Up-Grade of the Field and of the Fight in Valencia !• Up to 40 Cars Expected in Round 2• A third former F.1 driver joins: Alex Caffi to drive third Autorlando Porsche• Mosler, Marcos, Viper and Maserati to make their first 2008 outing
Madrid – Valencia, 8 May 2008
After an exciting opening of the season in Vallelunga, the International GT Open is heading to the sunny Costa Blanca in Spain for the second round of the 2008 series. The Circuito Ricardo Tormo near Valencia, with its twisty lay-out, will provide a perfect ground for another two races packed with action and fought until the very end. In this occasion, the International GT Open will pair again with the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), the International Formula Master and the SEAT Eurocup to offer fans a wonderful racing week-end.
It may be the effect of spring, but entries for the International GT Open are blossoming as well. If the season-opener in Vallelunga already attracted 29 cars, this second round may very well hit the 40-entries barrier. Up to a dozen cars may join the series, with entries closing officially on Friday 10 May at close of business.
Among the new additions already confirmed, there are regular competitors in the Spanish and Iberian GT Championship like the V-Line Ferrari F430 of Josep Mayola-Marc Carol and the Motor Competición Mosler MT900R of Luis Villalba-Marc Gutiérrez, which marks the this year’s first appearance of Anglo-American car in the series. Another very welcome come-back is the one of the Marcos Mantis, with two units, obviously through the team of GT stalwart hero Cor Euser. Also back should be the Vipers, in the GTS category, thanks to France’s Ruffier Racing, and Maserati, with a Coupé entered in the GTS category by Italian team Seven-Eleven, prepared by Advanced Engineering, and driven by Giorgio Mannucci-Lamberto Cavallari.
With no doubt, though, the most relevant new addition to the series will be a third car entered by reigning Autorlando Sport. The Italian team is gearing up its efforts to retain its crown and to make even more thrilling the battle at the top between Porsche and Ferrari. The third Autorlando car will be an up-dated 996 RSR and will feature at its wheel Maurizio Fratti and Alex Caffi. The latter, of course, needs no presentation. Now aged 44, the Italian will be the third former Formula 1 driver (together with Andrea Montermini and Luis Pérez-Sala) to be in the Valencia grid. Since the late 90s, Caffi has been successfully racing with sportscars and GTs at international level, becoming Italian GT2 Champion in 2006.
The final entry list for the Valencia GT Open will be issued next Tuesday 20 May. Both Saturday and Sunday races will be broadcast live throughout Europe by the Eurosport network and covered by a number of other TV stations in selected countries.
