SEPTEMBER 2018 INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN MONZA

SEPTEMBER 2018 MONZA INTERNATIONAL GT OPEN

PHOTO BY DIEGO CROTTI

Copyright (C) Diego Crotti

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy, and one of the most legendary tracks in the world. It is the natural home of the Italian Grand Prix since the inception of Formula 1, and is known for the passion of its tifosi (supporters).

Built in the Royal Villa of Monza park in a woodland setting back in 1922, Monza has been the setting of numerous highs in motorsports history, be them great performances, moments of glory and also, tragedies. The site has three tracks: the 5.793 kilometres (3.600 mi) Grand Prix track, the 2.405 kilometres (1.494 mi) Junior track,and a decaying 4.250 kilometres (2.641 mi) high speed track with steep bankings. Major features of the main track include the Curva di Lesmo, the Curva Parabolica, the Variante Ascari chicane and the high-speed flat-out Curva Grande.
A very fast track, it rewards cars with a lot of power and low downforce, allowing very high speeds and averages (F.1 of the turbo era used to reach over 370 kmh as top speed).
In addition to Formula One, the circuit hosts almost every other motorsport category, from single-seaters and touring cars to sportcars and GTs, on top of endurance races such as the famous 1000 km. It also featured the only edition of the unique Race of Two Worlds, an ephemeral confrontation between F.1 and F.Indy cars. Monza has also a rich motorcycle tradition, having hosted the Italian GP for years and the Superbike nowadays.

Rueda-Saravia (Teo Martín BMW) take Race 1 and leadership!

The fight for the International GT Open title is completely reopened, as Andrés Saravia-Fran Rueda imposed their Teo Martín BMW today in Race 1 at Monza, and are now tied up in points and wins (3) with Mikkel Mac (Luzich Racing Ferrari), today fifth with Alessandro Pier Guidi. The ‘Hispanic’ pair is actually first because of better quality of results. Their success of today came after a great duel in the second stint between Rueda and Andrea Montermini, after poleman Daniele Di Amato led in the first stint with the RS Racing Ferrari.

Third were Riccardo Agostini-Rik Breukers, who had to charge again after being victim of a contact in turn 1. It was not a sweet day for Imperiale, as Giovanni Venturini-Jeroen Mul had to retire with fuel pressure problems and are now 20 points behind the leaders.
In their debut in the series, Eddie Cheever-Nicklas Nielsen took victory in Pro-Am with the Luzich Ferrari, ahead of Liang-Giammaria (Imperiale Lambo) and Plachutta-Jäger (Lechner Mercedes), while Marcio Basso-Guilherme Salas rounded Teo Martín’s day by winning the Am class ahead of points leaders Lewandowski-Bolenghi (VSR Lambo) and the MS/HTP Mercedes of Hrachowina-Konrad.
THE RACE – Poleman Di Amato keeps the advantage barely at first corner, while there is some turmoil in the group, with Agostini being touched by Spinelli and sent into a spin, while Costa goes straight through the chicane. Beirão pulls out of the line on the straight at the very start, rejoining the pits at reduced speed. At the end of first lap, Di Amato leads ahead of Venturini, Fioravanti, Onslow-Cole and Baguette, who in the following laps climbs back to fourth.
In lap 5, Wilkinson is out at the Ascari and remains stuck in the sand, following a contact with Salikhov, who stops in the pits. The safety-car is out for two laps. At the restart, gaps are, of course, are very reduced, but the show is in the fight for P3 between Fioravanti, Baguette and Spinelli. In lap 8, Venturini slows down and loses four positions. In lap 10, it’s West spinning at the Ascari, and prompting again the safety-car out. In the meantime, Crestani has taken the lead from Onslow-Cole in Pro-Am and is 5^th overall, while Lewandowski does the same with Mikulasko in Am.
The restart is definitely lethal to Venturini’s Lambo, which stops for good in the gravel, giving way to …another safety-car period. The restart coincides with thebopening of driver change window, with Costa and Jäger being the first ones to stop.
The race phase during pit stop is quite lively with a contact between Giammaria and Pier Guidi at the first chicane (warning for the latter) and other warnings for Cipriani and Salas for cutting first chicane. After all changes, Rueda leads by 2”4 over Montermini, and 11 on Breukers, Gattuso and Nielsen, first in Pro-Am; then Giammaria, PierGuidi, Guerrieri, Jäger and Ling, with Salas first in Am.
Attention in the final laps is all for the final duel between Rueda and Montermini but the Spaniard will keep the short advantage, with Breukers taking third and first in a compact group including Gattuso, Nielsen (who wins in Pro-Am) and Guerrieri. Salas wins in Am.

Pier Guidi and Mac (Luzich Ferrari) take fourth win, the Dane again leader in the standings

Mikkel Mac and Alessandro Pier Guidi won Race 2 today at Monza, at the wheel of their Luzich Racing Ferrari 488, with a perfect race that allows the Dane to recover the lead in the overall standings, with 3 points of advantage on Fran Rueda-Andrés Saravia (Teo Martín BMW), today second. Giovanni Venturini-Jeroen Mul finished third in the Imperiale Racing Lamborghini, keeping their title bid alive, although they are now 25 points from the lead.

The title will though be decided at the very last round in Barcelona in one month with a three-way battle that promises to be as exciting as ever!
Jiatong Liang and Raffaele Giammmaria conquered their first win in Pro-Am, with the Imperiale Racing Lambo, with Márcio Basso-Guilherme Salas (Teo Martín BMW) doubling yesterday’s success in Am.
THE RACE – The start is quiet, with poleman Fran Rueda keeping the advantage over Pier Guidi and pulling slightly away in first lap. Mul is third, followed by Breukers, Di Folco, Nielsen, Perel, Montermini, Guerrieri and Jäger. Guerrieri, Costa, Da Costa and Ramos go under investigation for cutting the first chicane at first braking.
In lap 3, the Audi of Ellis pits because of a puncture. After 5 laps, Rueda has a 1.1 gap over Pier Guidi and 4 over Mul, with Breukers leading the very compact group behind. Thre fight between Breukers and Di Folco is hot, with the Italian trying to pass with half car on the grass, without success and further slowing those behind, while Perel takes 8^th from Guerrieri after grat duel. Also Montermini is in fighting mood, receiving a warning for driving standards and getting tangled in battle with Jäger and Guerrieri , who loses two positions. Salas is first in Am.
In lap 14 opens the driver change window, with Rueda diving into the pits one lap later. The pit stop is fatal for the Ombra Lambo, stuck with technical problems. After all changes, Mac leads with 15 seconds over Saravia and 17 on Venturini, followed closely by Spinelli, Agostini and Salikhov (who loses P1 in Pro-Am following a 10-seconds penalty for jump start), then Ling, Beirão and Baguette. Venturini closes up on Saravia but his first attack is unsuccessful. Ling and Baguette pass Salikhov (lap 26) for 6^th and 7^th shortly before the safety-car gets on track to allow rescuing the Audi of Wilkinson stopped along the track.
The yellow flag period wipes the gaps, but at the restart Mac keeps the advantage; action is short, though, as Costantini and Hrachowina get in contact at Lesmo 2, and safety-car is deployed again to recover the cars. Restart yields only a last lap of race, with no great changes in positions.
A severe accident occurs after the chequered flag, as Alan Hellmeister loses his Mercedes in the straight hitting with violence the barriers on both sides. The Brazilian driver was conscious throughout extrication and after being stabilized at the Medical Center was brought to hospital for being treated of fractures in both legs.