If the start of the 2007 American Le Mans Series is any indication, this weekend will be a very happy homecoming for Risi Competizione. The Houston-based GT2 team is heading into the Lone Star Grand Prix riding a three-race winning streak with its Ferrari F430 GT, both of which haven proven to be the class of a very competitive field.
Two cars from the Risi stable are entered for Saturday’s two-hour, 45-minute race at JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park, the season’s fourth round for the Series. Mika Salo and Jaime Melo will drive the unbeaten No. 62 entry that has dominated the GT2 class so far. In addition to winning at Sebring, St. Petersburg and last week at Long Beach, the duo twice have sat on pole position with both drivers scoring one each.
Melo qualified on pole and posted the race’s fastest GT2 lap last year at Houston as he and Salo finished third in class. They led for 61 laps and were poised for a win before the power steering pump went out midway and the team had to make a late-race stop for a tire change.
“There is pressure at every circuit we go to and Houston won’t be any different, ” Salo said. “We didn’t have a very good weekend but hopefully this year will be different. “
A victory this weekend would give them a stranglehold on the class drivers championship. They lead Flying Lizard’s Jö rg Bergmeister and Johannes van Overbeek by 26 points. Salo also can set a GT2 record by scoring his fifth consecutive victory Saturday, a streak that dates back to last October at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in the 2006 finale. He drove there with Stephane Ortelli.
He currently shares the mark with a collection of the most elite drivers in Series history including former class champions Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Sascha Maassen, Lucas Luhr and Timo Bernhard, along with Romain Dumas. It was Salo who last week went from seventh to first in class in 39 minutes.
“We’ve got a huge group of employees, their families and many friends coming out to the race to cheer us on, ” Krohn said. “I believe our guest list is over 500 people right now. That’s a lot of cheerleaders and we’re happy to have them!
“This race is a great event in downtown Houston around the Reliant Arena, Stadium and Astrodome, ” added Krohn, who is the founder, chairman and CEO of W&T Offshore, a gas and oil exploration business in Houston. “It should bring plenty of race fans out to watch some good racing. I’m glad to be a part of it, especially with Giuseppe Risi and his Risi Competizione Ferrari team. They do a great job with the car and we want to win for them in their hometown as well. ”
| 
|