GTO: Series Imola race 2 report

Maiden Victory For CRS Racing And Niarchos-Mullen

Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen gave CRS Racing its maiden win in the International GT Open today in Imola. The team, which joined the series this year, is the first British outfit to win a GT Open event. The red-and-white Ferrari beated the Aston Martin Vantage of the Villois Racing driven by Lucas Guerrero-Max Wiser, who reach the podium for the first time with the new Aston GT2. Third was the Kessel Ferrari of Peter-Broniszewski.

In GTS, Luxury Racing took its third win of the season, with Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Johan Boris Scheier, beating in a heated finale the Kessel Ferrari of Livio-Bontempelli and the Autorlando Porsche of Deverikos-Gruber.

The race was marked by a scary accident at the start, involving four cars. German GT star Marcel Tiemann suffered a big shunt against the wall and was brought to hospital with a concussion. An official bulletin is expected later tonight.

The accident happened when the Villois Aston of Lancelotti collides with the Audi of Tiemann, which is sent to the wall and bounces back amid the field catching the Drivex Porsche of Amaral and the AF Ferrari of Gerber. The race is red-flagged, and Tiemann is taken care by the rescue and medical teams before being transported to the hospital.

The race resumes with a shortened distance of 30 minutes. Kaffer takes the lead ahead of Giammaria, Pilet, Guerrero, Lietz, Bontempelli, Mortimer and Deverikos. On lap 7, Pilet attacks Giammaria and passes him at the chicane but exits wide and collides with the Ferrari when rejoining the track, sending the Ferrari into the gravel.

After the driver change, it's the Villois Aston Vantage GT2 leading for the first time, shortly ahead of Mullen, who takes the lead in lap 13. Follow Peter, Roda, Bamford (first in GTS with the Ford), Livio, Deverikos and Dayraut with Barba charging up from 13th.

Mullen controls the final laps with no problem, winning ahead of Wiser and Roda, while in GTS there is a final battle between Livio and Dayraut, which ends with a contact and the French's victory. Third is Deverikos, ahead of Couceiro and Bamford, while Lancieri, who had a contact with Talkanitsa, is forced to pit with a broken wheel. The car will later be sanctioned for the two incidents it got involved in, with a 10-position penalty on the grid of the next two races.

-source: gt open