Tag Archives: Doyle Risi Racing

Max Mad

1999 12 Hours of Sebring

Trawling through the 1999 Sebring files I stumbled across this, Max Angelelli on fire in the Doyle Risi Racing Ferrari 333 SP. Unfortunately this hot display did not translate into actual success on track, the 333 SP getting the dubious honour of posting the first retirement. Engine failure the reason given, Icarus had flown too close to the Sun.

Speaking of Max being inflamed, he seemed pretty fired up at the post race conference last week in Daytona. This performance confirmed what I had puzzled over earlier while watching the finishing stages of the Rolex on TV. The Speed coverage kept repeating “Pass of the Day” showing the eventual winner blasting past Max in a straight line speed duel, the main skill required for this would be keeping a straight face. On cars that were subject to balance of performance adjustments this looked a bit fishy and no wonder Max was pissed. If, as I hear, some of the German giants are considering building Daytona Prototypes Mark Two, Grand-Am had better get this aspect sorted or be prepared for some serious grief.

John Brooks, February 2013

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship…………….

March 1999 and the first round of the American Le Mans Series, also by happy coincidence the 47th edition of the Sebring 12 Hours. No one present could have imagined that the gig would go on as long, or be as successful, as it eventually turned out. Well the party is coming to the end, so let’s all head on down to Hendricks Army Airfield for right old knee’s up next March. It may be the final opportunity to see real sportscars on the runways.

Here from the last century is a proper Ferrari Porsche challenge, a Doyle-Risi Racing 333Sp and the Champion Racing 911 GT1 EVO, classic and timeless……………….Play It Again, Sam…….and if I had been on my third coffee of the day I would have noticed that the headline I apprehended from Casablanca also involved an alliance between the French and the Americans, can’t say that I see much of Bogart in Don though………………

John Brooks, December 2012

Red Earth, Red Line

One of the most important wins in the long career of the Ferrari 333 SP was in the fall of 1998 when Doyle Risi Racing’s example won the inaugural Petit Le Mans. The trio of Wayne Taylor, Eric van de Poele and Emmanuel Collard beat off strong opposition on the way to victory in this instant classic.

The race was also important in giving the world the concept of taking the rules governing Le Mans 24 Hours and exporting them to other track and series. Thus we have been lucky enough to see the American Le Mans Series over the years that followed.

John Brooks, August 2012