to keep your head up at all times.”

Eric van de Poele:  “It’s been a long time since our last race at Sebring,  but I've been focusing on Le Mans 24 and the physical preparation (tennis, jogging, swimming). We had a short race last year and I'm looking forward to be back with Nic and Tracy at this fantastic event. Also Nic needs a revenge match with me on table tennis and it is very important to be 100% ready for this challenge!

“The secret to success at any endurance event is the entire team, and Risi Competizione is very good at these events. It is impossible to reach the victory goal if you do not have 100% of the attention of the team, of yourself and of the race. I mean, you do need also a bit of luck but this is only 5% of the victory. This goal can only be reached with a full preparation of that race. You need to be patient, fast, prepared for the unprepared, reliable and very, very disciplined and concentrated.”

04.06.2009  |  24 Heures du Mans
THE A-Z OF RISI COMPETIZIONE

A...American Le Mans Series.  Our racing home from home.

B...is for Brilliant Brazilian – our own Mr Melo.  Obrigado Jaime.

C...Corse Clienti.  Without the support of Ferrari, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

D...determination, dedication, and demonstrable delivery - Risi Competizione has all these qualities. 

E...stands for engineers and engineering.  The brain trust, strategists, the forward thinkers.

F...Ferrari, of course, and Flying Finn.  Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Mika Salo.

G...great Germans – Pierre Kaffer and our estimable racing adversaries, Porsche.

H...Houston.  Risi’s home and headquarters.

I...is for individuals, all the fantastic people who make this team what it is. 

J...for June – the annual pilgrimage to France for the world’s biggest sportscar race.

K...is for Krohn.  Tracy W Krohn and his colleagues at Krohn Racing plus Nic Jonsson and Eric van de Poele, Risi’s loyal racing partners.

L...Le Mans.  Risi were 2008 GT2 winners of the jewel in the crown of international sportscar racing.

M...Maranello, Modena, Michelotto, Michelin, machines, motors, magic.  Take your pick.

N...nine is the number of times that Ferrari has won overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

O...optimum preparation necessary to succeed in endurance racing.

P...pressure.  You can either embrace it or be swallowed up by it.  Risi thrives on it.

Q...is for qualifying.  Something Jaime Melo is very good at!

R...is for Risi, Giuseppe Risi, the team’s founder and Principal.  The name represents all that is good and true in American sports car racing.

S...is for Sims, the team’s illustrious Team Manager – David Sims

T...is for Team.  No one person is responsible for success (or failure) – it’s a team effort.

U...unremitting.  The week at Le Mans can sometimes feel unremitting!

V...Vingt-Quatre Heures du Mans.  The reason we all go sports car racing.

W...Winning.  Especially at major endurance events!

X...is for X-factor.  No one element makes a successful team.  It’s the car, the drivers, the engine, the tires, the team, and that X-factor...usually provided by Lady Luck.

Y...youth, combined with experience and expertise;  Risi’s got the perfect mix within the team.

Z...Zzzzzz.  Sleep;  what everyone at Le Mans desperately craves and doesn’t get much of.