GT Open - Battle for Title ...

Reaches Climax in Barcelona

Montermini-Maceratesi (Playteam Ferrari) win Saturday’s race and reduce to 4 points their gap on Lietz-Roda (Autorlando Porsche), 6 th yesterday

Gião-Couceiro (Playteam) unlucky but still in the raceFässler-Moser and Bonetti-Pasini complete Saturday’s podiumSecond victory for the First Racing Lambo in GTSThe 2008 International GT Open title will be decided today and the fight is hotterthan ever after yesterday’s result in the Pro-Am race of the Catalunya GT Open.

Andrea Montermini and Michele Maceratesi won brilliantly the race on their Playteam SaraFreeFerrari F430, re-launching themselves in the title for the race, as championshipleaders Richard Lietz-Gianluca Roda (Autorlando Porsche) finished sixth, and now theirlead over the Italian pair is reduced to 4 points only.

The other title contenders, Gião-Couceiro in the second Playteam Ferrari, also keep their chances for today (and are 16 points behind), despite the fact their race today ended in a multiple collisionon the starting line.

The Trottet Ferrari of Fässler-Moser finished second in today’s race ahead of theAdvanced Ferrari of Bonetti-Pasini, who won a heated battle for third. The First RacingLamborghini of David Tuchbant and Arnaud Peyrolles took its second victory of theseason in GTS.

THE RACE - Thirty-nine cars took the track (the only notable absence of the Twentwy-twoCorvette, already assured of the GTS title), in dry conditions, after a very wetFriday, and with Boris Maletic driving the AE Ferrari that Rui Aguas put in pole. Still inthe rolling start phase, a collision in the group eliminated the Ferraris of Couceiro andGarofano and the Aston of Piccolo, which led to a safety-car period of 4 laps.

Montermini took the lead ahead of Aicart, Bonetti (who would soon lose positions afteran off-track), Frezza, Davison and Cressoni. The first part of the race saw an inspiredMarcel Fässler climbing positions up to third place, while Roda was 14 th .

With the support ofഊAfter the driver changes, Maceratesi kept a strong pace in the leading Ferrari, even increasing the gap on Moser. Final laps were extremely hot for third position withMonfardini striving to keep the advantage on the SunRed of Fernández and the AEFerraris of Pasini and Rugolo, threatened by a catching up lead. This group got tangledup with a group of lapped GTS cars (actually the 5-6 cars fighting for top positions inthat class) and Pasini emerged third in the last corner after Monfardini went wide inthe chicane, with the SunRed fifth and Lietz sixth.

In GTS, the First Lambo beat the other Gallardo of Moncada-Armetta and the Ferrari ofSavary-Ricci, after the Ferrari of Vosse-Renard failed to serve a drive-through forspeeding in the pitlane.

Today, the two categories will race separate races, with the GTA in action at12:35 and the GTS at 14:40.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER 15 ROUNDS:

1. Lietz – Roda (Autorlando Porsche), 159 p.2. Montermini – Maceratesi (Playteam Ferrari), 1553. Gião-Couceiro (Playteam Ferrari), 1434. Monfardini – Frezza (EdilCris Ferrari), 1185. Bonetti – Pasini (AE Ferrari), 1146. Moser (Trottet Ferrari), 103


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