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Race report

Risi Competizione Scores Podium For Ferrari In Austin

Fisichella and Kaffer score fifth IMSA podium of the season

#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella

#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella

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#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella and #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford/Riley: Scott Pruett, Joey Hand
#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella
GTLM Podium: Race winner #25 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE: Bill Auberlen, Dirk Werner, second place #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella, third place #911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR: Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy
#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458: Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella
#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia: Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell
#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia: Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell

Austin, Texas – Risi Competizione’s Ferrari 458 Italia survived the heat, and the competition, to come through the GT-LeMans field to finish on the podium in Saturday afternoon’s Lone Star LeMans, the second-to-last race of the IMSA United SportsCar Championship.

After starting in eighth position, drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer steadily moved the no. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia up through the field, while the team was able to make up additional positions during the team’s final pit stop. The team’s strategy was executed to perfection when, in the closing stages, the Ferrari achieved the fuel consumption needed to make it to the finish while other cars were forced to pit for additional fuel.

Fisichella closed on the leader on the final lap but would cross the finish line in second position. It was the fifth podium result of the season for he and Kaffer, and the result moved them to fourth position in the GT-LeMans driver’s championship.

Bell and Sweedler close championship gap despite tumultuous final hour

In the GT-Daytona class, the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 had a competitive day that was slowed in the final hour. A strong start from Bill Sweedler moved the Ferrari from third starting position to the lead before the car was taken over by Townsend Bell during the team’s first pit stop. However, an incident in the final hour dropped Bell from challenging for the lead, and the checkered flag saw the Ferrari in sixth position.

With that result, Ferrari maintains the lead in the manufacturers championship in GT-Daytona, while Bell and Sweedler are now four points out of the lead in the driver’s championship. The duo are in third position in the championship with one race remaining in the season.

Risi Competizione

 

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