The Risi Competizione Ferrari team came to the streets of Long Beach prepared for the challenge of the complicated and unpredictable temporary street circuit but today it bit back.
A good qualifying session yesterday put Toni Vilander in the third starting position for today's 100-minute BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix, Round 3 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series.
An excellent start by Finn Vilander saw him elevate from third to first in the GTLM class on the first turn of the first lap. Unfortunately, as he was trying to go around a slowed Prototype car [No. 22 of Ed Brown], he had contact that ended the day for the popular Houston, Texas-based privateer Ferrari team.
Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
"Sometimes it just doesn't go your way and unfortunately this was one of those races. I think we had a good car but we'll never know. Toni was pushing, as you do on a short race at a street track and got involved in a racing incident that put us out. There's not much to say and this is a rare occurrence at the Risi Team to not finish a race. We'll re-group and try to have a good race at our home circuit at CoTA [Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas] next month."
Toni Vilander, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:
"I had a good start from P3; I went to P1 in Turn 1 after the start. I was right behind the 22. I knew Ed Brown was driving the ESM [No. 22] car. I had more speed than him in the corners. I was showing my nose so he would know I was there. Going into Turn 5 I decided to go and overtake. I saw the gap and I went for it. We had slight contact and he spun because of it. I had a push from the back that pushed me all the way to the wall and to another contact with Ed Brown's Prototype. With the first contact I could have backed out but somebody was pushing me to the wall so the damage was quite bad and our race was over. After the race, I talked to him (Ed Brown) and he said he saw me and left the gap, unfortunately it didn't work out.
It was a really unfortunate day and not the way we envisioned ending the race. We had such a good start. Maybe I should have taken it a little easier knowing at that time I was leading the race [in class]. I should have probably just waited another corner and then tried to overtake him but in a short street race you have to go for it when the opportunity presents itself.
I'm truly sorry for the team. Everybody worked hard to have a good race car. We did a good job with Rick [Mayer] and Giancarlo during the weekend. We got the car up to P3 in qualifying and P1 for a couple of corners (in the race) and then that was it."
The Risi Competizione Ferrari team is proud to partner with Ferrari of Newport Beach, San Diego and Washington for this weekend's IMSA Sports Car Grand Prix on the streets of Long Beach.
Tune-In Information:
The Grand Prix at Long Beach will replay on U.S. television on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports.
The next race on the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule, Round 4, is the Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, May 4-6.
