GTLM privateer entrant, Risi Competizione, is pleased to welcome back Pierre Kaffer to the team for the first time since 2010. The German driver will partner Giancarlo Fisichella in the Risi Competizione No.62 Ferrari 458 Italia in the GTLM category in this weekend’s third round of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 4.
Fisichella, a former F1 driver with 229 Grand Prix starts and World Championship GTE titles to his name, was paired with Dane Cameron at the previous round in Long Beach, California as the GTD class was not competing. However, this coming weekend all four categories are racing – split into two separate events (PC/GTD in the morning, and P/GTLM in the afternoon) – with combined practice sessions and warm up on Saturday and Sunday morning. Cameron’s prior commitments with his GTD team therefore prevent him from being available to Risi Competizione.
Risi Competizione has had good cars here in the past, with class wins and pole position as recently as last year. The 2.24 mile long permanent road course that resides in the very picturesque Laguna Seca State Park outside of Monterey, California suits the Ferrari, and Risi Competizione is determined to be fully back in the mix in terms of pace and results.
The track has several long medium to medium-high speed corners and a low top speed of 240 kph or 150 mph, one of the lowest top speeds of all the tracks visited on the calendar. Sections of the track are similar to street tracks, but with elevation changes including the famous ‘Corkscrew’ turn, a steep drop away over a blind 90-degree left-hand bend that immediately sweeps away to the right. It is a driver favorite as well as a fan favorite.
The GTLM category features full factory-backed two-car entries from BMW, Corvette, Porsche and Viper, and will once again be up to 11 competitors with the inclusion of the Krohn Racing Ferrari which receives technical support from Risi Competizione.
The Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix powered by Mazda will be televised LIVE on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, May 4. The PC/GTD race will air at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), followed by the P/GTLM race at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT).