The European Alfa Challenge came to
a thrilling conclusion at Imola over the weekend, with the series which as
supported the 'Super Racing Weekends' programme all season, culminating in a
double header with the title at stake.
Simone Iacone and Maurizio Campani
arrived at the double header, both in with a shout of lifting the crown.
However a solid mid table finish for Iacone, once Campani had retired,
ironically following a racing clash with his title rival, was enough to see him
claim the top honours.
Iacone, won three races during the
course of a season that saw the series, contested by identical specification
2.0-litre powered Alfa Romeo 147GTA-lookalike racers, take in visits to Monza,
Valencia, Magny-Cours, Hockenheim and Spa.
The new champion, who is just 20
years old and at present studying Economics and Commerce at University, also
claimed the Under-25 title, well ahead of the highly consistent Mikko Heino in
the final table. The Finn also finished in third place in the overall
classification behind Campani. This season was for Iacone, who started racing in
Go-Karts at the age of ten, only his second year contesting the European
Alfa Challenge.
On the track, both races were won by
another young driver, Eoin Murray. The Irishman, claimed his first ever European
Challenge win in race one, after fending off the highly experienced Spaniard
Luis Villamil. Another series rookie, Mikko Heino, took third, while the always
consistent Massimiliano Fantini was fourth. The same four drivers again filled
out the top four positions in race two, with Murray winning once more, Heino
switching places with Villamil, and Fantini again fourth.
FINAL
CLASSIFICATION
EUROPEAN ALFA
CHALLENGE: OVERALL: 1. Iacone (ITA), 316; 2. Campani (ITA), 292; 3. Heino (FIN),
234; 4. Murray (IRL), 229; 5. Fantini (ITA), 228; 6. Villamil (E), 197; 7.
Bertram (NL), 196; 8. Chacon (E), 176; 9. Larini (ITA), 173; 10. Marchetti (ITA),
153. UNDER 25: 1. Iacone (ITA), 316; 2. Heino (FIN), 234; 3. Murray (IRL), 229;
4. Fantini (ITA), 228; 5. Bertram (NL), 196; 6. Chacon (E), 176; 7. Marchetti (ITA),
153; 8. Bonacini (ITA), 138; 9. Van Den Berg (NL), 58; 10. Lacko (CZ), 3.
ROOKIES: 1. Heino (FIN), 234; 2. Murray (IRL), 229; 3. Chacon (E), 176; 4. Brogi
(ITA), 146; 5. Jirik (CZ), 146; 6. Magalhaes (P), 146; 7. Kisiel (PL), 132; 8.
Giraudi (ITA), 92; 9. Van Den Berg (NL), 58; 10. Mancin (PL), 49
European Alfa Challenge, Imola - RACE
CLASSIFICATION - RACE 1 |
POS |
NO |
DRIVER |
NAT |
TEAM |
TIME |
LAPS |
GAP |
KPH |
BEST |
1 |
24 |
Eoin MURRAY |
IRL |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
21:18.215 |
10 |
|
138.26 |
2:06.877 |
2 |
22 |
Luis VILLAMIL |
ESP |
Antonelli Sport |
21:19.025 |
10 |
0.810 |
138.17 |
2:06.906 |
3 |
19 |
Mikko HEINO |
FIN |
Arpre Racing |
21:20.186 |
10 |
1.971 |
138.05 |
2:06.951 |
4 |
20 |
Massimiliano FANTINI |
ITA |
PFM Sport |
21:22.321 |
10 |
4.106 |
137.82 |
2:06.950 |
5 |
28 |
Marco BROGI |
ITA |
Antonelli Sport |
21:25.427 |
10 |
7.212 |
137.49 |
2:07.431 |
6 |
33 |
Jose Joao MAGALHAES |
POR |
Madeno Racing |
21:27.833 |
10 |
9.618 |
137.23 |
2:07.522 |
7 |
11 |
Robert VAN DEN BERG |
NED |
Harders Plaza Racing |
21:29.721 |
10 |
11.506 |
137.03 |
2:07.631 |
8 |
8 |
Ronnie MARCHETTI |
ITA |
Scuderia Veregra |
21:31.934 |
10 |
13.719 |
136.79 |
2:06.827 |
9 |
23 |
Alessandro BONACINI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
21:43.369 |
10 |
25.154 |
135.59 |
2:07.661 |
10 |
14 |
Robert KISIEL |
POL |
RAM Racing Team |
21:45.947 |
10 |
27.732 |
135.33 |
2:08.740 |
11 |
27 |
Vitaliano CALDARELLI |
ITA |
Scuderia Pescara Corse |
21:52.477 |
10 |
34.262 |
134.65 |
2:08.555 |
12 |
12 |
Gian Luca GIRAUDI |
ITA |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
21:53.343 |
10 |
35.128 |
134.56 |
2:08.706 |
13 |
25 |
Simone IACONE |
ITA |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
21:56.497 |
10 |
38.282 |
134.24 |
2:07.730 |
14 |
3 |
Luca BURATTI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
21:57.584 |
10 |
39.369 |
134.13 |
2:09.436 |
15 |
38 |
Nino CAMPANI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
21:58.011 |
10 |
39.796 |
134.09 |
2:07.990 |
16 |
34 |
Willy WELLES |
NED |
Madeno Racing |
21:58.642 |
10 |
40.427 |
134.02 |
2:09.656 |
17 |
10 |
Luigi FRANCUCCI |
ITA |
Scuderia Veregra |
22:06.260 |
10 |
48.045 |
133.25 |
2:09.697 |
18 |
15 |
Andrzej MANCIN |
POL |
RAM Racing Team |
22:10.412 |
10 |
52.197 |
132.84 |
2:10.046 |
19 |
26 |
Eugenio MOLINARO |
ITA |
Scuderia Pescara Corse |
22:23.413 |
10 |
1:05.198 |
131.55 |
2:11.253 |
20 |
30 |
John V.D. VOORT |
NED |
Harders Plaza Racing |
22:38.141 |
10 |
1:19.926 |
130.13 |
2:13.303 |
Not Classified |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
Andrea LARINI |
ITA |
Antonelli Sport |
17:19.081 |
8 |
D.N.F. |
135.90 |
2:07.222 |
|
29 |
Antonio CHACON |
ESP |
Antonelli Sport |
14:57.570 |
7 |
D.N.F. |
137.54 |
2:06.918 |
|
7 |
Maurizio CAMPANI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
4:32.446 |
2 |
D.N.F. |
127.23 |
2:10.581 |
|
16 |
Jaromir JIRIK |
CZE |
Autospektrum |
|
0 |
D.N.F. |
N/A |
|
European Alfa Challenge, Imola - RACE
CLASSIFICATION - RACE 2 |
POS |
NO |
DRIVER |
NAT |
TEAM |
TIME |
LAPS |
GAP |
KPH |
BEST |
1 |
24 |
Eoin MURRAY |
IRL |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
21:13.757 |
10 |
|
138.75 |
2:06.949 |
2 |
22 |
Luis VILLAMIL |
ESP |
Antonelli Sport |
21:17.246 |
10 |
3.489 |
138.37 |
2:06.857 |
3 |
19 |
Mikko HEINO |
FIN |
Arpre Racing |
21:20.717 |
10 |
6.960 |
137.99 |
2:06.604 |
4 |
20 |
Massimiliano FANTINI |
ITA |
PFM Sport |
21:26.231 |
10 |
12.474 |
137.40 |
2:07.249 |
5 |
33 |
Jose Joao MAGALHAES |
POR |
Madeno Racing |
21:30.695 |
10 |
16.938 |
136.93 |
2:07.867 |
6 |
8 |
Ronnie MARCHETTI |
ITA |
Scuderia Veregra |
21:31.031 |
10 |
17.274 |
136.89 |
2:07.154 |
7 |
7 |
Maurizio CAMPANI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
21:31.679 |
10 |
17.922 |
136.82 |
2:06.819 |
8 |
23 |
Alessandro BONACINI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
21:32.051 |
10 |
18.294 |
136.78 |
2:07.552 |
9 |
27 |
Vitaliano CALDARELLI |
ITA |
Scuderia Pescara Corse |
21:37.582 |
10 |
23.825 |
136.20 |
2:08.095 |
10 |
16 |
Jaromir JIRIK |
CZE |
Autospektrum |
21:42.865 |
10 |
29.108 |
135.65 |
2:08.007 |
11 |
14 |
Robert KISIEL |
POL |
RAM Racing Team |
21:50.458 |
10 |
36.701 |
134.86 |
2:08.068 |
12 |
10 |
Luigi FRANCUCCI |
ITA |
Scuderia Veregra |
21:51.741 |
10 |
37.984 |
134.73 |
2:09.615 |
13 |
15 |
Andrzej MANCIN |
POL |
RAM Racing Team |
21:58.072 |
10 |
44.315 |
134.08 |
2:09.067 |
14 |
34 |
Willy WELLES |
NED |
Madeno Racing |
22:00.240 |
10 |
46.483 |
133.86 |
2:09.870 |
15 |
30 |
John V.D. VOORT |
NED |
Harders Plaza Racing |
22:32.096 |
10 |
1:18.339 |
130.71 |
2:12.907 |
16 |
26 |
Eugenio MOLINARO |
ITA |
Scuderia Pescara Corse |
22:03.490 |
9 |
1 LAP |
120.11 |
2:10.363 |
Not Classified |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
28 |
Marco BROGI |
ITA |
Antonelli Sport |
15:03.371 |
7 |
D.N.F. |
136.66 |
2:07.143 |
|
11 |
Robert VAN DEN BERG |
NED |
Harders Plaza Racing |
15:03.730 |
7 |
D.N.F. |
136.61 |
2:07.457 |
|
12 |
Gian Luca GIRAUDI |
ITA |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
8:46.386 |
4 |
D.N.F. |
133.32 |
2:08.618 |
|
25 |
Simone IACONE |
ITA |
PRS Group-Speed Racing |
7:11.732 |
3 |
D.N.F. |
121.42 |
2:11.044 |
|
29 |
Antonio CHACON |
ESP |
Antonelli Sport |
5:00.285 |
2 |
D.N.F. |
115.43 |
2:23.389 |
|
2 |
Andrea LARINI |
ITA |
Antonelli Sport |
2:24.303 |
1 |
D.N.F. |
117.15 |
|
|
38 |
Nino CAMPANI |
ITA |
C & C Racing Team |
2:36.726 |
1 |
D.N.F. |
107.86 |
|
|