This is the first piece written by Taylor Wiseman, one of the Young Journalists participating in a program sponsored by Risi Competizione. Taylor is majoring at Journalism at the University of Texas. She will be writing articles for this site for the entire weekend.
The sun beams down on drivers, crews, spectators and cameramen as the Lonestar Le Mans series gets underway, just outside of Austin, at Circuit of the Americas.
The hustle and bustle of race weekend is in full force and people are trying to stay cool in the Texas heat. Fans go under the grandstand to find shade, crews can step into the garage but photographers, for the most part, are in the open with no shade looking for the best angle they can get.
The track is 3.41 miles long making it impossible to get anywhere fast on your feet. Add in the maze-like aspect of the track and as a photographer you’re stuck, or are you?
Thanks to a group of volunteers put together by Tom Yemmington, photographers are able to get on a shuttle that will take them around the outside and inside of the track. These shuttles come by every 7 to 10 minutes allowing a photographer to get from Turn 20 to Turn 11E in the amount of time it takes a race car to get around the track twice. That’s about five minutes and those turns are on opposite ends of the track.
This year, the shuttles being used are air-conditioned vans but that hasn’t always been the case. Yemmington rented golf carts during the first F1 race hosted at CoTA and gathered a group of friends who love racing to help out. The shuttle system that year was lacking in more ways than one.
“If we had a full load of photographers, five photographers, trying to go up the hill in one cart, the golf carts wouldn’t make it…we had to get out and kind of push them,” said third year volunteer, Lee Thompson.
Not only did photographers have to expend more energy while riding the shuttle, they also had no air conditioning. This year is a different story, the shuttle is a van that makes it up the hills and has air conditioning. Some photographers get overheated while shooting and take a lap around the track to cool down.
The shuttle system has made it easier and cooler for photographers to get the shots they want, and in return Yemmington and his volunteers get to spend a few days at the track away from their regular work schedules.
Texas Heat and European Drivers
This post is written by Rachel Wenzlaff, who is part of the Young Journalist Program sponsored by Risi Competizione. Rachel is majoring in Journalism at the University of Texas. She will be posting articles on the site throughout the race weekend.
When Risi drivers Giancarlo Fisichella or Pierre Kaffer emerge from the cockpit after a race, a part of them gets left behind…. a glistening puddle of sweat and a sour aroma.
The culprits–96 degrees (36 C) and 40 percent humidity –are not unusual temperatures for Austin, Texas in mid September. However, it is significantly hotter than September in Europe. Fisichella is accustomed to fall in Italy where temperatures typically max out in the high 70’s, and Kaffer is used to German temperatures in the upper 60’s.
Compounding on the natural heat, on scorching Texas days like Friday, the Ferrari acts similar to an oven. The heat from the engine, tires, dark interior and driver all combine into a blistering fog.
In the car there is no escape from the thick air. Fisichella and Kaffer are strapped into a Nomex suit and helmet to protect them from potential fire. The suit can survive for 35 seconds in temperatures of up to 1562 degrees (850 C) but that also means there is little fresh airflow in or out of the suit.
Before regulations, temperatures inside the cockpit averaged more than 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius.) As a result, drivers became so severely dehydrated that there was an increase in crashes and even if a driver managed to control his car for the entire race, drivers still frequented the medical tent to address lightheadedness and nausea.
To increase the safety of drivers, regulations were enacted stating that the maximum temperature of the cockpit can’t exceed the temperature of the outside air. Special sensors were placed in each car that identify unsafe air temperature. If the sensors detect that it is too hot in the cockpit, the car is required to come in for maintenance.
But, as evidenced by the sweat pool, 96 degrees is still plenty hot.
RISI COMPETIZIONE POST-QUALIFYING NOTES 2015 LONE STAR GRAND PRIX AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia GT No. 62:
Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA)
Pierre Kaffer (DEU)
Houston, Texas (September 18, 2015)…The Houston-based Risi Competizione Ferrari team, with qualifying driver Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy), will start from the eighth position in the GTLM class for the Lone Star Le Mans race, the penultimate round in the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) tomorrow, September 19.
The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia is one of eight GTLM class competitors to race alongside all classes of competition in the 38-car field in Saturday’s two hours and 40 minute race, beginning at 11:35 a.m. CDT.
Fisichella’s fastest time in the 15-minute qualifying session was 2:05.996 at 97.945 mph around the 3.47-mile/5.515-kilometer circuit, which Houston, Texas-based Risi Competizione considers their home track. The No. 911 Porsche factory entry of Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet will start from the pole after qualifying in a single lap with a time of 2:04.396 at 98.395 mph.
Fisichella and teammate Pierre Kaffer (Germany) are both making their second appearance at COTA and will start 23rd overall in the 38-car field.
GIANCARLO FISICHELLA, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Qualifying Driver:
“Well, this was one of the worst qualifying of my career. I’m really disappointed we lost two seconds from this morning. The car was really difficult to drive. There was zero grip. We made just a few changes, but the main problem was all the rubber on track from the Continental Tire race before us, which is not good for our car. We’re struggling and just hoping for a better day tomorrow.”
RICK MAYER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
“The car wasn’t what we hoped for. We thought we might be P5 or P6, because we knew we couldn’t beat the BMWs or the Porsches. The Continental Tire Series race came before our qualifying and their rubber is not compatible with our rubber and that makes the track pretty slippery. This tends to affect the lower downforce cars, which is the Ferrari more than the other competitors. We made a small change before qualifying and I don’t know if that was for the better or worse, but we just had no grip and general oversteer, as well. We’ll make some adjustments for the morning. I’m sure the track will be better for warm-up because there will be some WEC rubber down and some other soft rubber and I think the race will come back to us a bit, but we’ll have to see how we do.”
2015 LONE STAR GRAND PRIX AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS PRE-RACE REPORT
The Official Risi Competizione Pre-Race Media Release.
Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia GT No. 62:
Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA)
Pierre Kaffer (DEU)
Houston, Texas (September 16, 2015)…The Houston-based Risi Competizione Ferrari team is thrilled to be back at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) for the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship penultimate round, the Lone Start Le Mans race, Saturday, September 19.
The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia with drivers, Pierre Kaffer (Germany) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy), are proud to bring the excitement of the Prancing Horse to their “hometown” fans at the 20-turn, 3.47-mile/5.515-kilometer circuit that runs counter-clockwise and has elevation changes of 133 feet/40.5 meters.
After four podiums in eight races, including two second place finishes (Sebring & Long Beach), and two third place finishes (Road America and VIR), victory has eluded the fan favorite team so far this year. A victory is high on the team’s priority at the popular Texas venue, the only FIA-certified Grade 1 track in the United States.
The Risi Competizione team has competed at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) twice, making their first appearance in 2013’s inaugural running of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series at the track. Last year (2014), Fisichella and Kaffer qualified tenth and finished in fourth place after suffering a few rare technical issues. The talented Fisichella/Kaffer duo are both making their second appearance at the team’s favorite track. They are one of eight GTLM class competitors out of a 40-car field total.
GIANCARLO FISICHELLA, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Driver:
What is your favorite part or turn at COTA and why?
“This is a very nice track. After the European tracks it is very similar, in that there is a very challenging part to it – right, left, right, left. I think this track is the most beautiful of the circuits.”
What is your overall feeling going into the last two races of the season?
“We always like to come to Austin, which is a very nice town. And the circuit is really good and really nice. It’s been a bit of an up and down season. We were competitive sometimes. We scored several second and third finishes, but actually this year we have not won so far and that is our target for the next two races.”
PIERRE KAFFER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Risi Competizione Driver:
You’ve raced at COTA before. What do you think about returning and what is your favorite part of this circuit and why?
“First of all, I’d like to say I’m happy to be here. This is a big race for us because it is the home track for Risi Competizione. I’m really looking forward to it. COTA is a nice, challenging, new track. It’s an American-European racetrack. I think you will not find many drivers who do not like this track. It will be really nice for our Ferrari to flow in the corners here. It’s fast, it’s slow, it’s technical so it has everything in it and I’m really looking forward to drive it again.”
What’s it like to race in front of a hometown crowd, so to speak, in the U.S.?
“It’s a nice feeling to have because you have many people cheering for you and it’s nice to be driving with the best team in America and with the best crew. What we’ve achieved so far this year is amazing. We are burning, on fire inside. We want to have our first victory and that’s our biggest goal so far.”
You’re competing in both the IMSA TUDOR and World Endurance Championship (WEC) series races this weekend. What is it going to be like to do a double race stint between two races this weekend?
“I’m look forward to this because I love this track so much. My main focus will absolutely be with Risi Competizione, because it’s the main championship I race. I think it’s not disturbing with the other race project (WEC) because it’s nice to be in a race car and it’s nice to be in the LMP. I know this track from LMP2 and I know this track from GT and I don’t think there is a big difference. For me, where it counts, is the championship in America. My co-drivers in WEC have to do more of the job in the practice sessions and I will join them for the race. I’m looking forward to it…more seat time at COTA is a more enjoyable time here in Texas.”
RICK MAYER, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia Risi Competizione Race Engineer:
COTA is one of the newer circuits on the IMSA schedule. How does the Risi team like racing in front of their hometown crowd and at such a beautiful circuit?
“It’s a great facility and the home track for Risi. It’s also great for the team as it’s a short drive and not all day travel. That’s nice for the team.”
With the wide track and runoffs you don’t expect many, if any, cautions. How does that affect the race and strategy for the engineers?
“Having no cautions won’t be good for us. Our fueling is a bit slower than the other GTLM cars so we don’t have a pit advantage. Where the team excels is when the fuel fill is short and the tire change could pace the stop. Those situations only happen when there is pit stops under the pace car.”
DAVE SIMS, No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia Risi Competizione Team Manager:
The Risi Competizione team has raced at COTA twice now. Tell us what makes this circuit well suited for the Ferrari.
“The circuit itself is obviously a grand prix circuit. I have really high regards for the facilities and safety elements at this track. The surfaces are also very good.
COTA is an engineering and driver’s circuit.”
What is it like to race in front of a hometown crowd and among a lot of Risi Competizione and Ferrari fans?
“We have a lot of fans coming up from Houston and have a lot of local fans. There are not many circuits you can say you race at home. It’s really nice for the guys and the whole team. It’s good for us to be able to drive to it instead of flying, which we normally do to all the race. It’s also beautiful and one of the top circuits in the world. The F1 drivers love coming here. The hospitality and local people are great. We’re looking forward to the entire weekend.”
Tune-In Information:
Live coverage of the Lone Star Le Mans race is on FOX Sports 2, Sunday, September 19 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. CDT. The race will re-air on FOX Sports 1, Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 p.m. CDT. Live timing and scoring is available for all on-track sessions at IMSA.com and on the IMSA Smartphone app.
For more information, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione and Twitter @RisiComp.
Setting up The Risi Comp Ferrari 458 For COTA
This post is part of a continuing series by Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione’s Race Engineer. This week, it’s on the challenges and realities of racing at Circuit of the Americas in this weekend’s upcoming Lone Star Grand Prix.
Houston, Texas (September 10, 2015)…Rick Mayer, race engineer of the Risi Competizione No. 62 Ferrari 458 Italia team, gives his run down and preview of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Series, Lone Star Le Mans, September 17-19, 2015 in Austin, Texas.
Piloting the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia in the GTLM class are drivers, Pierre Kaffer (Germany) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy).
Looking back at past races at the Circuit of the Americas — The 2014 race only had one safety car; The 2013 race went green without a caution. A modest car count this year could see another caution-free race. CoTA’s long 3.4-mile circuit has ample run-off so this should reduce practice stoppages and race caution periods.
CoTA is quite wide and has enough straights where passing slower traffic will be easier than on street or tighter, permanent circuits. It has a good, smooth track surface – as you’d expect from a relatively new track built to F1 standards. As championship titles start coming into play, this will likely be another fierce GT battle with the Porsches, BMWs and Corvettes, who all have good handling at this type of circuit and all with plenty to prove. We would expect the Porsches to dominate here, as they did last year, and the last four races this year. The current BoP (Balance of Performance) is heavily bias toward the Porsches.
BMWs and Corvettes have a slight advantage over the Ferrari, based on the current BoP rules. The Porsches will be quick here, as this is a downforce track. The Porsches have the most downforce of any car in the GTLM class and should dominate. All the drivers have been here before with the same cars, therefore everyone should get to speed quickly.
The Track: CoTA is certainly a more traditional, European-style layout than some of the other permanent road courses we visit. The twisty section between Turns 3 and 9 will be partial throttle for GTs and this section will probably have more than one line. This could be a tricky complex to get right and will favour the cars with the highest downforce; unfortunately that is not the Ferrari. The car needs platform for this section but it will not require an overly fast change of direction, like the bus stop at Daytona or Turn 10 at Road Atlanta. The curbs are usable here and aid in achieving a quicker lap time. Top speed going into Turn 12 will be on par with Road America, VIR, Mosport and Road Atlanta. The low speed corners (Turns 1, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 20) will work the rear tires hard on the exit.
Setup: The track has one long straight with the run up into Turn 1, and down to Turn 11 quick as well. A good lap time here will come from being able to run through the corners well, as opposed to trimming for top speed. CoTA has 20 corners, including some long ones, and we’ll need to find a setup and tire compound that allows the tires to last. This track prefers a stiffer platform, as there’s are a lot of high speed corners that require pitch control and general platform support. The surface is smooth, but it’s a compromise as the many low speed corners will work the rear tires hard. We’ll work with the dampers, anti-roll bars and springs to get good transition and platform support. We should have a good base setup from last year with some small changes based on what we’ve learned this season.
The Race: We would expect few full-course caution periods (but a good chance of none) during the race with the amount of run-off here. The conditions are forecast to be HOT – we’re in Texas in September so that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Hot and dry conditions (no rain) will make the tires and tire life the key for long runs, as the heat will exaggerate their fall off. The heat could also exaggerate any deterioration in driver performance so teams will need to be careful with stint planning. We expect some green flag pit stops to play into the outcome of this race. Changing weather conditions would make an interesting race. The Ferrari should be quick here but the competition is fierce. This will be another thriller of a GT race for the fans. Hopefully we can keep our momentum going from the last two races and finish this race with another podium.
Tune-In Information:
Live coverage of the Lone Star Le Mans race is on FOX Sports 2, Sunday, September 19 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. CDT. The race will re-air on FOX Sports 1, Sunday, September 20 at 1:00 p.m. CDT. Live timing and scoring is available for all on-track sessions at IMSA.com and on the IMSA Smartphone app.
For more information, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione and Twitter @RisiComp.
String Theory
Press Clippings. It’s U.S. Open time, we’re headed past the quarters and into the Semis and the level of play is rising with every shot. This is when major tennis gets very, very serious. There could not possibly be a better time to point you to one of very best pieces on Tennis (with a capital T), which is David Foster Wallace’s classic “The String Theory”, originally published by Esquire Magazine in July 1996. David Foster Wallace, author of the novel Infinite Jest was a brilliant writer and a national class tennis player who was eventually overrun by his own talent–he committed suicide on September 12th, 2008. Sometimes when you perceive too much, it becomes too much. He is not the first great writer to meet that very sad end and his too-early exit did not in any way diminish his talent or the work he left behind or our appreciation for his gifts. A movie about the un-visible–the talent and mind of a great writer–and David Foster Wallace is out now, starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg. It’s called “The End of the Tour” and it’s worth your time because David Foster Wallace is very much a writer you should read and the movie provides some depth of understanding of his complex persona. Start by reading the piece from Esquire. It is superb–all the more because it was written by someone who played tennis at a high level and understand the game. One more thing: read the footnotes. They are integral to the piece and Wallace’s presentation of the story and information. David Foster Wallace is serving. You are receiving. It’s going to be major.
The Fine Print: David Foster Wallace’s “The String Theory” piece was originally published by Esquire in July of 1996. The End of The Tour trailer is via embed from YouTube. All rights belong to their respective rights holders. We thank Esquire, YouTube, and the producers of The End of the Tour, for sharing.
The Weekend Concert Series: Queen Live at Wembley Stadium
Editor’s note: A movie biopic of the rockband Queen and its’ legendary lead singer, Freddie Mercury, opens in theaters today. We have not seen the film yet, but we have seen–and featured, some three years ago–their astonishing concert at Wembley Stadium. You may not get a chance to see the film, but you certainly must see the concert, and so we’re bringing it back from the Hunt for New Music vault. Enjoy.
The Hunt for New Music. This last weekend of summer,the Hunt goes back in time, for one of the all-time great concerts: Queen Live at Wembley Stadium. The concert was recorded live at Wembley Stadium in London in July of 1986 when the English band was the absolute peak of their performance power. Queen, featuring Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor, formed in 1970, had by then turned into one of the world’s greatest rock bands, posting 18 Number 1 albums. Lead by Freddie Mercury who was a consummate live performer–a shock of energy, mesmerizing, tantalizing, obviously dangerous, Queen became one of the world’s greatest–if not THE GREATEST–stadium bands. The band’s unique musical range set it far apart from their contemporaries as they constantly took massive musical risks and made them pay off. You may know them best for two songs identified (forever) with sports events: “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions”, but until you have seem them live, you will never understand the power they brought to their music, concerts, and fans. Like a lot of rock bands who achieved superstardom, there was a downside, and it was the dangerous dalliance with sex and drugs that form two parts of the three-part credo of “sex, drugs, and rock&roll” that brought the band, and, most notably, Freddie Mercury, down. Mercury, whose power on stage was unrivaled, was the living embodiment of the line from the Eagle’s song “James Dean”– “too fast to live, too young to die”– and, regrettably, it proved true. Mercury died in 1991, from complications from AIDS-induced pneumonia; six years later, John Deacon retired and the song came to a close. Although Roger Taylor and Brian May have continued to perform together, there is no Queen without Freddie Mercury (or John Deacon), just as there could be no Beatles without John Lennon. Presented this weekend, in full HD and wonderful sound, is Queen Live at Wembley, with the band in superb form in a concert that has been described, consistently, as the greatest live concert in the history of Rock. This is the perfect piece for an end of summer evening and, as always, you are advised to bump it to the big flat screen and run it through your sound system. And, of course, turn it up. It’s a kind of magic.
The Fine Print: This concert was uploaded on dec 28, 2011. Embed courtesy of youtube.com (thank you for sharing). It was featured on this site as part of our “Weekend Concert” series in 2015. All rights belong to their respective artists. Introduction (c)2015, donald pierce.
SONY Puts On A Show
In a move reminiscent of the major new product introductions that Apple started and perfected under Steve Jobs, SONY has just finished a huge new product event at the IFA 2015 Conference in Berlin. The IFA is one of the world’s leading trade shows for consumer electronics and home appliances, and the scheduling–today, one week prior to APPLE’s next big event on September 9th–is not accidental. Is SONY–the company that invented the WALKMAN, the Trinitron TV, and developed the wonderful VAIO laptops–really back, or least on the right way back? One way to find out is to read the coverage of the event, from CNET. Done in real time, the blogged coverage is full of news and photos. Dig in-it’s good stuff.
Turn It Down: Apple Music Loses A Top Executive
According to a post on re/code.com , Ian Rogers, former CEO of Beats Music (before it was bought by Apple) and one of the key players behind the launch of the Beats1 streaming service, has left the company. No reason was given, but certainly, the stress in that sector of the music business (i.e. failure to gain traction against competition like Spotify, Pandora, etc.) might be a reason. The full story is sure to emerge in the near future. In the meantime…Apple Music is treading water and Tidal (Jay-Z’s much-hyped service) is slipping under.
The Night Shift: The News While You Slept
Press Clippings:
The Increasingly Fatal Flaw: Hilary’s Email Problem (source: New York Times)
Deadly Immigrant Crisis in Europe (source: BBC)
Daryl Dawkins, the NBA’s “Chocolate Thunder”, Dies (Source: si.com)
The Day by The Numbers (source:fivethirtyeight.com)
Morning Sports Report (Source:si.com)