A Busy Endurance Weekend
Company press release.
Maranello 18th July - It is a busy weekend ahead for Ferrari GT cars racing around the world; The Ferrari Challenge Europe visits Portimao in Portugal and the North American Ferrari Challenge is at Lime Rock. The European Le Mans Series (ELMS) returns to action in Austria for the third round of the season. At the circuit of Enzo d Dino Ferrari, Imola the Prancing Horses will be looking to uphold home honour as the Italian GT series takes part in two races for round four of its championship. Across the pond the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) arrives at Mosport Park in Canada for the fifth round of its season.
It will be a depleted appearance by Ferrari in Canada, sadly after a serious accident at Lime Rock park the Risi Competizione team have announced that it is unable to reapir the car in time and must miss the round. Instead of travelling directly from Connecticut to Canada, the team were forced to return home to repair the car. 'It is extremely unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this position,' said Team Principal Giuseppe Risi. 'We will return ready to compete at Road America in August, and we wish all our fellow ALMS entrants a safe event in Canada.'
The remaining Ferrari of Team West / AJR / Boardwalk Ferrari will be driven by Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell. The race in Canada starts on Sunday at 12:00 and runs for 2 hours and 45mins and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The ELMS championship will field a grid of 8 Ferrari in the GTE and GTC categories this weekend in Austria - the first time an endurance race has visited this circuit. The Ram Racing cars currently hold first and third place in the championship and it will be a difficult race for one of their drivers in particular. The #53 car has its regular drivers, American pairing Gunnar Jeanette and Frankie Montecalvo will be looking to clinch victory from their team mates Johnny Mowlem and Matt Griffin - Jeannette will be doing this just two months after breaking his leg. An experienced Sky Diver Jeannette fractured his tibia after a freak accident when both his main canopy and back up failed.
'Normally the time frame for this would be much longer, but I have very good orthopaedic surgeons in Utah who worked with the US Olympic team,' explains Jeanette. 'The only change I foresee is that in recent years I have been a left-foot braker, but now I am going back to my roots and using my right foot. I have been told the Ferrari pedal positions favour this so I am going to put it to the test.'
AF Corse field three cars - two in the GTE category for Mallegol, Bachelier, Blank and Perazzini, Cioci and Leo; they also have one car in the GTC class in the hands of Gai, Casé and Rizzoli. JMW Motorsport completes the GTE class with the #66 car shared by Andrea Bertolini and Joël Camathias. Russian team SMP field 2 cars completing the Ferrari line up for GTC. The race will be flagged off just after 16:30 on Saturday and will run for three hours.
The Italian GT championship arrives at Imola just two weeks after its last round at Mugello - the round which witnessed a Ferrari fight back against Porsche. The Ferrari pairing of Gabriele Lancieri and Giuseppe Cirò of MP1 Corse stand just 4 points adrift of the championship leaders and will be looking to wipe out that lead this weekend. Completing the lineup will be The Easy Race car of Mancini and Dromedari and the Black Bull Swisse Racing car driven by Venturi and Maino.
The drivers will compete in two races both of 48mintes + one lap the first on Saturday at 10:40 and the second on Sunday at 16:30.
Maranello 18th July - It is a busy weekend ahead for Ferrari GT cars racing around the world; The Ferrari Challenge Europe visits Portimao in Portugal and the North American Ferrari Challenge is at Lime Rock. The European Le Mans Series (ELMS) returns to action in Austria for the third round of the season. At the circuit of Enzo d Dino Ferrari, Imola the Prancing Horses will be looking to uphold home honour as the Italian GT series takes part in two races for round four of its championship. Across the pond the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) arrives at Mosport Park in Canada for the fifth round of its season.
It will be a depleted appearance by Ferrari in Canada, sadly after a serious accident at Lime Rock park the Risi Competizione team have announced that it is unable to reapir the car in time and must miss the round. Instead of travelling directly from Connecticut to Canada, the team were forced to return home to repair the car. 'It is extremely unfortunate that we have found ourselves in this position,' said Team Principal Giuseppe Risi. 'We will return ready to compete at Road America in August, and we wish all our fellow ALMS entrants a safe event in Canada.'
The remaining Ferrari of Team West / AJR / Boardwalk Ferrari will be driven by Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell. The race in Canada starts on Sunday at 12:00 and runs for 2 hours and 45mins and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The ELMS championship will field a grid of 8 Ferrari in the GTE and GTC categories this weekend in Austria - the first time an endurance race has visited this circuit. The Ram Racing cars currently hold first and third place in the championship and it will be a difficult race for one of their drivers in particular. The #53 car has its regular drivers, American pairing Gunnar Jeanette and Frankie Montecalvo will be looking to clinch victory from their team mates Johnny Mowlem and Matt Griffin - Jeannette will be doing this just two months after breaking his leg. An experienced Sky Diver Jeannette fractured his tibia after a freak accident when both his main canopy and back up failed.
'Normally the time frame for this would be much longer, but I have very good orthopaedic surgeons in Utah who worked with the US Olympic team,' explains Jeanette. 'The only change I foresee is that in recent years I have been a left-foot braker, but now I am going back to my roots and using my right foot. I have been told the Ferrari pedal positions favour this so I am going to put it to the test.'
AF Corse field three cars - two in the GTE category for Mallegol, Bachelier, Blank and Perazzini, Cioci and Leo; they also have one car in the GTC class in the hands of Gai, Casé and Rizzoli. JMW Motorsport completes the GTE class with the #66 car shared by Andrea Bertolini and Joël Camathias. Russian team SMP field 2 cars completing the Ferrari line up for GTC. The race will be flagged off just after 16:30 on Saturday and will run for three hours.
The Italian GT championship arrives at Imola just two weeks after its last round at Mugello - the round which witnessed a Ferrari fight back against Porsche. The Ferrari pairing of Gabriele Lancieri and Giuseppe Cirò of MP1 Corse stand just 4 points adrift of the championship leaders and will be looking to wipe out that lead this weekend. Completing the lineup will be The Easy Race car of Mancini and Dromedari and the Black Bull Swisse Racing car driven by Venturi and Maino.
The drivers will compete in two races both of 48mintes + one lap the first on Saturday at 10:40 and the second on Sunday at 16:30.
