Over 45 Entries for the GT Open’s Return to Monza
• Italy’s passion for GTs underpins come-back to the track that hosted the first-ever GT Open event• Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche) to defend leadership from massive Ferrari assault• Top teams enter additional cars, among many come-backs
The International GT Open heads back to the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, the place where everything started 18 months ago. It was in the fast and magnificent Italian track that the first GT Open event was held, in the Spring of 2006.Since then many things have happened and the series has grown steadily, in terms of geographical expansion, number and quality of entrants, and interest by fans and media.
The return to Monza will add a sentimental touch to an event which is bound to generate a great deal of emitons: Monza is one of the best tracks in the world for GT racing and has a rich GT tradition, and, of course, Italy is a country of passionate tifosi and the homeland of many of the GT Open teams and drivers. This is well reflected in the entry list, which includes over 45 cars – and is not yet completely finalized.
Most of Monza’s new entries include additional cars entered by regular participants and come-backs of competitors already seen this year or in 2006. Four of the teams fighting for the title are bringing one more car: this is the case of Autorlando, currently leading the Championship standings with Lietz-Camathias, which will enter a Porsche 996 alongside its two 997, of runner-up Playteam SaraFree (which adds to its pair of Ferrari 430 a 360 Modena for Alessandro Pier Guidi and Gianluca Tedoldi, two drivers seen in the 2006 GT Open), and of GPC Corse, which will run a fourth Ferrari (also a 360) alongside its three 430s, while the third Ferrari 430 of Advanced Engineering is also back. A similar situation is seen in the GTS class, where Scuderia La Torre enters a third Dodge Viper Coupé GT3, while its main rival, Racing Box enters a Porsche 997 RSR in the GTA class to complement its two GTS Vipers.
Among welcomed ‘come-backing’ teams are French squad Sofrev ASP (with a Ferrari 360 for Jérôme Policand-Mike Savary in GTA and the two Porsche 997 Cup for Ricci-Traffort and Balthazard-Béaubelique in GTS), the Exagon Engineering Viper of the Desbruères family, the other two Vipers of Ruffier Racing, and the two Lamborghini Gallardos of Mik Corse. Also back are the RCA-prepared Ferraris 430 of Brazilians Francisco Longo and Daniel Serra (one of the stars of Brazilian stock-car racing and the son of former F.1 driver Chico Serra) and of the Andorran Automobile Club, with Miquel Cerqueda and former Spanish F.1 driver Luis Pérez-Sala at the wheel. Main news in the GTB class is the return of Escuderia Roger’s Ferrari 430 Challenge, the addition of the 430 entered by Sun Red and the come-back of Alessandro Nannini as the partner of the GTB class leader Gianni Giudici at the wheel of the latter’s Ferrari 360 Challenge.
With the Tuscan hero joining Montermini and Pérez-Sala, the number of ex-GP drivers to race in the Monza GT Open raises to three.
Absolute newcomers include Italian GT stalwart team Ebimotors (with a Porsche 997 RSR in GTA), the Porsche 997 Cup of Escuela Española de Pilotos in GTB and a Ferrari 360 Modena entered in GTS by former F.3000 star Franco Scapini’s F2 Motorsport.With such a grid, and such a tight situation on top of the overall standings, an exciting racing week-end can be expected in the venerable Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. As usual, fans throughout Europe will not miss any of the action thanks to Eurosport’s coverage.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUNDS 9 & 10Overall:1. Lietz-Camathias (Autorlando Porsche), 109 pts2. Montermini-Maceratesi (Playteam Ferrari), 963. Busnelli-Massironi (Playteam Ferrari), 954. Pasini-Livio (Advanced Eng. Ferrari), 955. Sundberg-Romero (RSV Ferrari), 856. Peter-Bonetti (GPC Ferrari), 827. Aicart-Guerrero (GTA Mosler), 778. Roda-Mowlem (GPC Ferrari), 769. Giudici (Giudici Ferrari), 5210. Bobbi-Frezza (GPC Ferrari), 50
GTS:1. Geri (Racing Box Lamborghini), 47 pts2. Romagnoli (La Torre Viper), 463. Marchetti (La Torre Viper), 444. Lancieri-Romanini (Villois Aston), 385. A.Larini (La Torre Viper), 36
GTB :1. Giudici (Giudici Ferrari), 72 pts2. Arlotti-Gini (Giudici Ferrari), 543. Nannini (Giudici Ferrari), 28
Monza Timetable
Friday 5 October10:45-11:30 Free Practice 114:45-15:30 Free Practice 217:45-18:00 Qualifying 1 (GTB+GTS)18:00-18:05 Qualifying 1 (GTB+GTS+GTA)18:05-18:20 Qualifying 1 (GTA)
Saturday 6 October09:45-10:00 Qualifying 2(GTB+GTS)10:00-10:05 Qualifying 2 (GTA+GTB+GTS)10:05-10:20 Qualifying 2 (GTA)1605-17:10 Pro-Am Race (30 laps, max. 65 min. – Rolling start)
Sunday 7 October10:00-10:15 Warm-up13:05–13:40 GT Open Race (24 laps, max. 40 min. – Rolling start)
