No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:
Davide Rigon (ITA)
Daniel Serra (BRA)
Gabriel Casagrande (BRA)

(Sebring, Florida, March 19, 2023) … The No. 62 Risi Competizione kept to their game plan and brought the Ferrari 296 GT3 to the checkered flag in the sixth position in the GTD Pro class with drivers Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon and Gabriel Casagrande.

The 71st annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race saw 12 cautions and exhilarating, action-packed racing over the 12 hours at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn central Florida road course.

Brazilian Daniel Serra was the starting driver from the fourth position in the GTD Pro class and 53-car field for the Houston, Texas-based team. Cautions played a big part in the race as numerous cars found their way off course, which tended to make the track slippery and brought out the many cautions. The Risi Competizione team kept to their strategy and generally stayed out of trouble in a race full of mishaps.

Risi Ferrari team and Sebring newcomer Brazilian Gabriel Casagrande drove a respectable stint and accomplished his drive time minimum as planned. The team strategy was to utilize the two Ferrari Competizioni GT factory drivers to their fullest. After racing in yesterday’s FIA WEC 8-hour race, they were well tuned to the challenging Sebring circuit and its conditions this weekend.

Driver Quotes:
Daniel Serra, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:
“Unfortunately it is not the end we were expecting. We were there, fighting for the podium, but unfortunately a prototype put me out on corner 3. I don’t know what happened. I saw the images I know it was a prototype who bumped me in the back and then I spun and that’s it. Anyway, now we have to think about Watkins Glen, see what we can do better. I hope to have a better BoP [balance of performance] as well. It’s still a little bit far from the others in terms of weight and power so, I don’t know… let’s see what they do for the next races.

“For sure we are closer, but not close enough. If you compare with Corvette or Mercedes, they’re flying compared to us. They’re on a different level. I was able to fight with them and see what the difference is. IMSA usually do a good job, so let’s see what they do for the next race.”

Davide Rigon, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3: (being edited by Luca)
“Actually, through the race we were pretty fast, good pace, good strategy, nothing to say. The team did an amazing job to prepare the car, and Ferrari did a big improvement from Daytona, so we are just very happy about our car. The balance [of the car] was very nice and it was a pleasure to drive this car during the race. [In the] last stint you win or you lose, and we were unlucky at the end. We got hit by a prototype and that’s it. We could have arrived at the podium this time, but we will continue to push with Risi and Ferrari to improve our car. Let’s see if we can win at least one race this year.”

Davide Rigon exits the Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 during a pit stop
Gabriel Casagrande, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:
“It’s not the end we expected, but we were cheering for Daniel at the end. We thought we could maybe fight for the podium. It was a nice experience for me. I’m glad to have been here and helped Daniel and Davide with the car. And to bring the car home in one piece was my target here. I’m thankful for this opportunity and really a huge thank you to Mr. Risi, Anna and the team. I hope to back.”

Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
“It certainly was a rough weekend. Sebring is always a difficult place to come with a new car and this was no exception. I think we improved it during the three practices we had on Thursday and got the car better. We made it the best we could, but we just didn’t have the pace in the race to be competitive. There were some issues with the clutch that caused us some problems in the pits inevitably and took us out of a podium. Gabriel was new with us this weekend. He got up to speed rather quickly and I think he’ll do good in the future. We were hoping for a podium finish, but we’ll recoup, make some changes and be ready for Watkins Glen.”

Points for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship will be tabulated in the coming days and officially announced by IMSA.

The next scheduled race for the Risi Competizione GTD Pro team is Sahlens’ Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York on July 2, round three of the IMEC championship.

For more information about Risi, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione, Twitter @RisiComp and Instagram @RisiComp.

(Sebring, Fla.) March 18, 2023 — In a day that looked to be going the way of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti) team, matters ultimately ended up finishing in disappointing fashion with a fourth-place finish. After qualifying third for the prestigious 12-hour event, Ricky Taylor piloted the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 for the first three hours of the race and ensured the team were well and truly going to be a contender for victory.

After Taylor’s marathon opening stint, Deletraz inherited driving duties and maintained the team’s presence at the front of the field. Towards the end of Deletraz’s stint, an impressive strategy call saw the team dive for the pits where Fillipe Albuquerque was able to take the controls of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 as well as the lead of the race. As the race rolled into the night and various cautions caused shuffles amongst the top of the order, Albuquerque was in the thick of the lead battle that saw a dramatic final 20 minutes of action. Unfortunately, after making some sensational passes that saw him move up to second and challenging the No. 6 Porsche for the lead, the two cars made contact that meant both cars were unable to see the checkered flag.

“I’m so disappointed for everybody on the WTRAndretti team, Acura, HPD, all our partners and the whole Andretti organization,” said Wayne Taylor. “I’m so proud of everybody because they did such a good job and Filipe, what he did in those last 10 laps was incredible. I’m proud of him and thankful he is not hurt. I was expecting to come back and see the car totally destroyed, but it’s not nearly as bad as I thought. Oreca built us a good, safe car. I felt we dominated most of the race today and to end like this is really disappointing. It’s going to make my drive back home a lot longer, but that’s racing as they say and we’ll be ready to go to the next one.”

“I’m super proud to be a part of this WTRAndretti team,” said Ricky Taylor. “There are certain races where you’ll never settle for second and this is one of those races. Here, Daytona and Petit Le Mans at the end of the year, you give everything for the win, and that’s why we have Filipe on the team. We know he is always going to give us our best shot at winning the races. Today we had a very, very strong No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, the strategy at the end was just so complicated. Unfortunately, the Porsche had a really good pit stop and Filipe had a great attempt at the overtake, and that’s just the way it ends up. Proud of the team, and we now focus on Long
Beach.”

“What a sad ending,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “Unfortunately, in the last pitstop, the Porsche managed to pass us. We were P3. It was kind of crazy that all my laps were in the lead and the last 20 minutes, I was behind somebody, which was weird. We knew the No. 31 had no chance because he had old tires and the fight was with the Porsche ahead of me. I think we had a little bit of an edge on them, but staying behind it was super hard to follow, so it needed to be done in traffic. The traffic came and I saw a hole, tight, but I saw it. I think he (Jaminet) moved, but I need to see the replay again because I don’t want to place blame on anybody. I think I was there and then there was contact with the two of us, and the second touch threw me completely in the grass and I couldn’t stop the car then I was a bowling ball, just knocking cars down. It was pretty brutal where I got hit once and then somebody hit me. I just felt like I was getting thrown from one side to another, but these cars are safe and I’m good, that’s what’s most important. It’s sad to not get the win when we had such a strong car and for the WTRAndretti team, they put a lot of energy into this. I’m not a guy to finish P2, I give it my all and I would do the same again.”

“Tough result,” said Louis Deletraz, endurance driver for WTRAndretti. “We for sure wanted to win and I think it was clear from everyone that Filipe gave it his best. No hard feelings. He did really well and we’re proud of him. Crashes happen. We still finished fourth. We were leading and being fast and had good strategies and good calls. The whole team did great. Great pit stops and in general everything was perfect until the last fifteen minutes. I think we’re still close in the championship and thank you to everyone for it.”

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and WTRAndretti team head to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for the first sprint race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on April 15, 2023.

ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.’s (Konica Minolta) journey started 150 years ago, with a vision to see and do things differently. The company innovates for the good of society and the world. The same purpose that kept it moving then, keeps it moving now. Konica Minolta aims to partner with clients to Give Shape to Ideas by supporting their digital transformation through its expansive Intelligent Connected Workplace portfolio. Its business technology offerings include IT Services, intelligent information management, video security solutions and managed print services, as well as office technology and industrial and commercial print solutions. Through its ongoing work, the company is fortunate to be continuously recognized for its products and services. This includes, but is not limited to being included on CRN’s MSP 500 list numerous times; named a finalist in the IT Software Category by The World Technology Awards; recognized as the #1 Brand for CustomerLoyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys and presented with Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Awards for its bizhub i-Series.

Sustainability also continues to be a key driver for the company. As such, Konica Minolta Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent six years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. For more information, please visit Konica Minolta online and follow its accounts on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting Company, Acura Motorsports, Honda Performance Development and Hammer Nutrition.

SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2023) – Corvette Racing showed itself strong early but was left wondering what might have been at the end of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday.

The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – with Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner sharing the wheel – placed fifth in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class after the second race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

After fighting back first from an untimely full-course yellow early and then a mechanical problem with four hours remaining, Corvette Racing appeared to be in a great spot for a second straight Sebring class victory until late-race chaos that started with the GTP-class fight with 20 minutes to go undid all the team’s good work at the end.

The Corvette had the race going its way in the opening eight hours. Garcia began from pole position and steadily increased his advantage through the first hour. The first bit of misfortune struck at the race’s second full-course yellow just past the hour mark as the Corvette couldn’t make its first stop before the pits closed. As a result, it had to enter the pitlane for five seconds of emergency fuel and pit again for full service when the GT pits opened.

Garcia fell to eighth in class but carved his way back toward the front with a dynamic drive through traffic in the span of 25 minutes. He moved up to second by the time the race went yellow again at the two-hour mark.

Taylor got in the Corvette for almost three hours as the Corvette Racing crew got him out ahead of the No. 79 Mercedes for the GTD PRO lead. It was a spot that Taylor held for most of his triple-stint before he handed the C8.R to Milner, who rejoined with the lead.

The Corvette continued to lead out front despite the air and track temperatures climbing during the hottest part of the day. Still while leading, Milner radioed to the Corvette Racing pitbox for the crew to check something at the rear of the car. On his final pitstop with about four hours left, the crew found and replaced the C8.R’s left-rear damper. The fix cost Corvette Racing a lap but Taylor got in for his second run in the car still with good pace but needing a yellow.

Nearly 2.5 hours later, the yellow flags flew again to solidify the Corvette getting back on the lead lap. Taylor stayed in until the 10-hour mark when Garcia re-entered the race for the final stints to the end. A series of additional full-course yellows and some sharp strategy calls moved the Corvette as high as third and first among the GTD PRO cars that made their final scheduled stops under yellow with about 50 minutes to go.

On the subsequent restart, however, Garcia was hit from behind and knocked off track. The contact sent the C8.R down to sixth place. The final blow came with 17 minutes to go when Garcia and the No. 62 Ferrari were involved in a crash instigated by the overall leaders. Despite the second spin, the Corvette did gain a spot to its final fifth-place finishing position.

Corvette Racing’s next event in the WeatherTech Championship is Saturday, April 15 in Long Beach, Calif.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO:“I’m really disappointed with the finish, but it has nothing to do with the team. They did a great job all weekend with the car, our strategy and helping to keep us in the race when things weren’t looking so good. We kept waiting for a long time for a yellow to get back with the main GTD PRO group, and it finally came our way not long after I got in. I felt like we were in the best shape of all with about an hour to go before all the chaos broke out. I really don’t know what to say. All I know is that I was spun twice and it ruined our race and our car. I understand that this is an important race but there is no call for what happened late. It was careless and reckless driving by a lot of guys who should know better. I don’t know if we would have won, but I do know that we had that chance taken from us. I’m not happy.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “A disappointing finish. The guys did an amazing job. We were up front and in control for a majority of the day before our mechanical issue. I’d say driving standards for today were pretty sub-par from the whole field. There were so many yellows early on and the end of the race was embarrassing to be part of, to be honest. It’s disappointing to finish fifth after how strong we were, but we’ll move on to Long Beach.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “The start was great from Antonio. The first stint from Jordan was awesome. The car was very, very good. At some point in my stint, we had our issue and it looked a little grim for awhile. Then it looked like we would have an opportunity and a chance to race for a podium, which I think we certainly deserved as we had the car to beat. At the end, you had a lot of guys who were driving over their heads and there was a lot of that today. Unfortunately we got the worst of it. I feel for the rest of the guys in GTD PRO to have to deal with Antonio for the rest of the year. He’s going to be fired up.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.