The two Risi Ferraris at Mid-Ohio. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Risi Competizione

No. 61: Giancarlo Fisichella, Jaime Melo, Mika Salo
No. 62: Toni Vilander, Gianmaria Bruni

Risi Competizione Ferrari finds itself in an intriguing and unexpected situation going into the final race of the season. The last race at Mosport went completely against the game plan, but it did show the resolve of the Houston-based team. First Pierre Kaffer had a practice accident that injured him and put the No. 61 car out of action, and later in the day Jaime Melo came down with a stomach virus. Toni Vilander promptly transferred cars, charged like a demon from last on the GT grid to second by the end of his stint, and ensured his new co-driver Gianmaria “Gimmi” Bruni still had a chance at the driver’s championship.

For Petit, Bruni and Vilander will stay together in the No. 62 car while Melo shifts to the No. 61, joining Formula One veterans Mika Salo and Giancarlo Fisichella. Bruni, Risi, and Ferrari can still win the driver’s, team’s and manufacturer’s championships, but it will take a perfect race coupled with misfortune for the Flying Lizard Porsche team to make it happen. If nothing else, Risi can look to start a new streak of victories in endurance races after winning six in a row from 2008 through this March at Sebring.