Nicholas Risitano will be opening up a new chapter in his racing career this year after it was announced that the Italian will be leaving NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to join Manfredi Ravetto and Paolo Ruberti’s SR&R team and race the team’s Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo in the Italian GT Championship for 2021.
A new chapter awaits Nicholas Risitano this year after it was announced that he will be joining Italian GT Championship team SR&R to make his full season debut in Italy’s biggest sports car racing series.
Risitano is set to partner last year’s GT Cup Sprint class runner-up Luca Demarchi as the full-time drivers of SR&R’s No. 175 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo, now carrying sponsorship from Risitano’s sponsor O3 Sanity System. Risitano and Demarchi would be joined by fellow series debutant Edoardo Barbolini on the Endurance races.
As previously reported by TRC Giornale, the announcement would mean that Risitano is leaving NASCAR Whelen Euro Series after a successful three year campaign in EuroNASCAR 2. Risitano had one race win on his name, which was scored in 2019 when he won the second EN2 race at Valencia. He also scored a total of 8 podiums and 25 Top-10 finishes in 35 starts.
While his best championship finish in the series was 5th in 2019, the 2020 season statistically was Risitano’s best in Euro Series. Driving the No. 12 Chevrolet of Solaris Motorsport, Risitano achieved five podium finishes – the highest count of podiums for the non-Hendriks Motorsport drivers in EN2 last year – and helped Solaris to achieve a 4th place finish in the Teams Championship.
I had a dream as a child to be a pilot when I grew up, but I had an even bigger one, to do it aboard a Ferrari!” said Risitano in his social media account. “I have been used to always having to fight in life even if I try not to point it out, but this has taught me to never give up. All the sufferings have always strengthened me and made me go up another step.”
“Well both my dreams have come true, now all that remains is to crown the greatest wish! To bring the car that all children like me have dreamed of or dream of driving on the top step of the podium! It won’t be easy, but it won’t be easy for others to be able to keep up with me either! With pride, Forza Italia! Forza Ferrari!”
SR&R owners Manfredi Ravetto and Paolo Ruberti hopes that Risitano’s signing would allow the team, which made its Italian GT Championship debut last year, to aim for better results this year.
“We are very satisfied with what we did in 2020 on our debut in a challenging championship like the CIGT but among the many podiums achieved, we missed the satisfaction of the victory,” said Ruberti to ACI Sport. “After achieving it [a class victory] in the 6 Hours of Rome, we hope to also conquer it in the CIGT this year with the drivers we have chosen after a series of convincing tests that they have provided us. Manfredi and my experience is at their disposal to try to win in respect of a line-up that this year proves to be very competitive”.
“We dedicate a rightful thanks to ACI Sport once again for setting up a championship in constant expansion in these difficult times,” said Ravetto to ACI Sport. “SR&R grows, one step at a time, and increases its efforts proving to be what we want it to be: a sporting and technical family that is able to identify and prepare worthy drivers and put them in light to face the most challenging stages.”
Disclaimer: Unless noted, all photos used in this article are courtesy of NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Campionatio Italiano Gran Turismo.