Press release 04/2017 03.04.2017
The 2017 racing season of Autorlando Sport starts in Misano for the first race of GT4 European Series Northern Cup by Sro organization.
Confirmed the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup GT4 of Beppe Ghezzi supported this year by the expert and fast Manuele Mengozzi.
New entry of this year is the second GT4 with Dario Cerati and Maurizio Fondi. Both the cars are in AM category only for gentlemen drivers.
Ghezzi and Mengozzi with the car #76 are the fastest during the free practice on Friday while Cerati and Fondi, lap after lap, find more confidence with the car. Pole in class AM in qualifying 1 on Saturday for Mengozzi and 13° overall; very well also for Ghezzi in qualifying 2 that confirms the pole and takes the no. #76 in 6° place overall. 7° place in class and 26° place overall for Cerati in qualifying 1 while Fondi confirms the 7° place in class and the 27° place overall in qualifying 2. At 22.00 of Saturday start the first race of this European Championship for the category GT4, divided in Northern and Southern Cup.
Good start for both the cars with Mengozzi and Cerati that stay out of troubles, troubles that cause Safety Car from the first lap. At the re-start Mengozzi, lap after lap, gains 15 seconds with a view of the driver change. Cerati is stable between the 6° and the 7° position and at the driver change is fastest to deliver the car to Fondi. Drive change also for Mengozzi that delivers the car to Ghezzi shortly before the time limit. Efficient and accurate the job of the box, Ghezzi back on track and maintains the class leadership, gaining lap after lap the first position in class and the 11° position overall. Fondi maintains a good pace and takes advantage to the broken, errors and penalty of the opponents and ends the race in 3° place in class and 18° overall. Great podium for Autorlando Sport with Ghezzi and Mengozzi on the highest step and Cerati and Fondi on the 3rd step.
Race 2 starts on Sunday afternoon at 14.55, chaos to the green flag, predictable with more 30 hardened cars. The start is repeated and Ghezzi with car #76 ends in the last position. The race is compromised also due to a forced pit stop and now Mengozzi restarts very well the race improving the times, lap after lap, and ending 5° in class, contributing the factor of an endless sequence of penalties and retreats and again the safety car. A very beautiful race instead for Fondi and Cerati, with the first at the start that is good at keeping out of trouble and then, with regular step, bring the car in third place at the driver change. Cerati drives with precision and administering very well the advantage ending the race in second place in class thanks also a retreat.
The #75 ends the debut race with another podium on the second step. Happiness for the crew and also for the Team staff !!!
Next round on the Brands Hatch circuit on 6/7 of May.
