.. and takes the lead in the GT Open
• Troubleless race and second win for Aicart and Guerrero in Istanbul Park• Escudería Roger’s 430 dominates the GTB category with Santos-Van Zoest• Local stars Ak and Özgün (Racing Box Viper) repeat success in GTS
It was a perfect week-end for the Escudería Bengala, as the Mosler MT900R clinched a second victory this week-end, thanks in part to a good choice of set-up and tyres. José Manuel Pérez-Aicart and Lucas Guerrero leave Turkey as the new provisional leaders of the International GT Open. Beautiful victory in the GTB category for another Spanish outfit, the Escudería Roger which imposed its Ferrari 430 with Ángel Santos and Henk Van Zoest. Turkish pair Vural Ak and Ahmed Özgün ended their dream week-end in their home circuit with a second victory in GTS.
QUALIFYING 2: In a more humid (but still dry) session, the Escudería Bengala Mosler takes the pole with Lucas Guerrero (1.57.614), but like in qualifying 1, margins remain tight, with six cars within a second. Sharing the first row, and best among the Prancing Horses, is the 360 Playteam Sarafree of Manuel Gião. Fastest in GTB is the Escudería Roger Ferrari 430 Challenge of Ángel Santos ahead of sister car driven by Juan Zapata.
HANDICAPS RACE 2: Minimum time for driver change for all participants has been set at 60”. In addition, the following performance handicaps in time are applied:
# 2 (Bengala Mosler – Guerrero – Aicart): 20”# 5 (RSV Ferrari 430 – Romero - Sundberg): 10”# 27 (Racing Box Viper – Ak – Özgün): 20”# 34 (Playteam Ferrari 360 – Gião - Giannocaro): 15”# 35 (Giudici Ferrari 360 – Gini – Arlotti): 20”# 36 (Playteam Ferrari 430 – Pierguidi – Bartyan): 15”# 38 (Marcos Mantis – Merino – De Castro) : 10”# 41 (Roger Ferrari 430 – Zapata - Sánchez): 15”# 55 (Edil Cris Ferrari 430 – Gianmaria - Ruberti): 35”
STEWARDS DECISION (RACE 1): After Race 1 on Saturday evening, the Edil Cris Ferrari 430 (Ruberti-Gianmaria) that finished second was sanctioned with a 25” penalty for having made a small intervention on the car (taking out a piece of body fiber that got into the an exhaust following a contact in the track by the Bengala Mosler) during the mandatory pit stop, meant solely for the driver change. As a consequence, the # 55 Ferrari fell into 3rd position and the Playteam SaraFree Ferrari # 36 climbed into 2nd.
RACE 2: The start is given under “wet race” panels although the track is relatively dry. The Bengala Mosler keeps the advantage of the pole and Guerrero completes first lap ahead of Gião, Bartyan, Mowlem, Gianmaria, Cerqueda (who spins soon after), Romero and Ak, with the five first cars managing to pull ahead from the rest of the group. While rain drizzles as from lap 4, the first phase of the race sees a solid charge from Raffaele Gianmaria in the Edil Cris Ferrari 430. He will successively pass Mowlem (GPC Ferrari 360) and Gião (Playteam Sarafree Ferrari 360) and reduce by half the 8” separating him from the leader.
After the driver change, the Bengala Mosler continues to lead easily, with 15” over the GPC Ferrari of Roda and 25” over the Edil Cris 430 of Ruberti. Follow the two Playteam Sarafree of Giannoccaro and Pier Guidi, but the latter is struggling with a broken bearing and will have to retire soon after. While for most of the competitors, preserving the tyres, which suffer a lot in this track, is the key concern, the show is granted by Ruberti who is charging on Roda for second place. The black 430 joins the red 360 five laps to the end. Battle is fierce and contact cannot be avoided in lap 22, with Roda spinning and having to concede second position and soon after also the third, to the benefit of Giannoccaro. Follow the 430s of RSV (Romero), the Andorran Automobile Club (Sala) and the second RSV (Ligonnet).
While local stars Ak-Özgün repeat their excellent performance in GTS with the Racing Box Viper, the GTB category sees the falg-to-flag success of the Escudería Roger Ferrari 430 Challenge of Ángel Santos and Henk Van Zoest after a solid race where they could never rest from the pressure imposed by the two 360s of the Cetea team, with Lloveras-Izquierdo, and of the Giudici squad, with Gini-Arlotti.
QUOTES:José Manuel Pérez-Aicart / Lucas Guerrero (1°): “It was a quieter race than yesterday but not easier. We took the good decision by mounting new tyres before the race. As soon as they got to the right temperature, the car was ok. We had a very good set-up and did not have to struggle with the tyre consumption, like most of our rivals, and after the pit stop we just had to stay in control of the situation”.
Ángel Santos / Henk Van Zoest (1° in GTB): “It was not an easy one at all. The track was very slippery, because of the few drops of rain and the rubber left by the F3000s. We were at the limit of grip almost every where, especially in turn 8, and it was also quite tiring because we were shaken like hell in the car!”
PROVISIONAL GT OPEN STANDINGS (After 8 Races):
1. Guerrero – Pérez Aicart, 126 points; 3. Ruberti, 111 p.; 4. Pier Guidi – Bartyan, 104 p.; 6. Belicchi – Zonca, 69 p.; 8. Roda, 60 p.; 9. Gião, 58 p.; 10. Perazzini – Cioci, 56 p.; 11. Romero – Sundberg, 55 p.; 13. Cressoni, 53 p.; 14. Mowlem, 50 p.; 15. Amorim, 42p.,
Next event will be the Spanish GT Open, to take place in Valencia on 7-8 October 2006.
