EU3000: Vallelunga race two report

Ippoliti (Minardi) wins, but the Champion will come out from Fisichella Motorsport

In Vallelunga, Fausto Ippoliti, debuting with Minardi, has established himself as the winner of race two of Euroseries 3000 and F.3000 Italian Championship. At the end of a beautiful week end crowded with spectators, the roman driver, who drove already during Imola event with Avelon, has springed from the second row of the grid.

During the second lap, he has managed to overtake the poleman Cronje (Auto Sport) at Trincea turn, jumping to the first position. Ippoliti has leaded the race up to the chequered flag, containing at first Matteo Cressoni (Vanni/Traini), and then Vitaly Petrov (Euronova). Cressoni, second behind the leader during the first phases, has then left more and more ground, ending the race on seventh placement.

Petrov has on the contrary regained two positions, finishing on the secon step of the podium, 2"5 behind Ippoliti.

In the fight for the title, the afternoon race has turned out into Giacomo Ricci (FMS) third place. Marco Bonanomi (FMS) has started behind his team-mate. Between the two Fisichella drivers it has been an exciting inital struggle, with Ricci dominating at the end.

After a while Bonanomi, competing with Cronje, during the fifth lap has damaged a rear tyre because of a contact with the South African, and was obliged to get back to the pit. But he threw himself again into the race, looking for the fast lap. And he got it twice on Rodriguez, even if his race has ended on the tenth position.

During the race the first four drivers, Ippoliti, Petrov, Ricci and Tuka Rocha, have progressivly detached their chaser, the group leaded by D'Ambrosio and Rodriguez, remounting from the last row. The end of the Campionships will be decided in Misano, during next week-end: in the Euroseries Ricci is leading by 6 point on Bonanomi, only 5 in the fight for the Italian title. The struggle goes on, up to the end. But the winner, for sure, will be one of these two drivers from Fisichella Motorsport.

<pre> RACE 2 Vallelunga

1. Fausto Ippoliti      Lola B02/50      Minardi                29'01"410
2. Vitaly Petrov        Lola B02/50      Euronova               2"526
3. Giacomo Ricci        Lola B02/50      FMS                    3"709
4. Tuka Rocha           Lola B02/50      Minardi                5"114
5. Jerome D'Ambrosio    Lola B02/50      Euronova               8"469
6. Roldan Rodriguez     Lola B02/50      Minardi                9"527
7. Matteo Cressoni      Lola B02/50      Vanni/Traini           15"914
8. Ivan Bellarosa       Lola B02/50      Avelon                 43"925
9. Francesco Dracone    Lola B02/50      Euronova               1'08"996
10. Marco Bonanomi      Lola B02/50      FMS                    1 lap
11. Stefano Attianese   Lola B02/50      Avelon                 1 lap
12. Gavin Cronje        Lola B02/50      Autosport              2 laps
13. Marco Mocci         Lola B02/50      FMS                    15 laps
14. Frankie Provenzano  Lola B02/50      F.3000 Rookies' Team   19 laps
DNS Gian Maria Gabbiani Lola B99/50      Facondini Racing

-credit: eu3000