Intense weekend ended with a victory and two podiums in total, the one that saw Raptor Engineering fielding three 911 GT3 Cups by Centro Porsche Catania in the fourth round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia at the Vallelunga circuit.
Precisely in what was the home stage for both the team manager Andrea Palma and one of the three drivers, Marco Cassarà, the Modena team and the Roman driver returned to the lead of the Michelin Cup standings after the title won together last year. .
And just since last year the reigning champion has not found himself up there in front of everyone. Eleven months ago. For Cassarà the leap forward came thanks to the second place in race 1 and the victory centered in race 2, confirmed last Sunday after being “under observation” for a possible overtaking on Francesco Maria Fenici under the safety car shortly after the start .
A double podium and many heavy points that in view of the final sprint in Monza and Mugello allow Cassarà to return to the track in October with 15 points (the equivalent of a victory) over Alberto De Amicis and 18 points over the “usual” Alex De Giacomi.
The weekend of the first was really unfortunate, Ebimotors color bearer, who, like at Mugello, was involved in a tangle of cars due to a contact that took place just in front of him, wasting time and above all crucial points just when he was leading the category, both in the race and in the championship.
Different speech for De Giacomi, who at Vallelunga paid for a lack of pace found right from free practice, even if the Brescian remains fully in the game and at the moment more than anything else pays for the absence in the two Mugello races, when in July he does not he was presented at the start of the third round due to an indisposition.
Returning to the focus on the Raptor team, a complicated weekend for Aldo Festante. After a decent qualifying in the fifth row, the 22-year-old driver from Capua ran into an off-track that forced him to retire shortly after the start of race 1.
With the starting position compromised precisely by this stop, in race 2 Festante tried the impossible mission from the last row and with a good progression he recovered about fifteen positions, however unable to grab the points zone, attack postponed to the next appointment in Monza.
From the new-entry deployed in the Silver Cup, another podium has arrived in Vallelunga, the one conquered by Max Montagnese, who finished second in race 1 on his first appearance in the championship with the Modena team, while in race 2 the good and friendly Calabrian driver he had to stop due to a power steering problem (which was then promptly resolved).
Team principal Andrea Palma said after the fourth round: “Overall, the weekend in Vallelunga, always special for the team, was positive. Happy with Cassarà to have obtained the important result for the championship between a victory and a podium. We have taken an important step forward in trying to be able to confirm ourselves in the Michelin Cup already in the first year with the new car, which in itself is always a new technical challenge, and with even more rivals. Montagnese did well too, we are sorry for what happened in race 1 at Festante, but already in race 2 he recovered with a good race and the right attitude. We can do well, so now concentrate on testing to better prepare us for Monza. We do our best! “.
Cassarà added in view of the Michelin Cup: “The victory in Vallelunga was really needed, it is the home track and I really care about it! We had a very performing car: the credit goes to the guys from Raptor Engineering to whom I dedicate this exciting victory, together with the entire staff of the Porsche Center Catania which uses a lot of resources. We will present ourselves in Monza at the top of the Michelin Cup standings with the clear aim of maintaining it … “.
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