Yuki Nemoto and Tuomas Tujula (Lamborghini Huracan) won race-1 of the 4th and closing meeting of the Italian GT Sprint Championship in Vallelunga. The divers of VSR team led teammates Kroes-Pulcini and Comandini-Zug (BMW M6 GT3) taking the lead of the classification at 76 points and proceeding Riccardo Agostini (73).
The top step of the GT4 podium went to Segù-De Luca (Mercedes AMG GT4-Nova Race), that strengthened their leadership in Pro-AM, while Greco-Chiesa (Ferrari 488 Challenge-Easy Race) celebrated the title they won two races early in GT Cup taking the sixth win of the season.
The closing 50 minutes + 1 lap race of the season will name the winners of GT3 and GT4 of the sprint series tomorrow morning. The race will be broadcast live by MS Motor TV (SKY 228) and it will be available in web streaming at www.acisport.it/CIGT and Facebook www.facebook.com/CIGranTurismo.
GT3: The second win of the season came in Vallelunga’s race-1 and the classification lead with it for the VSR drivers. A second win that was well deserved by Nemoto-Tujula that will be called to confirm their great shape tomorrow in race-2 to get the GT3 title. Things were decided in the second stint, when Nemoto took the lead of the race thanks to a wise strategy after a great first stint put in by Tujula, who was fourth. The safety car during the opening of the pit window favoured the drivers of the Italian team that then kept the lead in the second part of the race that saw another safety car being deployed that accompanied the drivers all the way to the flag.
The victory of the VSR drivers was rounded off by the second step of the podium secured by teammates Kroes-Pulcini. The young Italian ran a great first stint in P5 and then handed the car over to his Dutch co-equiper who found his way past Comandini on lap 23 rewarding the Italian team with a one-two. Stefano Comandini and his 17 years old German co-equiper Marius Zug, were third, an unexpected result that makes them climb up to P3 in the provisional standings.
BMW Team Italia’s drivers proceeded Hudspeth-Michelotto (Ferrari 488) that were fourth overall and first of GT3 PRO-AM. In this classification, they are now second and just one point shy of Mann-Cressoni (Ferrari 488-AF Corse) that retired early on due to the failure of an axle-shaft. Di Amato-Vezzoni (Ferrari 488-RS Racing) follow at 5 points instead. The fifth place in the race went to Altoè-Cecotto in the Lamborghini Huracan run by LP Racing, that led the sister car run by Imperiale Racing for Frassineti-Venturini and the Porsche GT3 R of Cassarà-Cairoli (Dinamic Motorsport) that were second in PRO-AM.
Mattia Drudi and Riccardo Agostini were only eighth. The latter was the classification leader at the eve of this round, but had to serve a 30s time penalty. The driver from Romagna fought for a long time with Roda for P2 in the first stint. The top ten was rounded off by Moiseev-Marciello (Mercedes AMG GT3-Antonelli Motorsport) and Magnoni-Bonanomi that drove the Honda NSX GT3 Evo of Nova Race in its debut in the series. The Ferrari 488 di Roda-Rovera ended 14th after a contact with the Mercedes AMG GT3 driven by Lorenzo Ferrari, but AF Corse’s drivers could aim to a strong result after the second place taken by Rovera in the first stint behind Spinelli.
GT4: The victory in PRO-AM allowed Segù and De Luca to keep the lead of the GT4 classification, but behind them, due to a better situation in terms of discards, Guerra-Riccitelli (BMW M4 GT4) closed in after ending third behind Gnemmi-Pera (Porsche Cayman-Ebimotors). The first stint was dominated by Riccardo Pera (Porsche Cayman-Ebimotors), who has always been in the lead, but his co-equiper Gnemmi could not keep the lead. Behind Pera, Segù, Riccitelli and Torelli fought a good duel, while De Luca took the lead in the second stint on lap 21 proceeding Riva, who took over from Vebster, and Guerra. A contact between the two drivers made Riva spin. He eventually was fourth in AM behind Torelli-Di Giusto (Porsche Cayman-Ebimotors), De Kant-Fenici and Paolo Meloni (BMW M4 GT4- W&D). The AM classification is very open now as Vebster-Riva lead Meloni by one point and Di Giusto by 10. Belicchi-Vullo (Mercedes AMG GT4-Villorba Corse) unluckily retired early on with a broken radiator following a contact.
GT CUP: Greco-Chiesa won race-1 after having claimed the title two races early. The Easy Race led all the race and proceeded Carboni-Romani (Porsche 991 4.0-Duell Race), that led the two Ferrari 488 Challenge of AF Corse driven by Alessandro Cozzi and Christian Brunsborg.
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SEGU'-DE LUCA (MERCEDES AMG GT4-NOVA RACE)
GRECO-CHIESA (FERRARI 488 CHALLENGE-EASY RACE)
