03.05.2004 Overcoming qualifying dramas AND transmission failure in opening race, the JMB Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello fights back to win race two OF THE ITALIAN GT SERIES at Magione YESTERDAY

The circuit of Magione, located the south of Florence, at the weekend hosted the third round of the Italian GT Championship, which runs to a format of two one-hour races per round.

Although the weather was excellent throughout, it was an eventful weekend for JMB Racing, alternating between good and less so moments for the Ferrari 550 Maranello driven by Lorenzo Case and Domenico Guagliardo.

During the first qualifying session, the latter, like a number of other drivers, was caught out, after just six laps, by an unreported patch of oil and the resulting loss of track time meant he was unable to improve on his 12th-fastest time.

The bad luck continued into race one, as, after Guagliardo had gained five positions in just four laps, the Ferrari dropped back to last place following a minor collision on the fifth lap. Three laps later Domenico Guagliardo was forced to retire with transmission failure.

After Lorenzo Case qualified in 4th position for race two, the outlook looked stronger in terms of gaining a good result. However, plenty of action and high emotions also played their part, and the result took a long time to come together.

Making a good start, Lorenzo Case pulled himself up to 2nd place, but after spinning on the second lap, he rejoined in 14th position and began a superb fight back, bringing the Ferrari 550 Maranello back up through the field to 3rd position by the time that the refuelling stops took place.

A wise but stubborn race from Domenico Guagliardo allowed him to reclaim the first place ten laps from the end and he proceeded to keep his opponents at bay in order to claim JMB Racing’s second win in the 2004 Italian Championship, following on from a win in the first round of the season at Imola.

Undoubtedly competitive, the trio consisting of the Ferrari 550 Maranello, Lorenzo Case and Domenico Guagliardo, needs to improve its consistency in order to regularly aim for the podium, which it is quite capable of doing.

The next round of the Italian GT Championship is in a fortnights time, on May 16th, at Mugello.