As always, Sicilian fans responded to the call of motorsport and Pergusa, crowding both the grandstand and the paddock for this first round of the 2022 season of the Italian GT Endurance Championship.
Temperatures definitely in line with the season, with a light wind crossing the finish straight.
Liberati and Basz, two of VSR’s three standard bearers, share the front row, closely followed by Guidetti and Fascicolo. A “demanding” start given the speed shown by the Ferrari 488 Challenge.
Last moment modification for Team Lazarus’ Huracan, where Stefano Bozzoni will do the first and last stint and will start from the pits. Excellent setting before departure with the national anthem sung live, as in the previous edition, by singer Angela Nobile.
Free yourself ok but Guidetti places second Basz third and Coluccio fourth with the 488 Challenge. Excellent Riva seventh overall and second in GTCup PA, long in the file while Liberati leader with half a second advantage, Fascicolo in the pits with the rear left punctured, probable contact with the 488 of Risitano.
# 19 VSR, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo: Michele Beretta, Edoardo Liberati, Yuki Nemoto
Photo by: ACI Sport
Dossier restarts, Scholze holes in the variant of the pine forest and returns for replacement, after having taken the variant tires, but must retire during the fifth passage.
At 7th FCY for debris between T11 and T13 which then turns into Safety Car. Excellent debut for Rodio third in the GT Cup and second in the AM class. The race restarts on the eleventh lap.
At the restart Liberati goes smoothly and Guidetti does not give up, pushes Liberati with Basz passing Guidetti and queuing up to his teammate, Coluccio remains in the lead of the Cup with Buttarelli second and Riva third.
New for 2022: the seven-second penalty in the case of a PRO driver in the crew, to be served during the changeover. VSR’s two Lambos continue forcing, half a second between teammates and Guidetti third at 3 ”3. Bozzoni enters for the rest, but the window is still closed.
“Aramis” enters for the gearbox, window open, for Baratto with Comandini who takes the wheel from Fascicolo. Moulin goes down and Cola goes up, La Mazza goes down to Becagli. The fastest lap is for Basz in 1’35 ”396.
Action on the track
Photo by: ACI Sport
Among the Cups, Buttarelli always in the lead with Riva, first in Pro-Am, second and Risitano third. Riva returns to 24th for Mainetti. Liberati IN at the 25th, Beretta salt. Magnoni IN at 27th and changes with Di Fabio.
After the changes Hites in the lead with Beretta second and Moncini third, in the Mazzola Cup in command ahead of Cossu and Mainetti. Del Monte-Bozzoni penalty two minutes for anticipating the change. Beretta tries to catch up on his teammate, there is a half second advantage between the two.
At 35th Beretta begins to be seen by his teammate and passes, always in command the two Huracans of Team VSR, third position for Moncini with the NSX. Comandini pushes and tries to recover, his fastest lap in 1’35 ”274.
At 41 ° Mazzola always in the lead between the PA Cups with Cossu and Mainetti to follow, Castillo climbs for the last stint with the Huracan of Team Italy. At the 43rd Comandini enters for Nilsson. Moncini with Honda tries to press Hites to the first variant but fails to pass.
Race action
Photo by: ACI Sport
At 46th Mainetti IN for Gattuso, unfortunately for them the race ends immediately due to the rupture of the drive shaft. Magnoni goes back up and Rappange leaves to Pesce. At 50th Beretta enters for Nemoto, Moncini IN with Honda and tire change, Michelotto presses Cabezas’ Honda to regain second position, the Spaniard goes long, Michelotto avoids contact and yet another lap.
Fifteen minutes from the end Nemoto leads the race with more than nine seconds ahead of Cabezas, Michelotto third ahead of Pijl. Coluccio first in the Gt Cup PA and Bacci in AM, Donno second in PA, Bozzoni second in AM but must serve a two-minute penalty, a position that Pezzucchi will then take.
In the last minutes, the fight for second position between the Spaniard Cabezas and Michelotto ignites, with the Italian remaining with the fastest lap of 1’34 ”946. Cabezas unleashed presses the leadership of Nemoto, shivers with Cabezas who tries on Nemoto, touch but Michelotto passes second.
# 50 BMW Team Italia-Ceccato Motors Racing, BMW M4 GT3: Stefano Comandini, Giuseppe Fascicolo, Alfred Nilsson
Photo by: ACI Sport
Great tussle in the final, Cabezas goes over Michelotto who in turn takes second place. In the last two variants Cabezas tests on Michelotto who instead finds the inspiration on his partner and goes on to win the race. Double for Team VSR, third Honda of Nova Race.
The wins by class, GT3 AM for Di Fabio-Magnoni.
GT3 PRO-AM in Cola-Moulin (VSR) ahead of Comandini-Fascicolo-Nilsson (Ceccato Racing) and Pesce-Rappange (Antonelli Motorsport).
GT3 PRO at Basz-Hites-Michelotto (VSR) ahead of Beretta-Liberati-Nemoto (VSR) and Moncini-Guidetti-Cabezas (Nova Race).
GTCUP AM in Buttarelli-Cossu-Bacci (SR&R) ahead of Locanto-Rodio-Pezzucchi (Krypton Motorsport) and Becagli-Castillo-La Mazza (Team Italy).
GTCUP PRO-AM in Coluccio-Mazzola (Easy Race) ahead of Donno-Risitano-Menechini (Best Lap) and Pavlovic-Fischbaum-Vairani (Bonaldi Motorsport).
Weekend full of emotions, enclosed in a splendid setting. Next stage for the Endurance at Mugello 14-17 July.
#CIGT #Pergusa #LamborghiniVSR #onetwo #ahead #Honda