Vallelunga: green lights for the Italian GT Championship

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13/04/2011 – Ready, steady, go! The Italian Grand Touring cars 2011 Championship will begin this weekend in Vallelunga. After the winter break, the fascinating GT cars will start at the circuit dedicated to Piero Taruffi the 9th edition of the championship that announces be full of spectacle and agonism.

Thirty crews announced their presence in the four classes, three of which (GT2,GT3 e GT Cup) awarding Italian titles.

In the GT2 remarkable is the comeback to the tricolored GT of the Porsche 997 of Victor Racing Team given to Victor and Giovanni Coggiola, mwhile in GT3 spectacle will be assured by the all-German duel between Porsche GT3R belonging to Autorlando, reigning champion, driven by Ruberti-Camathias, and the two Audi R8 LMS (Audi Sport Italia) by Capello-Cicognani and Bonanomi-Sonvico.

The GT Cup saw an exponential growth of entered teams and will witness the challenge among Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Three Porsche 997 will be lined up by Petricorse Motorsport for Tavano-Iacone, Basaov-Kruglyk and Merendino-Di Benedetto and two German coupe by Antonelli Motorsport driven by Passuti-Gagliardini and Bellini-Baccani. One Porsche 997 each will be also entered by GDL Racing (Fornaroli-Mastronardi), ZRS Motorsport (Castellaneta-Formilli Fendi) and AGR Motorsport (Smurra-De Pasquale).

Important will be Ferrari's participation too with three teams aiming to the Italian title. At the wheel of the F430 of Scuderia La.Na will be the crews Cerati-Garelli and Luciani-Toccacelo, who will have to challenge Malucelli-Pierleoni, Bernasconi-Romagnoli (Scuderia 27 Baldini Mode) and Galassi-Balistreri (Team Malucelli).

The Laborghini's Gallardo of Mik Corse driven by Piccini-Livio and Mamè-Zanardini together with that of Sanna-Stancheris bearing the colors of the new Team Imperiale will also slide in the traditional Ferrari-Porsche duel.

Four cars are currently entered in class GT4 but further arrivals of the last minute are to be expected. The three Ginetta G 50 of Nova Race driven by Cappelleti-Pozzi, Frazza-Maranelli and Lasagni-Cassera are ready to get on track to challenge the Porsche Cayman of Vincenzo Donativi with the livery of Starcars.

The programme of the season opener schedules qualifying on Saturday (at 12.40 and 16.50 local time, GMT+2), while the two races on the distance of 48 minutes + 1 lap, will start on Sunday, at 9.50 and 15.40, both benefitting from Italian live coverage on Nuvolari TV (Sky 144).