Risi Competizione Rolex 24 At Daytona 18 Hour Report

Rain continued into the early morning hours of the 55th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona. The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari GTLM holds the fifth position in class as the race enters its home stretch.An hour after the halfway point of the 24-hour marathon, Finnish driver Toni Vilander turned over the reins of the "Prancing Horse" Ferrari 488 to Great Britain's James Calado. Calado turned in a beautiful drive in treacherous conditions, steering the Risi entry to the top of the GTLM class and fifth overall. Five full-course cautions slowed the pace, but even under the yellow flag drivers were forced to deal with aquaplaning in standing water.Calado asked to stay in the car as long as possible, before deciding he needed to be relieved so he could rest. He stayed in the cockpit for nearly three hours and just past the 16-hour mark.Italian Giancarlo Fisichella began his latest stint in the 6 o'clock hour as the crew changed brakes. After a lengthy caution for an unsafe track during which both Calado and Fisichella drove, the race went back to full green at exactly 7:00 a.m. when the first hints of daylight began to appear over the historic road course at Daytona. Fisichella also faced a very tough and slippery track, but maintained the Risi team's position near the front of the field as the attrition level mounted. James Calado talks with Risi Competizione team manager Dave Sims (center). Toni Vilander, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:"I'd say the first stint was quite okay. I think I was doing good lap times and we were gaining back positions. Then obviously the rain got more intense and now the main concern is visibility and after that is the aquaplaning when the car goes on top of the water. I would say if they restart the race they would have to go back to full course yellow pretty soon because somebody will go off. There's quite a lot of water at some places on the track. I think it was a good call to keep it behind the safety car. We'll see how it goes from here. I hope the rain stops and then we can go back racing."James Calado, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:"I live in the wettest place on Earth - England. It [driving in the wet] is something I've always been good at since I was young. So I enjoy driving in these conditions. It's very tough. You're on the limit of going off and on the limit of going too slow so that the tires don't come up to temperature. So it's very tricky. In my mind it was all about preserving the car, making sure I didn't make any mistakes so I was driving at 85, 90 percent, never full gas. We just changed the brakes, the car feels good in the rain so we'll see. It's the right decision for them [IMSA] to not be racing full speed because at the moment there's a lot of aquaplaning. As soon as it dries up I think they'll be able to race, hopefully not too long."Giancarlo Fisichella, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:"They [the conditions] are very difficult. It's cold and the grip level is really poor. It's very difficult to keep the car on the ground. I think we went with the right temperature on the tires and the car was inconsistent. So it's difficult."Tune-In Information:In the U.S. fans can watch the final hours of the Rolex 24 At Daytona race on Sunday, January 29 from 12:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m. on FOX Sports 1 (Eastern time). The Rolex 24 At Daytona is also available on the FOX Sports GO mobile app and IMSA.TV.


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