ALMS Risi Competizione

there are more pictures in red, at www.risicompetizione.com, just click on the 458 gt in the lower left part of the home page

 

Oh sweet mercy.

I certainly hope Ferrari do a similar treatment to the special edition.

With Fisichella racing for them, I'm going to be watching much closer this year. Testing begins on the 9th.

 

Those BBS wheels (or very similar) should be on the street version of the 458!

 

Also found the following on their site, dated Jan. 24 (??) :

"Risi is not alone in his interests in the new 458 GT. The usual suspects have made their pilgrimage to Maranello, hoping to gain the favor of the factory in their racing enthusiasm for the Ferrari 458. The factory will sell them a car or two, sell them the spare parts, provide race engineers for their on-track competitive efforts but despite cheery press releases that say that the (insert team name here) is building a close working relationship with Ferrari and Ferrari racing, everyone in the business knows the truth: Only Risi in the United States has managed to build that relationship, and he didn’t build it only with his checkbook (although he has committed millions to his Ferrari racing programs) or his late enthusiasm for the brand, like the latest group of suitors."

"One team racing against him with another pair of 430GTs spent tens of millions of dollars and only made the podium one time, when Risi’s car ran out of gas on the last lap at Petit. He has turned down offers to race other marques and models and has always been the go-to guy for Ferrari sports car racing in America. The pilgrims will come, their orders and deposits will be collected, and their cars will be shipped to racing operations headquarters, but only a fool would bet against Risi having the best 458 operation of all in North American in 2011…….if he races."

"When/if Risi Competizione receives it’s (sic) new 458GT, this is what the team will be looking at in terms of specs:"

"Will the 458GT be as fast out of the box as the car it replaces, the now-legendary Ferrari 430GT? That answer will not be long in coming, as the 458GT is due to show at the fabled Sebring winter tests, held on February 9th&10th. Do not be too surprised if you see a pair of Risi Competizione transporters in the paddock, unloading a 458GT, with a single driver there for the test. And certainly, do not be surprised if you don’t."

 

Anyone news from the test today?

 

Live timing is available on the ALMS site for all sessions.

So far, the lead Risi car is doing fine (but 13th in GT) and ESM appears to be back in their 430GT (top F-car in 7th GT) after the 458GT did not complete it's installation lap.

This is all my conjecture looking at the live timing feed on my iPhone! Lol!

 

live timing is wrong ESM are runing 458s

 

OMG!!! Just found this on youtube!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/almsofficialvideos

 

That's the Patron Team testing at the Factory....

 

Fixed! Thanks!

Well, proper order has been restored (so far this afternoon). With less than 2 1/2 hours to go for today, the Risi Melo 458GT is on top at 2:03.1 over Bergmeister in the FL 911 RSR at 2:03.6 and the Beretta Corvette ZR1 at a 2:03.8 in GT.

While I'm watching this, Krohn's 430GT driven by Nic Jonsson just displaced Beretta's Corvette from 3rd OA in GT at a 2:03.7!

Great stuff. Gonna be a good season!

 

Looks like the 'Vette quickest with Nic Jonsson in Krohn's 430GT second. Risi 5th in the new car just ahead of Dave Robertson's Ford GT (man, those Michelins are the BOMB) and Joerg Bergmeister's FL 911 RSR.

David Wilks of RaceShotsResource has some fabulous shots of today up on their FB site.

 

Even though we're just a small Privateer it would be nice if P 4/5 Competizione could race there next year...

 

JG: what would it take from the ACO to allow P4/5
Competizione in?

I've maintained since 2004 when it was obvious that
GT-1 wasn't catching on with manfactureres that the
ACO should have stepped up and created a Supercar
formula a-la FIA GT to include Maserati, Bugatti, Zonda,
Ferrari, etc.

But, the ACO is very reluctant to do this for some
reason. Then, we hear how they won't allow Audi to
enter their R10s in GT either which would add a lot
of spice to an already very competitive class.

What's your view?

BHW

 

http://www.risicompetizione.com/go/gallery.cfm?id=0D1DD51D-E081-411E-2111F93F224B8DA8

 

In the last 30 days over 1,500,000 people have visited P 4/5 Competizione's Facebook page.

I would Love to see P 4/5 Competizione racing The Porsche 918 at Sebring and Le Mans.

Who Knows??

 

You need a big sponsor!
Maybe a 2nd car................

 

Agreed, but it seems there would have to be a real
about face in the ACO offices.

It would be great to start a Supercar formula to run
at Le Mans, ILMS and ALMS as it seems no matter where
you go, anyone who saw the FIA GT at Sebring and
Laguna Seca in 1997 say these were the coolest cars to
ever race in the U.S.

I concour as I worked for AMG Mercedes-Benz which
ended up winning the championship.

So, why they allow the Lamborghini 540 in to GT but
not the Audi R10 is curious.

Politics and racing go hand in hand.

BHW

 

When Audi had came back into sportscar racing it came with four wheel
drive cars. They kicked everyones butt. They had wt added to them,
they made them run on smaller tires and Audi still won. In fact when
they added more wt and the smaller tires the next race it rained and
Han Stuck lapped the field twice (I think).

That is why there is a rule of no four wheel drive in the GT classes.

 

probably because there is no audi that is built to gt2 specs, there are gt3 audis, but technical rules are different, and the ACO doesent want to alow anyone to race without a proper car.

While a sports car class would be awsome, the ACO is too afraid that '99 wont happen to them, when almost all manufacturers pulled out of gt because it was getting to costly to run one year prototypes! and trust me gt2/now gte pro class is pure awsomeness to watch!
every race is very exciting, and very close, Corvettes, Porsches, Ferraris, BMWs, Astons, Lotus, Fords..... its the best class in sportscar racing

 

The Lamborghini racing in the current GT2 class is a Reiter Engineering GT3 based car. It's really no different.

 

A few pictures I took from the winter test.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Very nice - thanks. Any more?

 

Thanks for continuing to share pics and keeping this thread alive!! Great stuff!

 

A Few more...
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

So around 15K for a set of those 458 BBS wheels?

They'd look pretty nice powder coated.