Busnelli-Massironi make two for Playteam • GTA Mosler clinch second in thrilling finale • New success for the Viper La Torre in GTS • Nannini-Giudici at last winners in GTB Vallelunga,
Max Busnelli and Mauro Massironi obtained their first victory in the International GT Open, giving the Scuderia Playteam a second victory in this week-end that opened the season. The Vallelunga GT Open was decided in an exciting finale, on the track and after the chequered flag, as the safety car came into action few laps from the end. At the restart, though, two of the three leading cars, the Playteam Ferrari of Montermini and the Autorlando Porsche of Camathias, overtook a lapped participant while still under yellow.
This cost them a 25” penalty imposed by the marshals after the race. The two cars had crossed the line in first and third position, respectively, dropping eventually to 5th and 8th. At the start, Maceratesi (Playteam Ferrari) held the advantage of the pole position, followed by Pasini (Advanced Engineering Ferrari), Aicart (GTA Mosler), Lietz (Autorlando Porsche), Sundberg (RSV Ferrari), Bobbi (GPC Ferrari), Palma (AE Ferrari) and Bonetti (GPC Ferrari), while Zapata on the SR21 goes wide in the Cimini bend having to retire shortly after. While Maceratesi builds up a comfortable but never huge gap, with Aicart, Lietz and Sundberg battling for third. It is the young Austrian driver that will progressively take the advantage. Things will really move after the driver change, which see the fastest cars stopping at the very end of the possible window (between minutes 18 and 27 into the race). The smaller handicap allows the 997 of Camathias to provisionally take the lead but the Swiss driver cannot resist to the attacks of Guerrero and Montermini. The battle between the Ferrari and the Mosler is superb, with Guerrero doing more than resisting. It is then, on lap 22, that the safety-car gets into the track, as the Ferrari of Cerrai remains stalled in a dangerous position.
The group is freed three laps from the 45 minutes maximum race time, with Guerrero having more and more trouble to keep the lead. On the lap before last, the Spaniard brakes late at Cimini, losing slightly the perfect line. Montermini goes into the inside and a light contact is inevitable. The Mosler is sent into the grass and loses three positions. Montermini takes the chequered flag as winner ahead of team-mate Busnelli, who had climbed up well through the field, Camathias, Guerrero, Peter and Mowlem. Another incident in final stages sees Frezza touching Livio, who cannot avoid spinning.
In GTS it is again a success for the Scuderia La Torre, with Romagnoli-Larini taking a second victory, and Racing Box Viper of Azzoli-Mocci repeating also their second place of yesterday, ahead of team-mates Geri-Pellizzato. Similarly, in GTB, the Scuderia Giudici makes another 1-2, but this time Alessandro Nannini and Gianni Giudici clinch the victory, vindicating the bad luck of yesterday, ahead of Gini-Arlotti. The Escuderia Roger Ferrari 430 Challenge of Arias-Van Zoest takes an excellent third place, after leading in the early laps.
Time handicaps for Race 2 were the following:
#1 (Maceratesi-Montermini) – 20”#10 (Pasini-Livio) – 15” #11 (Lietz-Camathias) – 10” #31 (Mocci-Azzoli) – 15” #33 (Larini-Romagnoli) -20” #34 (Marchetti-Armetta) -10” #43 (Giudici-Nannini) – 15” #44 (Gini-Arlotti) -20” #49 (Desbruères-Desbruères) -10”
GT Open Standings after 2 rounds:
Montermini, Maceratesi – 35 p. Busnelli, Massironi – 25 p. Romagnoli, Larini – 21 p. Livio, Pasini, Gini, Arlotti, Aicart, Guerrero – 18 Lietz, Camathias -16
