Ferrari, Pier Guidi Tops In GTLM In Competitive Afternoon Session

Risi Competizione returns to Road Atlanta this weekend looking to repeat its Motul Petit Le Mans victory one year ago.

Through two practice sessions, the team has shown good pace with newcomer Alessandro Pier Guidi leading the afternoon session with a lap of 1:18.334 (116.730 mph) in the No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTE. Joining him this weekend are full-season drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander.

"I knew a couple months ago that I would join the Risi Competizione team and I was immediately happy because I know the story of the team and how many amazing results Risi's team achieved over the years,” Pier Guidi said. “I met Toni (Vilander) at the beginning of my GT career in 2005. At that time, it was the debut for both of us in a GT car and we won immediately the Italian GT championship, so I'm really happy to race again with him. I met Giancarlo (Fisichella) a few years later and I think he is one of the most successful and famous Italian drivers. It will be really interesting to join them in Petit Le Mans."

The GTLM class’ five manufacturers all were represented in the top five with Corvette, Porsche, BMW and Ford directly behind the class-leading Ferrari.

The Porsche 911 RSR of Laurens Vanthoor set the fastest lap of the day in the morning session with a lap of 1:18.320.

Home Track Race Weekend Starts Well for Legge

Through the day’s first two GTD practice sessions, Atlanta-resident Katherine Legge led the field with a lap of 1:20.308 (113.861 mph).

Legge and co-driver Andy Lally are looking to bring home their third win of the season in their No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 for Michael Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian. A win this weekend could top off what has been a remarkable first season for the manufacturer.

“I want to win this one as much as Daytona,” Legge said. “It’s my home race, I live locally, and it’s the last race of the works Acura team as it is. As a reward for the guys working so hard, it would be fantastic to get a win here. It’s what everybody is working towards and I want it really, really bad. I think we’ve got a good car as shown by practice speeds but we’re trying not to get ahead of ourselves.”

Jeroen Mul put the No. 16 Change Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 on top of the leaderboard in the morning practice, with a time exactly one-tenth of a second off Legge’s pace.