GLASEL TURNS UP THE HEAT
With temperatures somewhere up around bloody ridiculous from Thursday through to Sunday at Monza, last weekend’s 55th Coppa Intereuropa was a test of stamina as much as speed for the huge 32 car entry list for round 2 of the 2005 FIA TGP World Championship.
In Class C, Christian Glasel (Brabham BT49D) had stunned the rest by posting a qualifying lap one second faster than even such luminaries as Duncan Dayton (Williams FW07C) and Joaquin Folch (Williams FW08-5). It was the latter’s first start of the year having missed round 1 which saw Glasel romp to victory once Dayton and all other challengers had ruled themselves out of the game through various technical failures. Folch was just one hundredth behind the American after Monza qualifying.
The grid’s second American, John Delane was fastest in Class A; Class B returnee, Junro Nishida (Lotus 77) was fastest in his category with less than a second separating four class B cars after qualifying. Steve Hartley was once again quickest in the flat-bottomed class.
Engines were at boiling point as the cars sat waiting for the green light come race day. Water temperatures were running around 110 degrees in Richard Eyre’s Williams FW08 and once the initial start was aborted, he suffered along with John Delane’s Tyrrell 001, with both failing to get off the line. The cause of the failed first start was John Crowson (Ensign N177) who’s clutch problems saw him stall at the 5 second board just as all engines were hitting the high notes. The race distance was reduced by one lap and Crowson went to the back of the grid as the cars set off on the second green flag tour before forming up once again on the historic Monza start-finish straight.
Fourth-placed Hubertus Bahlsen (Arrows A4) got a flying start, passing Folch and Dayton into second behind the leader, Glasel. It was short-lived though; having destroyed one Cosworth DFV in qualifying, fuel pressure once again dropped out of Bahlsen’s DFV engine and he pulled off, leaving Folch and Dayton to pull back Glasel. Despite their best efforts, he was too quick and took his second consecutive TGP victory, cementing his position at the top of the championship points table. Folch was just two seconds back from Dayton at the chequered flag in third place. Dan Collins (Lotus 91/10), who has slowly but surely crept up the grid over the last season, had his best ever TGP result driving the Classic Team Lotus prepared car in to fourth overall.
Steve Hartley (Arrows A6) battled (once again) with teammate, Dave Abbott and for once, Abbott actually managed to get past Hartley at one point during the race but was obviously too stunned to maintain focus and the 'diminutive’ Hartley was back in front soon enough; he claimed the Class D prize for the second race running which leaves him in a good position just two points behind Glasel in the table. John Bosch in the immaculately prepared Ferrari 312 T3 secured his maiden Class B win once Peter Wunsch (Wolf WR2) dropped out of the race, the challenge from Crowson muted by his lack of clutch. In Class A, four cars made the grid; Abba Kogan’s Matra MS120 proving a welcome addition to the TGP line-up for the first time. It would not make the distance however, and once he, Nick Rini (BRM P160) and Delane were out, Ean Pugh was left to pilot his (Brabham BT34 to the Class A prize and avenge his ‘incident’ from last year that finished his season far too early.
It was another fantastic TGP event with a great atmosphere around the paddock and another huge field of beautifully prepared machinery. The standards are being set in historic motorsport by TGP’s preparers and drivers. Rowland Kinch and his G-Cat team brought the Warsteiner-liveried Arrows A1 out to play for the first time and is a fitting addition to a top quality historic F1 paddock. Walter Burani added a second Ferrari to the TGP grid with his ex-Lauda 312-021 & Pietro Ratti came out again in the Tyrrell P34.
The next round is at Zandvoort for the Marlboro Masters event on June 12th and once again, TGP has a full grid. 29 cars are entered with track race capacity for 28 starters.
