RAM RACING FINISH 1ST AND 3RD IN ITALY

The Irish/British driver pairing, driving the No.52 Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia, were dominant from start to finish, and the two were never ousted from their deserved place at the front of the LMGTE field, even during a brief rain shower or while under pressure from some top class opponents. Apart from during the two scheduled pit stop windows, the white Ferrari led from flag to flag and crossed the line one lap ahead of its nearest rival, the No.55 AF Corse Ferrari of Perazzini/Cioci/Leo.

Third across the line at the chequered flag was Ram Racing's second Ferrari 458 entry, the No.53 of Gunnar Jeannette and Frankie Montecalvo – the American pairing taking their second podium finish in two races.  Young New Jersey driver, Montecalvo, was thrown in at the deep end by completing his own marathon stint of just over two hours.  He held second place in class for much of his stint, only ceding it to very experienced Ferrari driver Marco Cioci, who applied extreme pressure on Frankie, in the final stages of the race.

Matt Griffin started the race in the No.52 and drove for two hours – enjoying a nose-to-tail battle with Porsche factory driver Pat Long in the No.77 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche in the early stages.  Matt resisted huge pressure and, as the fuel load reduced in the Ferrari, so his lap times got quicker and he was able to gradually stretch out a healthy lead over his competitors.  He completed a two hour stint and his team mate Johnny Mowlem was able to take the maximum care while driving in the final third to ensure brought home the win.

The battle between Matt Griffin and Long kept everyone entertained in the first hour but there was alarm amongst the media and spectators when they saw the Irish driver slow on track.  He explains what happened:  “We were pushing the envelope with the fuel a bit in order to match the Porsche's fuel economy, and the car coughed a bit so I had to come off the throttle and nurse it round for my scheduled stop.  I switched the engine map, watched Pat drive away from me but we were always planning to stop at that stage anyway.  We had some fantastic Michelin tyres this weekend and that allowed us to follow the strategy we did, although the rears were going off a bit towards the end.  It was a great result though, coming after pole position this morning, and it might take a while to wipe the smile from my face tonight!”

Full team release here