15.06.2004 JMB Racing drafted in one of their REGULAR FIA GT series Ferrari 575 GTC racers for the weekend's Italian GT round at Misano AND came away with a double victory

The Misano circuit, on the shores of the Adriatic, was on Sunday the host for the sixth round of the Italian GT Championship.

There were a number of changes within JMB Racing for this round. Following its problems in Enna, the Ferrari 550 Maranello was replaced by one of the 575 GTC cars normally entered in the FIA GT championship, available this weekend due to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Moreover, regular pilot Lorenzo Case was joined by a new team-mate, Matteo Malucelli, who also competes in the Challenge Ferrari 360 Modena.

During the first qualifying session, Malucelli was fighting for pole position with the nr 2 Lister driven by Gabriele Lancelotti, who eventually had the final word and claimed the top slot. As for Lorenzo Case, quick off the mark, the time he set at the very start of the session withstood all the efforts of his rivals, and he claimed pole position for the second race of the double header.

No sooner had he got down from the podium following his 2nd place in the first Challenge Ferrari Modena race, Matteo Malucelli took the start of the first GT race, where a pile-up in the middle of the pack meant that the safety car had to be brought out on the first lap.

Once the race got underway again, he was involved in a three-lap battle with Lancelotti, before finally overtaking the Lister. The Ferrari then began to pull away, thanks to a series of fast, consistent laps which included the fastest lap of the race. Lorenzo Caze took over the car for his stint with a lead of 20 seconds, which he increased to 35 before settling down to manage the lead and take his third win of the season.

During the second race, an incident shortly before the start of the rolling start reduced the event by one lap, and Lorenzo was taken by surprise at the green light by the nr 1 Viper of Matteuzzi. After 6 laps of intense fighting, he took the lead, having pushing his rival into making a mistake.

Taking over with a seven-second advantage over the second-placed car, Matteo then pulled further ahead, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process. His lead increased to 56 seconds after the nr 3 Viper, then lying second, retired, and he eventually crossed the finish line as the winner.

For its first participation in the Italian GT Championship, the Ferrari 575 GTC had claimed a fine double win, which also allowed Lorenzo Case to score 40 points and to come back to within 16 points of the leaders in the overall classification.

After a number of possible wins missed as a result of technical problems, this double win reinforces the team’s determination not to give up hopes of making it to the top of the final podium, as with 80 points still available, their motivation is intact for the two race weekends remaining.

The next round is on July 17th, once more at Misano, following the cancellation of the Salzburg round.