15
N
New blood for Clio Cup Italia single-
brand competition. On the occasion of
its debut at Vallelunga, the Fast Lane
Promotion championship featured
several innovations, despite the fact
that, at the end of this season,
Renault’s current model will be
replaced by the new RS, which already
has the leading role in the Eurocup
series. A “young” championship in
every sense of the word. For example,
during the meeting at the track in the
outskirts of Rome, all eyes were on the
young Swiss driver Luana Krattiger.
The “enfant terrible” debuted in the
Composit Motorsport, competing with
determination against more
experienced opponents, although (for
the time being) she wasn’t able to keep
up with her team-mate Ronnie
Marchetti. The 2011 runner up from the
Marches region of Italy was head and
shoulders above the rest of the field
right from the off, achieving pole
position and two wins. But there was
no shortage of excitement, as can be
seen from the fact that there were
drivers from three different teams on
the podium after the first race, with
Simone Melatini and Roberto Gironacci
(
by a strange twist of fate, both drivers
are from the Marches too) second and
third in the Melatini Racing-Veregra
Competition and the GMC Motorsport
respectively. They were followed home
by Daniele Pasquale and Guglielmo
Pipolo (slowed down by a series of
problems) who were involved in an
exciting tussle for fourth place, and
Ms. Krattiger. Race 2 featured Nicola
Rinaldi, also in the GMC Motorsport,
who managed finished second, despite
starting at the back of the grid after
being forced to retire during the
second lap of the first race because of
a broken hub. Gironacci took third
place again, followed by Luciano Gioia
(
Composit) and Matteo Bergonzini for
Monoliteracing. There was also a
notable performance from Melatini’s
team-mate, Massimo Ferraro, who
came in sixth, ahead of “Daniele”. All in
all a very good start to 2013, with the
One Racing drivers Alessio Alcidi and
Luigi Luzio occupying the other places
on the grid, and numerous new arrivals
expected in time for the meeting in
Imola, such as Harders Plaza Racing
from Holand, who will race with Robert
van der Berg at the Santerno circuit, or
Milan Competition from France,
featuring Spanish drivers Jordi
Palomeras and Santi Navarro.
