ALMS, Mosport - Practice Notes
Risi Woes

Quick update on the Risi Ferraris.  To say they haven’t had a good day is something of an understatement.  After a handful of laps in the morning practice, Pierre Kaffer went off heavily between turns 1 and 2 – a fifth gear and 150 mph+ part of the track.  He was taken to hospital in Bowmanville for precautionary checks and observations and has now been released with, thankfully, no serious injury. 

Pierre Kaffer:  “First of all I am really sorry for the car #61 mechanics and the whole Risi Competizione team.  My engineer Roland Wall and all the mechanics had done such a great job on the car and it was really fast this morning, just like Toni showed it was at Mid Ohio.

“When the accident happened this morning, although I was fast I was not on the limit.  Everything was under control.  At the exit from the corner which enters the little short straight between Turns 1 and 2, the rear floor of the car hit the ground and the car got upset and snapped into the barriers. 

“It was quite harsh and very sudden.  I didn’t expect it at that point as the car was really good as our lap times would have showed. “  

The car, however, is in ICU and has been withdrawn from the rest of the weekend’s running.  The Houston based team will take it back to the shop and set about repairing it after the weekend.

If Risi’s day wasn’t bad enough, news also comes through that GT championship contender, Jaime Melo, has a stomach virus and won’t take any further part in the weekend.  Toni Vilander will therefore partner Bruni in the No.62 car.

Fiona Miller