redemption
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| Listen to a classic 1959 video version > |
“We-eee-eeel....
You know you make me wanna (Shout!)
Kick my heels up and (Shout!)
Throw my hands up and (Shout!)
Throw my head back and (Shout!)
Come on now (Shout!)
Don't forget to say you will
Don't forget to say, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Say you will)
Say it right now bab-ay
(Say you will)
Come on, come on
(Say you will)
Say it, will-a you-ooooo!
(Say you will)
You got it, now!�
---“Shout�, The Isley Brothers.
Risi Comp wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Thanks for tuning in and staying with us.
Thanks for believing in us.
More to come, of course, but first…it’s time for champagne.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
production hours
HOUR TWENTY TWO
“I know my life would look all right
If I could see it on the Silver Screen�
-----James Dean, The Eagles.
All through the night, Risi Competizione has had the most welcomed non-events of its recent history. Drama is good for TV and movies but not for distance racing. Drama is for drama queens and the theater. It has no place in a well run racing team.
What a well run team wants is predictability, precision, each pit stop the same as the one before. And that is what we have at Le Mans, as Risi Competizione breaks into the wet light of dawn and motors on into the afternoon at Le Mans, still in first, which is where they have been since Hour 2.
Repeat: Since Hour 2.
Through nightfall.
Through the middle of the night.
Through the darkest hours of the early, early morning.
Through the mist.
Through the rain.
Through the carnage of other’s bad luck.
Through the slick roads.
Through the early morning light.
Through the heat and through the cold.
Through Hour 2, Hour 3, Hour 4, Hour 5, Hour 6, Hour 7, Hour 8, Hour 9 and onto Hour 23.
Going into the last hour at Le Mans with a lead.
Production laps: hitting the mark time, after time, after time.
Last year, at Le Mans, I wrote of the difficulty of this race, of the problems of making every decision perfectly, of executing every second correctly, over 24 hours. Do the math: 24 Hours. 60 minutes per hour. 60 Seconds per minute. 86,400 opportunities to be correct or wrong.
And now, our friends and supporters and clients have packed the Risi Competizione pits at Le Mans.
Mika Salo is bringing the No. 82 Ferrari 430GT, in proper Ferrari Rosso Corso red, home. And, as we all know, Mika is the best closer in the business.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
daylight
HOUR SIXTEEN
“Early in the mornin’
In the middle of the day, baby
Late at night, mama
Everything gonna be all right�
--- Early in the Morning, Gap Band
Daylight at Le Mans. The sun comes up on a misty, soaking rain and the tire shuffle begins.
Slicks? No.
Rain Tires? Maybe…but is it really raining enough yet?
Intermediates? Maybe.
Everyone on the track is in the same soup: Porsche, Audi, Aston, Ferrari, Aston. The weather at Le Mans is a major factor, because the 8.5 mile high speed track is so long that one part can be dry while the other part is wet. It is not just lap speeds that are important in tire selection: put the wrong tire on at the wrong time and the car can go off.
Le Mans is one decision after another. Make the right one and you get to stay in the game, running at race pace, putting some distance between you and the cars behind you. The wrong one…well, you can go backwards as fast as you went forward or even worse.
Giuseppe Risi, Rick Mayer, Don Shaver, Mark Shomann and Dave Sims—the Risi Comp brain trust—look at the weather and make their call. Again. And again it is correct.
Coming into the last quarter of the race, Risi Competizione maintains its lead in 1st place.
Now the toughest part: bringing it home.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
into the night
HOUR SEVEN
“Night, the beloved.Â
Night, when words fade and things come alive.Â
When the destructive analysis of day is done, and all that is truly important becomes whole and sound again.Â
When man reassembles his fragmentary self and grows with the calm of a tree.â€�Â
~~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Antoine de Saint-Exupery was the author of the Novella “The Little Prince�, the book used for my class textbook when I first learned French and a classic of literature. Saint-Exupery was a brilliant writer, an early and expert aviator in the days when flying meant that every journey in an airplane was hazardous to your health because of the lack of instruments (and radios, and GPS, and almost every modern flight assistance aid we take for granted today). St.-Ex learned to fly in the Military, was convinced to abandon that career by his financee and her family, but ultimately, after a tedious year or two at a desk job in Paris, he was back in the air, free and confident and soaring. He became one of the pioneers of international postal flight, working for AEROPOSTALE on the treacherous route between Toulouse and Dakar.
Saint-Exupery was a complicated, multi-dimensional man of accomplishment, unquestioned bravery, and literary elegance. While his best known book in America is “The Little Prince�, his true genius as a writer can be found in his books on aviation. Vol de Nuit (Night Flight), which recounted his adventures in Aeropostale, won the Prix Femina, a prestigious French literary award. Terre Des Hommes (Wind, Sand and Stars) another book on aviation, is considered a classic in aviation literature.
Flying at night and driving at speed, at night, have similar qualities and challenges. The territory, as familiar as it may be in the day, is different at night. Focus is directed by the path in front; there is much less room for error because the ability to see clearly, definitively into the distance is diminished. If there is an error, and the car or airplane goes out of control—even for a second—the situation that aviators call “unusual attitude� is all the more difficult to recover from.
And yet, deep into the night there is a comforting rhythm enjoyed by drivers and pilots. The consistent, reassuring sound of the engine. The timed ritual of the gear change or throttle increase (or decrease); the beauty of the flashes of light that rush by; the peace of speed at night on the Mulsanne straight, when you are on the only car on the road and your headlights beam your destiny.
At this time in the race, the Zen of existence makes it appearance. You must not live in the future, you dare not live in the past. You must realize, accept, and be in the present. There is only this moment in the dark, only the next curve, the next braking zone, the next shift up or down to deal with you. If you will ever bond with a racing car, you will do it at night, when it is just the two of you, alone, at speed, at Le Mans, in the middle of the night. And it is all working and the welcome relief of light to some is an interruption of a dream for others.
Through the night, Risi Competizione has held on to it’s No. 1 position in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The run that started at Hour Two, is now into Hour 14.
The dark of night is giving way to the light of day and still the distance yet to go is daunting for the No. 82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT. But the night has refreshed the course, the car, and the team. And now the run for daylight begins.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
calling Elvis
HOUR SIX, CONTINUED
“Calling Elvis
calling Elvis - is anybody home
calling Elvis - I'm here all alone
did he leave the building
or can he come to the phone
calling Elvis - I'm here all alone….�
----Calling Elvis, Dire Straits
Imagine this: you are among the crew of the No. 82 Ferrari 430GT at this year�s 24 Hours of Le Mans. You arrived at the track at 6:00AM this morning (Le Mans time), and it is now 9:00PM, Le Mans time. You have been up for 15 hours already and that’s not counting the time it took to get out of bed in the morning, shower, etc. and drive to the track. Your car is doing well, but only one fourth of the race is over. Eighteen hours remain. By the end of the 24 Hours, you will be up a minimum of 33 hours, straight. That’s the thing with endurance racing—you must keep it all together for such a long time. Only the car runs 24 Hours at Le Mans. Everyone else runs 30 plus. That’s why Le Mans is the world’s greatest sportscar race.
After 6 hours of running at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race is one-quarter of the way through. Four of the 51 entrants have retired (including the Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione No. 83 Ferrari 430GT)….the race is being run in dry weather and seems to have now settled down—if one can call running laps with tops speeds of over 180MPH settling down—for the long drive through the night.
The standings at the end of Hour 6 in GT2 are:
1st. No. 82, Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT
2nd. No. 77, Team Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
3rd No. 78, AF Corse SRL, Ferrari 430GT
One of the pilots for the AF Corse Ferrari, Tony Villander, drove for Risi Competizione in 2006.
The team is off to a solid start. But there’s a long way to go.If you’re out there, and you’re following via the blog, let us know: send an email!
Calling Elvis. Is anbody home?
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
hour six
RULES OF THE GAME
“…… it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise -
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race -
And I ain't gonna lose..�
---“We are the champions�, Queen
Le Mans has it’s own unique set of traditions and rules. At every pit stop, for example, a member of the ACO will be in your pits, observing the stop, and writing up the team. What you want is a pit stop that follows ALL the rules of the race. If you do that, the report is sheet. If you don’t…the sheet is covered with infractions. The goal of the race is to finish with a clean sheet.
While we’re all hunkered down and working into the 6th hour of the race (1/4 of the way through), it’d be a good time for a quick refresher course on the Sporting Regulations. Ms. Fiona Miller, European Press Director for Risi Competizione prepared the information below for guests of the team at Le Mans. With her kind permission, we’re going to share it with you:
Sporting regulations:
The start
The starting grid will be in a staggered 2 x 2 formation. After one lap behind the pace car there will be a “flying� or “rolling� start.
If a car can’t make it to the starting grid, it is allowed to start from the pits. There is a maximum of 1 hour time after the actual start to do so, after which the car will be excluded from the race.
Pit stops
The engine must be switched off the moment the car comes to a halt in the pits. Once the pit stop is finished it must be restarted by the driver from within the car without any additional device or outside assistance.
During refueling no one is allowed to work on the car (except for driver changes and windscreen cleaning), the car cannot be jacked up.
For tire changes and repairs in the pit lane a maximum of 4 mechanics are allowed to work on the car.
If more people are needed to work on it, the car is pushed back into the garage.
Speed limit within the pit lane is 60 km/h.
Everyone in the pit lane must wear fireproof overalls, even photographers and journalists.
Repairs
Chassis and engine block cannot be changed and, since the famous days from a few years back when Audi took just 4 minutes to change a gearbox, the same applies for the gearbox casing and the differential casing.
Reserve cars are not permitted, so if a car crashes during practice or warm-up and is beyond repair, the team will not take part in the race.
Classification
Cars are only classified as finishing if they have completed at least 70 % of the race distance of the winner in its class and if it passes the checkered flag at the end of race. Even leading the race for 23 hours and 55 minutes and retiring with something such as a blown engine 5 minutes prior to race end won’t get you on the podium, even if you have done already more laps than the subsequent winner.
Time penalties
If drivers have broken rules the race marshals will show the black flag and give them a time or drive-through or stop-and-go penalty. When this happens they can do a maximum of 4 more laps before coming into the pitlane for the penalty. These penalties cannot be combined with a pit stop and cannot be taken under yellow flag periods.
Drivers
A maximum of 3 drivers is allowed for each car. Drivers are not allowed to change to another car during the race, not even within the same team.
A driver is only allowed to drive a maximum of 4 hour within a 6 hour time frame (minus pit stop time)
Maximum total driving time permitted for a driver is 14 hours.
En route
If a car stops on the race track and the driver leaves it and walks further than 10 meters away from his car, the car will be excluded from the race. No outside assistance is allowed; only the driver can carry out repairs using tools and spares carried aboard. Supplying with fuel, water, oil, etc., is prohibited on and along the track. Most drivers carry a small map of the track in the cockpit (and often a cell phone in case the radio doesn’t work) so they can quickly identify where they might be if stranded
Drivers are not allowed to push their cars.
Headlights must be on at all times on the track.
Fuel
All teams have to use the fuel provided by the race organizer.
Race Guide
Minimizing pit stops is key – so look out for how many laps the cars are completing at any one time (called a ‘stint’). An extra pit stop could be a race or class win decider.
Fuel tank capacity and fuel economy is the main factor which determines pit stop length. Tire changes also take time. In the heat of the day the cars need to change tires more often than in cooler, night conditions or in the wet. Then tires might be changed every alternate stop – or even longer. Some of the prototypes have been known to go for four stints on one set of tires.
Generally speaking, the team(s) which spends the least amount of time in the pits is the one that win the race.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
hour four
BY THE NUMBERS
Here’s a quick breakdown of the race, thus far.
HOUR 1
1st. No. 80, Flying Lizard Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
2nd No. 82, Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT
3rd. No. 42, Imsa Performance Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
The Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione No. 83 was in 12th.
HOUR 2
1st. No. 82, Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT
2nd. No. 77, Team Felbemayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
3rd. No. 90, Farnbacher Racing Ferrari 430GT
The No. 83 Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT was officially retired at 50:05.535 into the race.
HOUR 3
(we’re awaiting the official date from Hour 3 but it hasn’t arrived yet)
HOUR 4
1st. No. 82, Risi Competizione Ferrari 430GT
2nd No. 77, Team Felbemayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
3rd. No. 90, Farnbacher Racing Ferrari 430GT
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Check the news section of this site for the Official Press Report from the 4th Hour.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
hour two
NO REPEAT FOR NO. 83
Tracy Krohn, who had just taken over for Nic Jonsson in the No. 83 Ferrari 430GT, had an oncourse incident in the middle of the Arnage corner. It appears that the car suffered both front and rear damage. That could mean suspension and/or radiator problems. It is not drivable. Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione crew members went to examine the car, but if it cannot make it on its own power back to the pits, it will be out of the race. Last year, the No. 83 car finished 2nd.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
how to watch Le Mans
HOW TO WATCH LE MANS FROM A DISTANCE
If you are not lucky enough to at Le Mans today, there are a number of options for covering the race and obtaining a frightening amount of information. Below, our recommendations for a stress free Le Mans experience from the comforts of your own home.
RADIO LE MANS
The race is covered via internet radio at www.radiolemans. This link will take you directly to it. You can stay in touch with Radio Le Mans while Speed is down.
LIVE TIMING
Live timing is provided by the ACO, organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Go to their siteand that will put you into the Chronos section. Click on LM GT2 if you want to follow only the GT2 class in which Risi Competizione competes.
SPEED CHANNEL
Speed Channel is covering the car on Television. You can get their full schedule here This morning, Speed covered the start of the race and was on the air from 8AM until 11:00AM. They have now ceased coverage but will resume again tonight, at 8:00PM Central (9:00PM EDT).
HERE
Of course, you will have the most fun following Risi Competizione right here. We have dispatched a world class team of pros to cover the race for you, so if you keep checking back you will receive updates from Ms. Fiona Miller, the consummate motoring journalist, and photos from Mr. Regis Lefebure, the best in the world at sports car coverage.
Stay tuned…there’s more to come.
14 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
hour one
GET IT ON
The hour is here and precisely at 3:00PM Le Mans time (8;00AM Houston time) the 24 Hours of Le Mans rolled off, with history as a baseline and destiny as the endpoint.
Risi Competizione came out of the qualifying round in 6th position and although it’s always great to be on the pole or post a new qualifying record at Le Mans, qualifying only determines where you start the first lap of the race. Le Mans is a long race and it’s never won on the first lap (or in qualifying) but frequently lost.
Jaime Melo receiving the starting honors for Risi Competizione and by the third lap he had the Rosso Corso No. 82 Ferrari 430GT up to P2 (second position). So much for the importance of qualifying. The IMSA Matmut Porsche (with Patrick Long in the saddle), was put to the back of the grid due to work done on the car while it was on the grid, much to the embarrassment, we assume, of the team. The BMS Ferrari had an issue with the left front wheel so it was forced to start the race from pitlane, which is a far less than ideal position but, again, it’s a long race. Nic Jonsson, driving the Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione No. 83 Ferrari 430GT had a great first stint and moved the car into P8. Last year, Jonsson, Tracy Krohn, and Colin Braun, posted a 2nd place finish after a long, steady drive.
It was not to be this year. Tracy Krohn, who took over for Jonsson during the No. 83’s first pit stop, had an off. Awaiting solid information on the condition of the car. It is currently stopped at the Porsche curves.
.
13 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
welcome to the world, Dylan
DYLAN THOMAS DAWSON JOINS THE TEAM
“They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.�
----Birthday, The Beatles….
At 2:45AM, on Friday the 13th of June, 2008, Dylan Thomas Dawson was born to Bonny and Simon Dawson. Bonny and Simon Dawson met at Ferrari of Houston, where Bonny was our super-receptionist at Ferrari of Houston and Simon works for Risi Competizione, handling crew duties at the track and working on sponsorship and coordinating special programs with our suppliers when he’s not in the pits. Simon was scheduled to with the team at Le Mans but…uh…he had another more pressing obligation—like witnessing the birth of his Son. Mother, father, and son are all doing well and Dawes got the world’s most amazing Father’s Day present…just in time for Father’s Day. Congratulations and best wishes from all your friends at Risi Competizione and Ferrari of Houston. For those in athletic representation, future rights are now being negotiated.
7 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
and now, a word from our sponsors
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM
“put me on a highway
And show me a sign,
And take it to the limit one more time…�
---Take It To The Limit One More Time, The Eagles.
If you’re reading this blog on a regular or irregular basis (and let’s face it, I only write on an irregular basis), by clicking into the Risi Competizione site you know that this is some serious enterprise we’re engaged in here.
Think about it: moving cars, tools, a football team’s worth of crew and techs and managers and engineers and specialists from one end of the racing universe to the other. Sometimes once a month; more often than not two to three times a month. We’re not doing this on the cheap either—Risi Competizione races Ferraris and Ferraris are not for those who want to pinch quarters until the Eagle grimaces. Nope: world class racing requires world class budgets.
Risi Competizione has been blessed over the past five years with a rather terrific group of sponsors who believe in what we do and how we do it. Most of them have been with us through the bad times (i.e. not winning championships) and the good times (winning championships). We are profoundly and seriously indebted to these companies and the individuals who make a commitment to our racing team; equally important, they are all great companies managed and run by terrific people that we enjoy spending time with, at or away from the race track. It’s one thing to be a sponsor; it’s another thing to be engaged in a common passion with the best in the world. That’s how we feel about our sponsors and supporters and suppliers.
Because this blog covers everything about the team—and because you will always read more here than anyplace else on the net about how the real world of racing works—I am now going to provide you with a rundown of the “Who’s Who� of our sponsors. Not a one of them does anything but produce a premium product or service and we’re just as proud to be associated with them as they are with us
KROHN RACING
Risi Competizione has an interesting relationship with Krohn Racing. They are our racing partners and two or three or five times a year, the Krohn Racing team pairs up with the Risi Competizione team to run one of our F430GTs. In 2007, we raced together at Sebring, Houston, Petit Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Laguna Seca. In 2008, Krohn’s schedule changed (they run an activeprogram on America’s Grand Am circuit on tracks throughout the USA and Mexico; Risi Competizione does not currently compete on the Grand Am Circuit) so this year, Krohn is running at Sebring, Le Mans, and Laguna Seca. Lately, the word is, Krohn will run with Risi again at Petit Le Mans. In many ways, this is a very natural partnership. Krohn Racing’s principal, Tracy Krohn is from Houston, Texas; it was only a matter of time before Giuseppe Risi and Tracy Krohn got together and started talking about racing . For the last two years, the results have been rather spectacular for Krohn Racing—especially in the big events. In last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, Krohn Racing’s team of Tracy Krohn, Colin Braun (since departed to race trucks in NASCAR) and Nic Jonsson drove a steady, minimal-time-in-the-pits race to take Second Place in GT2 in the world’s biggest endurance race in their Risi Competizione prepared and operated 430GT. Krohn Racing started 2008 with another podium finish, this one a Third at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The driving lineup was essentially the same, with Krohn, Jonsson, and Eric van de Poele, an old hand at long distance who won Le Mans several years back and who is a Risi Competizione alum, stepping in as the third driver for long distance events. And let’s hear it for Tracy Krohn, who emerged unscathed, with attitude undiminished and enthusiasm as high as ever after a bit of an adventure during test day at Le Mans this year in the No. 83 Ferrari 430GT. Tracy is a big, tough guy and he didn’t get where he is in the business world by backing off or backing down. We wish them all the luck in the world this year at Le Mans, but the way these guys drive the big, long distance races, they may not need any luck at all; they are proving to be very professional and effective in getting onto the podium at the Big Ones.
BOOST MOBILE/MOTOROLA
Risi Competizione rolls with Boost/Motorola, on the track and off. You know “Boost�-the “Where you at ?� Mobile Phone service for the rest of us. And, who doesn’t know about Motorola—the company that INVENTED the cellular phone. One more time: the company that INVENTED the cellular phone (you can see the original position paper on the cell phone here)Motorola has been a major supplier of communications gear that must perform under the most adverse conditions for decades. That police car that just pulled you over for doing 140 in a 40MPH zone? It was probably equipped, from top to bottom with Motorola radios, computer systems, GPS units, and who knows what else. The handheld HT220 (a handie talkie-even I had one of those) that amateur radio operators used to set up their repeater network in the seventies—and that was previously strapped to the side of a fire marshall in its first life—that bullet proof piece of gear also came from Motorola. When you look into the Risi Competizione truck, you see a complete line of Motorola communications gear, from repeater to headsets, that is used to coordinate the movements, actions, and data of team members, drivers, and engineers. It’s THE LOOK at a race: a hot race suit by Oakley (see below) and the massively cool Motorola headset linked into the Motorola transceiver that’s carried on a belt or in the pocket of your fire suit. Risi Competizione has been using Motorola gear on the race track and test track for five years now. We have had ZERO down time. Drop the transceivers into the charger when the day is done, hang up the headsets, and that’s maintenance, Motorola style. If you want to see the epitome of American design and production in action, check out Motorola’s communications gear at
Boost Mobile offers very hip cellular phone services that don’t lock you into long-term contracts featuring the ultra reliable phones from Motorola. This is the gear you need when you have to get the message through, for work or play, with text messaging, customizable/downloadable ring tones, nationwide walkie talkies (“Where you at?�), wireless web (got to have it), multi-media messaging, GPS enabled positioning and on and on and on. It’s all good stuff from good guys, deceptively simple because the technology behind it is so deep. Plus—it supports your favorite Ferrari racing team. Can’t think of a better reason to sign up (today).
FREESCALE
Freescale came on board with Risi Competizione last year. Freescale is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of embedded semiconductor solutions. Everyone has to have some Silicon Valley in their corporate lives today and Risi Competizione is no different. A little history: Freescale was created by one of America’s great high technology companies: Motorola. Motorola spun off Freescale in October of 2003 creating the company that is now Freescale out of the semiconductor division of Motorola. The company later went public and was subsequently taken private in one of the Top 10 Buyouts of all time( it is the largest private technology buyout of all time). Freescale is very active in the automotive field, producing specialized computer chips (called ECUs or Electronic Control Units) that enable such technologies as ABS and Digital EMS (Engine Management Systems). As the largest producer of semiconductors for the automotive industry, Freescale produces chips that control drive trains, engine management, body electronics, safety, driver/passenger “infotainment� systems, chassis dynamics, and safety. If you know anything about the automotive computing environment you know this: it’s the toughest computing environment in the world. Chips in cars are subjected to stresses that your laptop just doesn’t encounter: vibration, heat, cold, humidity, rain, shock, and on and on. An automobile is not an ideal computing environment but increasingly the performance parameters of an automobile are controlled by software ECUs—don’t you want that performance to come from Freescale, a company with a legacy of innovation and a tradition of building tough, performance-based, products that hold up under pressure. Freescale also produces embedded semiconductor solutions for consumer products, networking, fly-by-wire solutions, connectivity, energy efficiency, mobile and wireless devices. If you’re a techie, check out the Freescale site to get the full dimensions on this amazing company.
But wait..there’s more. Freescale just announced that it is going to spin off a memory chip unit. Not just any memory chip unit, but one which has some seriously proprietary technology called MRAM (magnetoresistive random access memory). To create the new company, Everspin, ( www.everspin.com) Freescale is passing over an entire portfolio of proprietary memory technology. Called “one of our crown jewel technologies� by Lisa T. Su, the Freescale CTO, MRAM improves on current memory technology because it uses less power and is more stable. Less power use translates into longer battery life in mobile devises; stability means the product performs as designed, time after time, without that annoying loss of key data (which always seems to happen at the worst possible time!). The new company is called EverSpin Technologies; you would be very wise to keep a sharp eye on it. You can start by reading about it here
Michelin is the tire of choice on the track or off, on the race car or on the race transporter. For the past eight years, Risi Competizione has been running on Michelins. All we’ve done in that time is rack up a string of championships and set records in ALMS and at places like Sebring. There is little dispute that Michelin is one of the world’s premier technology companies; the Michelin man is actually a man of steel (belted radials?). Few companies spend as much money on testing and innovation in their industry as Michelin does. Michelin has its own race tracks to test tires for both road and track and of course, they have the greatest fleet of race cars in history to test the limits of adhesion on the track. These race teams give Michelin access to a vast amount of data delivered direct from the race track by the world’s premier racing teams. It is not easy to have Michelin on your list of sponsors and suppliers; take a look around the paddock at who’s on Michelins and you will see the cream of the crop in racing. Every top team in ALMS runs on Michelin tires. Period. Our experience with Michelin has been both rewarding and revealing—they are ultra supportive of our efforts and go the extra mile to insure that Risi Competizione is always perfectly prepared for any type of race conditions. And who do you think is going to come to your rescue with tires that increase mileage in today’s energy constrained world? Michelin. Count on them. Risi Competizione does.
DELPHI
If you’re a car fan (not a chance in the world you’d be following Risi Competizione if you weren’t), you probably recognize the name Delphi from electronic components on your car. Today, Delphi is so much more—this company is a leading global supplier of mobile electronics and transportation systems, including powertrain, safety, steering, thermal, controls & security systems, electrical/electronic architecture, and in-car entertainment technologies. If it uses electrons then there’s a better than even chance that Delphi makes it or engineers a component for it. Delphi products are engineered to meet and exceed the rigorous standards of the automotive industry but the company also has a very active presence in health care. Delphi has over 169,000 employees working in 156 wholly owned manufacturing sites in 34 countries with sales of $22.3 billion in 2007. And precisely what do these approximately 169, 000 employees do: engineer, develop, and produce diesel engine management systems; create fuel handling systems; produce gasoline engine and transmission management systems; build evaporative emissions systems; design and produce battery packs; build integrated starter/generator systems; develop power converters and invertors and produce cable connection systems. Plus they do a lot of other things rather essential to daily life in these computerized, mechanized times. Currently, Delphi is working on an upgrade to the Adaptive Cruise Control that will enable these systems to not only sense potential collisions but take steps to mitigate the situation. Delphi is even involved in developing solutions to ease the problems posed by increasingly strict truck idling laws. And don’t think that Delphi isn’t deeply involved with Ferrari: Delphi has a hand or two in the latest 12 Cylinder Ferrari—they were the source for the Ferrari 599GTBs very quick and stupendously proficient adaptive suspension system dampers which use a proprietary fluid developed by Delphi. You can learn more about Delphi and Ferrari by clicking here It’s all good and worthy of your tech dollar consideration.
We are very fortunate at Risi Competizione in having the support of some of the more prominent Ferrari dealerships in America. Let’s start with the basics: Ferrari as a company was created because Enzo Ferrari wanted to race. That’s why we race—it’s in the genes. Every year, a few select dealerships join Risi Competizione in taking on the best in the world on the track, in carrying on the legacy of Enzo Ferrari. This year, the dealership support group includes Ferrari of Silicon Valley, Boardwalk Ferrari and, of course, Ferrari of Houston (in years past, it has also include Ferrari of Beverly Hills and Ferrari of Ontario). Risi Competizione’s relationship with Ferrari of Silicon Valley goes back years, including when the team won its’ first ALMS GT2 Championship. Giacomo Mattioli, the dealer principal at Ferrari of Silicon Valley (and Ferrari of Beverly Hills) has been a longtime supporter of Risi Competizione. Ferrari of Silicon Valley serves a very special part of America—one that values innovation, technical excellence, and passion—and their association with Risi Competizione is an endorsement for our values and beliefs. At Ferrari of Silicon Valley, you will find a factory authorized Ferrari dealership with sales, service, and parts operated to the unrelenting standards of Ferrari, SpA, along with enthusiasts who understand the history of Ferrari and the passion of Ferrari owners, drivers, and collectors. All of it wrapped up in a beautiful facility that showcases the sheer beauty of a Ferrari at rest.
And, of course, you will also find the latest Ferrari models—599GTB, 612 Scaglietti, 430 or 430FSP, and soon, the new Ferrari F149 (the California). If you live in Silicon Valley, Ferrari of Silicon Valley should be the guys you turn to for all things Ferrari. If you just rolled a major IPO out....well, one of the best things you can do is reward yourself with the finest sports car in the world. In Silicon Valley, you know where to go; Ferrari of Silicon Valley will take care of the rest.
FERRARI FINANCIAL SERVICES
One of the most recent initiatives at FNA (Ferrari of North America) is the introduction of Ferrari Financial Services. Ferrari Financial Services is the economic equivalent of a Ferrari automobile: exclusive, personal, dedicated, focused. FFS offers clients multiple options in buying or leasing a new or classic Ferrari. For example, you can obtain competitive rates on a new model Ferrari with terms of up to 84 months. But there’s more: you can finance your classic or vintage Ferrari through FFS. You can finance a Ferrari race car. You can even finance a Ferrari F1 car if you decide that the only way to sort out your friends at track day is to blow by them in an official ex-Scuderia F1 Ferrari. Ferrari Financial Services is a new sponsor of Risi Competizione because they’re new to the marketplace and they figured we’d give them a fast start. Good move. We’re glad to have them on board and highly recommend you check out our how they can help you realize your next Ferrari purchase.
BOARDWALK AUTO GROUP / BOARDWALK FERRARI
North of our headquarters at Ferrari of Houston, in Dallas, lies Boardwalk Ferrari, a member of the Boardwalk Auto Group. Boardwalk Ferrari is located in Plano, Texas, on the outskirts of Dallas, in a beautiful, state-of-the-art facility. Boardwalk Ferrari believes in racing at every level, and so in addition to a Ferrari Challenge Team, they support the racing efforts of Risi Competizione at the world class level. Boardwalk was with us when we won Sebring in the closest race in the history of that storied event. They were there when we clinched the 2006 ALMS championship. And the 2007 ALMS Championships. Boardwalk Ferrari is a factory authorized Ferrari (and Maserati )dealership; they have one of the most advanced service facilities in North America, in addition to a gorgeous display floor where you can see the most beautiful cars in the world, up close and personal, while they’re standing still. Boardwalk is full of enthusiasts, and they keep the Ferrari clients and fans in Dallas busy with a full calendar of events, every year. If you live in or around Dallas, Boardwalk should be your first stop for a new or pre-owned Ferrari. We thank them deeply for their continued support of Risi Competizione.
Let’s assume the best. That you have your own company and that your company is engaged in the delivery of fuel, natural gas, and petroleum products. Grandpa did a great job building the company, Dad held his own in expansion and new services, but now, in the 21st Century, it’s your turn at the helm and efficiency, effectiveness, and economic realization of opportunity are your goals. You’ve got the goods, but where do you turn now to give your business an upgrade in performance? We enthusiastically suggest QT Technologies. We all know that time is money—and no where is this truth more important than in the distribution business. QT Technologies produces a wide range of solutions that make managing a delivery fleet so much more efficient. QT Technologies can provide handheld and mobile data terminals for trucks (powered by QT’s rather snappy Productivity Engine ™), the terminals contain a real-time petroleum product delivery and payment system that “ensures economically optimized workflows are executed by all employees throughout the delivery process. “ The QT service manages all aspects of delivery, including schedule optimization, GPS-based route mapping (very important in these times of higher energy expense), product management (who gets what product at which stop) and payment processing. One-touch delivery allows drivers to complete the entire transaction cycle at each stop very efficiently. QT Technologies provides all this, and much more. A visit to their website is highly recommended so that you will understand all the dimensions of this unique company and how they can help you. Grandpa would be proud to see what you built with their help.
FERRARI OF HOUSTON
Let’s make this as simple as can be: the soul of Ferrari is racing. The soul of Ferrari of Houston is Risi Competizione. That’s all you need to know.
In closing—first, thanks for reading through this. We appreciate it and our sponsors appreciate. There’s not a one of these companies that you wouldn’t be proud to be associated with. So….associate with them. Support them. Buy their products. Do a deal or two with them. And thank you, sincerely, for your support. The battle for Le Mans is just hours away. Get your game face on.
1 June 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
test day
THE SHADOW OF DRAMA
“You’re damn right I’ve got the blues. From my head down to my shoes…..I can’t win cause I don’t have a thing to loose.�
---Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues, Buddy Guy.
In the spring of 2007, after Sebring and before Le Mans, I spent a “Double Decker Weekend� at Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi). My daughter goes to Ole Miss and I have a deep, fond, and enthusiastic affection for the school. It’s a Deep South university, packed with well-dressed kids, imbued with Old School manners and traditions, and steeped in the great literature of America—this is Faulkner’s land, university, and city.
Ole Miss is located in Oxford, Mississippi, in the northern part of the state. It does not have regularly scheduled air service, so you either take your PJ into the local airport (which is jet capable) or fly into Memphis and drive down (a 45 minute run) or into Jackson and drive up (a two hour and 45 minute drive). If you fly into Memphis, you can slide into the 
Rendezvous, one of America’s most famous barbeque joints, and pick off a couple of sides of their world-renowned dry ribs—a highly recommended side trip that can have a life altering effect if you’re in the mood. Memphis is home to Graceland (Elvis’s mansion) and a thriving, throbbing blues scene, down on Beale Street), so there’s plenty to keep you occupied if you have the time to mosey around.
Double Decker weekend is a combination street art festival, baseball tournament (Ole Miss traditionally has one of the better baseball programs in college ball) and rock-out weekend. Last year, the entertainment headliner was a free concert, in the middle of the city, featuring ……………….Buddy Guy, the classic, Chicago bluesman who starred down Keith Richard during a guitar duet in Martin Scorsese’s brilliant performance film, “Shine A Light� (which is absolutely fabulous…see it in Imax if you get the chance).
I’ve been listening to Buddy Guy for years, but in the early nineties, I locked into his album, Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues, while finishing off the editing of a documentary I had written and produced. During those late night editing sessions, from 11:00PM until 2:00 or 3:00AM, we had Buddy Guy cranked up on the editing suite JBL Studio Monitors (powered by Crown amps) as the editor and I worked our way through 1/30th of a second decisions, one 1/30th of a second at a time.
It was good music then and it’s even better music now and it does set the tone for the day’s activities at Le Mans, where the first “Test� session was conducted. The goal of the Test session is to get the cars out on the track and to give them a bit of a shakeout, and, to also, bring the new or returning drivers back into Le Mans form. To race at Le Mans, a rookie driver (Gimmi Bruni for Risi Comp’s No. 82 car) has to put in at least 10 laps to be qualified to race; a returning driver who has not raced at Le Mans in three years or less—even if he has previously won the race as is the case of Eric van de Poele, one of the driver’s in the Risi Competizione/Krohn Racing No. 83 Ferrari 430GT—also has to put in his 10 laps to qualify to race.
The weather was dicey at Le Mans; alternately threatening rain, actually raining, and then some sun shinning through. For the most part, the day was grey. Risi Competizione took care of business, getting both Bruni and van de Poele through qualifying laps and thus officially ready to race in the 24 Heures Du Mans on 14 June 2008.
Qualifying out of the way, it was time for the other drivers to get in some laps. Jaime Melo set about business and, at the end of the test day for the team, had posted the fastest lap in the No. 82 Risi Competizione 430GT, with a 4:05.561 which was closely followed by the #80 Porsche of Risi’s ALMS competitor, Flying Lizard Motorsports, in the hands of Jörg Bergmeister.
However, the day was not without drama. Here’s how it ended, from Ms. Fiona Miller’s official press release from Le Mans for Risi Competizione:
“At 1450 hours (Central European Time) this afternoon Tracy Krohn, at the wheel of the #83 Krohn green Risi Competizione Ferrari 430 GT, left the track after exiting the final Porsche curve.Â
A wheel on the grass caused the car to become de-stabilised and the rear of the Ferrari made heavy contact with the barriers before coming to a final halt on the track just level with pit entry. The Texan driver was taken to the medical centre for checks and later to the local Le Mans hospital for a precautionary scan but was talking and alert throughout, and after, the incident.
The extent of the damage to the car means that it will take no further part in today’s test session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14/15.�
Any questions about why Buddy Guy is the right selection for this blog entry? When it goes right, something almost immediately goes wrong.
By the end of the day, a strategy for the repair of the No. 83 car had been developed. Giuseppe Risi said that “we will have the car ready to race by next Monday� and so, once again the Risi Competizione crew will be expected to perform yet another heroic repair and rebuild on a race car in 2008.
The shadow of Ferrari is drama. Every year, every race, every car.
26 May 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
the days of our lives
LE MANS ITINERARY
“You can’t turn back the clock you can’t turn back the tide
Ain’t that a shame
Id like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use in sitting and thinkin’ on what you did….
Sometimes it seems like lately - I just don’t know
Better sit back and go with the flow�
----Those Were The Days Of Our Lives, Queen
Don’t you miss Queen with Freddie Mercury fronting the band? The sound they created, the songs they sang, the way they could rock a stadium full of fans? The rockstar attitude they carried so well? The moments they captured so perfectly in songs like Those Were The Days of Our Lives? Listen on YouTube > Yea, I miss them…and that’s why there’s the whole Queen catalog is on every iPod and computer and stereo system I have.
One day, we who are Risi Competizione will look back at these days and shake our heads in modest disbelief that we did what we did, went where we went, raced who we raced, and won what we won. But there is no time for that now, because every moment is accounted for until the team returns from Le Mans.
While the 24 Hours of Le Mans is one of the most famous automobile races in the world, the name is something of a misnomer—the pageant that is the Le Mans race is three weeks long, and there is something happening each day. These are the days of our lives in June, 2008.
Here is the schedule for Risi Competizione at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans.
| Monday, May 26th-Thursday, May 29th | Team Travels to France |
| Thursday, May 29th | Race Prep |
| Friday, May 30th | Stewards Meeting Scrutineering |
| Saturday, May 31st | Scrutineering Document Check (both cars) Car #82 Scrutineering Car #83 Scrutineering Driver & Team Manager’s Meeting |
| Sunday, June 1st | Testing |
| Monday, June 2nd- Saturday, June 7th | Race Prep |
| Sunday, June 8th, - Monday, June 9th | Last of Team Arrives |
| Monday, June 9th | Scrutineering |
| Tuesday, June 10th | Scrutineering and Document Checks |
| Wednesday, June 11th | Team Manager’s Meeting Driver’s Meeting Qualifying Practice Session (7-9PM) Qualifying Practice Session (10PM-12AM) |
| Thursday, June 12th | Qualifying Practice Session (7-9PM) Qualifying Practice Session (10PM-12AM) |
| Friday, June 13th | Pit Walk Driver’s Parade (City Centre of Le Mans) |
| Saturday, June 14th | Warmup (9-9:45AM) Beginning of Starting Procedure (2:22PM) Start of 24 Hours of Le Mans (3:00PM) |
| Sunday, June 15th | End of 24 Hours of Le Mans (3:00PM) |
| Monday, June 16th | Repack Cars, tools, etc. for return to USA |
| Tuesday, June 17th-Friday, June 20th | Team Travels Back to USA |
For the team members, any 24 hour race is a grueling test, but the discipline and scheduling required to manage and operate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is extraordinary.
The demands placed on team members are rigorous and unforgiving—all the more reason why this race is the greatest automobile endurance race in the world.
Living through it—and hopefully succeeding at it—will offer one day a rather astonishing memory of how we lived and where we competed with Risi Competizione, when those were the days of our lives.
25 May 2008 | Le Mans | Houston, Texas
regroup
LEAD-UP TO LE MANS
“There must be someway out of here…..there’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief�
--All along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix Experience
To see Jimi Hendrix perform live was to see a flame about to explode into eternity. He lived only for the moments he was on stage and what Hendrix could do with a guitar was magic. His version of All Along the Watchtower was deep and soulful and powerful and hinted at the angst that confronts
The Utah race results presented an off-track problem for Risi Competizione that would complicate transporting the No. 62 car to Le Mans.
The original plan was for both cars and all the necessary tools (and tool boxes) to be packed for shipment at Miller Motorsports Park after the race. From Miller the cars and gear would go to Las Vegas and then be flown from Las Vegas to the UK where everything would be repacked (again) in transporters and taken to Le Mans. The Risi Comp team would leave from Houston on Monday, May 26th, for Paris (and then to Le Mans via TGV).
The accident that put the No. 62 car so far down in the finishing results would change that plan, however. Instead of being prepared for shipment to Europe, No. 62 was loaded into one of the Risi Comp transporters (after everything in the transporter that could possibly be needed in France was taken out and repacked) and, sometime between 8-9PM on Sunday, the 18th of May, the big red Risi Competizione transporter pulled out of Miller Motorsports Park and headed east to Houston, where the car could be repaired in the Ferrari of Houston body shop.
Utah to Houston is not a short trip. The transporter arrived back at Risi Competizione’s race workshop on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 21st. Chris Riggs, Chief Mechanic, and his crew were waiting for the truck when it pulled into the lot at Ferrari of Houston, The crew quickly set about removing the engine and transmission and other bits and pieces from the car and it was then sent 50 yards across the tarmac at the shop to the Ferrari of Houston body shop. Steve Egyed, the Ferrari of Houston body shop manager, started to work immediately to repair the car. By Thursday night, the car had been repaired and repainted in the body shop; the crew then re-installed the engine and transmission.
On Friday morning, it was pushed into a trailer for transport to the airport; from Houston, it would fly to Orlando, Florida, and from Orlanda to England, where it would connect with the other team car, gear, and supplies, be loaded into a pair of transporters, and then finish the journey to Le Mans by truck.
Monday, the 26th of May, was Memorial Day in the USA. While the team was flying, the trucks were moving to Le Mans. There would be little time between the arrival of the trucks, the arrival of the team, setup in the pits at Le Mans, and the first Test at Le Mans which, would take place on the 1st of June. Once in Europe, the team would remain there until June 17th—a stay of three weeks.
Le Mans is a long, expensive, and serious race and much of the endurance required to perform well in the event takes place off the track and before the race.