Racing Second Win
• Perfect race by the Helvetic team in GTA Pro-Am race in Valencia• Frezza-Monfardini 2 nd in EdilCris’ best result of the season• Another podium for Gião-Couceiro in a weet-sour day for Playteam
Swiss Trottet Racing took a resounding win in the GTA Pro-Am race of the ValenciaStreet Circuit GT Open, after a perfect race by Marcel Fässler and Henri Moser, whoreplicated the success obtained in Spa early June and confirmed the excellent shapeof the Swiss Ferrari F430 GTC.
It was an all-Ferrari podium, with Edil Cris Racing climbing another step to takesecond (its best result so far) with Marco Frezza and Ferdinando Monfardini, whilePlayteam’s Portuguese pair, Manuel Gião and Pedro Couceiro, took another podiumfinish, although Couceiro, knocked down by the intense heat could not physically beon the rostrum. Championship leaders Montermini-Maceratesi were forced toretirement during the pit stop, because of an ignition problem.
The start is quite hot, with both Gião and Serra overtaking poleman Montermini in thestraight but having to leave the Italian re-take the lead in first corner. The trio isfollowed at the end of lap 1 by Cressoni (soon punished with a drive-through forcutting straight the second corner), Aicart, Fässler, Frezza, Rugolo, Razia, Bobbi,Griffin and Pasini. The nice battle between Aicart and Fässler soon goes to theadvantage of the Swiss, while Beltoise and Pasini collide in lap 5 with the Sofrev driverspinning his Ferrari.
In lap 8, Brazilian star Daniel Serra (the son of former F.1 Chico), who qualified in abrilliant second position, wins his duel with Gião for second and starts catching up onMontermini, who leads with a 4”5 gap, while in lap 12 the Portuguese has to let passFässler as well, and an impressive Matt Griffin takes sixth from Aicart.The driver change stop will be fatal to the leaders, as the Playteam Ferrari refuses tostart again once Maceratesi takes the wheel. This allows the Trottet Ferrari of Moserto take an easy lead, 14” ahead of the Edil Cris of Ferdinando Monfardini, whobenefits from no handicap, with Couceiro third ahead of Bonetti, Casè, Ricci andPolicand.
Moser is a strong leader and the young Swiss even increases slightly his advantage, while the final laps see Lietz in the Autorlando Porsche taking fourth ahead of the GPCFerrari of Ricci and the Sofrev Ferrari of Policand, followed by the two F430 of Casèand Bonetti, who has slipped to eight after being hit by Ricci and getting tangled withSundberg, in an incident that obliges the Swede to retire with a broken wheel.
Handicaps Pro-Am Race GTA:20”: Car # 315”: Cars # 1, 17, 28, 29, 3010”: Cars # 18, 385”: Cars # 4, 5
