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4th August 2002:  FIA ETCC Rounds 13 & 14:  Nicola Larini wins race 1 and reduces Giovanardi's championship lead
 
click here to see Nicola Larini win race 1 and for reports, results and championship positions from SpaNordauto Alfa 156 GTA driver Nicola Larini and BMW's Jorg Muller claim a win apiece in two closely fought races at the classic Spa track. Two points in race 1 and transmission failure in race two see Fabrizio Giovanardi's championship lead cut to 10 points. With Larini retiring early on in the second race, Italian honour was left to Paolo Ruberti who claimed fifth place in the Bigazzi Alfa 156 GTA. 
race 1 result race 1 report race 2 result race 2 report championship standings

3rd August 2002:  Giovanardi and Larini back to the front in Spa ETC qualifying
 
Nicola Larini and Fabrizio Giovanardi claimed the front row after Spa qualifying. click here for full qualifying report and grid positionsPutting the disaster of Oschersleben behind them the Nordauto Alfa pairing of Nicola Larini and Fabrizio Giovanardi claimed the front row of the grid for rounds 13 and 14 at Spa in Belgium. Larini dominated the timesheets all session, Giovanardi meanwhile put in a flying lap right at the end of qualifying to line up next to his team mate.
grid qualifying report

28th July 2002:  Gavin Pyper takes a win and a second place at Snetterton BTCC meeting
 
The British Touring Cars headed to a hot and sunny Snetterton for rounds 13 and 14 of the series. In the production class Gavin Pyper hit the ground running, claiming a double pole for both the sprint and feature races. In the sprint race he quickly slipped back to 6th place, but was able to take advantage of two restarts to eventually win the class by almost six seconds. Race two saw a frantic shuffling of positions with Gavin Pyper eventually winding up second, following series leader James Kaye over the line. Team mate Graham Saunders had one of his best races of the season, in the thick of the action and running as high as second place, before being outmanoevered and taking the chequered flag in fourth place.

20th July 2002:   German diesel-powered Alfa 147 Cup reaches half distance
 
This year the Alfa Romeo importer in Germany is running an eight round race series for Alfa 147 1.9JTD versions, known as the Alfa 147 Cup. Unusually for a race car the JTD common-rail diesel unit is being used. After four races at Oschersleben, Hockenheim, Nurburgring and the new Eurospeedway, Markus Lungstrasse leads closest rival Martin Tshornia by a four point margin.
click here for a round up of the first four races of the 2002 Alfa 147 Cup, including images of the cars
click here for a round up of the first four races of the 2002 Alfa 147 Cup, including images of the cars
click here for a round up of the first four races of the 2002 Alfa 147 Cup, including images of the cars

15th July 2002:  Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge moves on to Assen
 
click here for results and championship standings from round 4 of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 ChallengeRound four of the Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge saw the cars return to the Assen TT circuit, scene of the fraught opening round of the series back in April. Reigning champion, Boy Zentveldt, finally got of the mark this year, winning by 2 1/2 seconds from series leader Allard Kalff's team mate, Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. 

With Allard Kalff only able to finish in sixth, third place for Sandor van Es has allowed him to move into the championship lead by three points. A first maximum points score of the year for Boy Zentveldt has pushed him right up into contention, only six points adrift of the new leader.

click here for results and championship standings from round 4 of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here for results and championship standings from round 4 of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here for results and championship standings from round 4 of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge

14th July 2002:  FIA ETCC Rounds 11 & 12:  BMW dominate both races as rule changes favour the German marque
 
Nicola Larini in his Alfa Romeo 156 GTA on his way to two sixth places at Oschersleben, click here for full race reportsThe change by the FIA in the series technical regulations handed the advantage to BMW who dominated at Oschersleben, Dirk Muller leading home Jorg Muller in both races. Race one saw Fabrizio Giovanardi salvage fourth place, but the second race got worse for the Nordauto team, with only Larini scraping home in 6th place to claim a solitary point.
race 1 result race 1 report race 2 result race 2 report championship standings

14th July 2002:  little luck for the GA Motorsport Alfas at BTCC Croft meeting
 
The British Touring Cars moved on to the small Croft circuit in Yorkshire for rounds 11 & 12 of the series. Gavin Pyper lined up his GA Motorsport Alfa 156 second on the grid for the sprint race and snatched pole for the feature race, 2/10ths ahead of series leader James Kaye. GA team mates Graham Saunders and Alan Blencowe lined up sixth and seventh for the first race, reversing themselves to start fifth and six in race two.

Gavin Pyper suffered an overheating engine in the sprint race, while leading the production class, unfortunately the problem was unable to be cured for race 2 and his afternoon ended there. Alan Blencowe made some amends snatching the final podium place in race 1 with Graham Saunders finishing right behind him in fourth. While in the main race, with Pyper not starting and Saunders and Blencowe retiring, the GA Motorsport team's afternoon ended early.


13th July 2002:  BMW's dominate grid on home turf at Oschersleben
 
Fabrizio Giovanardi at Oscherleben, click here for full qualifying report and gridHome territory advantage and major rule changes for the second half of the season saw the BMW's dominate qualifying. Led by Dutchman Tom Coronel, the BMW's occupied the first two rows of the grid. Frederik Ekblom joined Coronel on the front row with the Dirk and Jorg Muller sitting on row two. Fabrizio Giovanardi and Nicola Larini could manage no better than 7th & 8th slots, while Tom Ferrier was best of the privateers in 11th.
grid qualifying report

1st July 2002:  ETC rule changes to sweep away Alfa's advantage?
 
The FIA World Motorsports Council has adjusted the regulations for the second half of this years FIA ETC season, changes that should in particular help the BMWs close the gap to the dominant Alfa Romeos. The minimum weight limit has been evened out, the Alfas losing a 30kg advantage over the rear wheel drive BMWs, while the BMWs and Volvos will also be allowed to run higher engine revs. A "success" ballast has also been introduced. 

30th June 2002:  FIA ETCC Rounds 9 & 10: Alfa's stranglehold is broken as BMW win second race
 
Alfa Romeo driver Nicola Larini celebrates his race one winNicola Larini took a lights-to-flag win in the opening race with team mate Giovanardi following him home in second to make it nine wins out of nine for the Nordauto pair. However race 2 saw Jorg Muller record BMW's first win as he snatch the lead from Rickard Rydell ( Volvo ) with three corners remaining. Struggling with a poor set-up, Giovanardi snatched fourth place on the final corner from Nicola Larini, who in turn had had to charge up the field dropping down the orders while keeping away from a first lap tangle. Tom Ferrier in the DART-run Alfa 156 picked up his first point of the season with a sixth place in race 2.
race 1 result race 1 report race 2 result race 2 report championship standings

29th June 2002:  Nicola Larini breaks Fabrizio Giovanardi's run of poles at Anderstorp
 
Alfa Romeo 156 GTANicola Larini broke team mate Fabrizio Giovanardi's clean sweep of pole positions as the European Touring Cars headed for a cold and overcast Anderstorp in Sweden. Giovanardi spun off early in the session and after being dragged from the mud by a circuit tractor, he was unable to get the car competitive enough for a shot at pole, lining up eventually behind Rickard Rydell who joined Larini on the front row, and Tom Ferrier who put in a flying time in his DART-run Alfa 156GTA, to squeeze Giovanardi down to fourth.
grid qualifying report

23rd June 2002:  Gavin Pyper takes BTCC production class win at Mondello
 
The British Touring Car series moved across the water to Mondello Park in Ireland for the latest round. After a dreadful practice session in which engine problems stopped him from leaving the pits for either practice session, Gavin Pyper, returning to his GA Motorsport Alfa 156 seat after serving his one race ban, stormed through the Production Class runners to win the class in the Sprint race, and in doing so, gain his first podium finish of the year. Pyper and production class points leader James Kaye ( Honda Accord ) had battled mightly towards the end of the opening race, the scrap being resolved when Kaye's gearbox packed up as they approached the finish line.

In race two Pyper, again starting from the back of the grid, sliced through the field, taking the class lead when James Kaye spun out of the race, but with his battery playing up Pyper quickly followed him out of the race. Team mate Alan Blencowe came home best Alfa runner in 6th place, following up from his 5th place in the opening race while Graham Saunders in the third GA car was unlucky, retiring from both races.

qualifying:
sprint race: 21st overall ( 9th in Production Class ) Alan Blencowe ( Alfa Romeo 156 ) 2:08.036; 23rd ( 11th ) Graham Saunders ( Alfa Romeo 156 ) 2:09.911. feature race: 16th ( 4th in Production Class ) Alan Blencowe 1:53.330.
race result:
sprint race: 11th overall ( 1st in Production Class ) Gavin Pyper ( Alfa Romeo 156 ); 15th ( 5th ) Alan Blencowe ( Alfa Romeo 156 ). feature race: 17th ( 6th ) Alan Blencowe ( Alfa Romeo 156 ); 


15th June 2002: Dutch Pearl Alfa 147 Challenge proving a hit after three races
 
after three years with the Alfa 156 model, the Dutch Pearle Challenge has moved over to an N-Technology developed race prepared Alfa 147 for this years series, click here for more detailsThe Pearle Alfa Romeo 156 Challenge, organised by Fiat Auto Holland, is proving a hit after three action-packed races so far, the latest being on the 2nd June at Zandvoort. Former Eurosport commentator, Allard Kalff won the opening race of the series at Assen back in April, but two wins out of the last two races for Sandor van Es has allowed him to close up to within one point of his fellow Dutchman while Sandra van der Sloot hovers a further two points adrift.

The championship uses N-Technology developed Alfa 147 models with 4-cyl 200bhp engines, six-speed sequential gearbox, 17-in wheels and major use of lightweight materials.

click here to see images, race reports, results & championship standings from the first three rounds of the Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here to see images, race reports, results & championship standings from the first three rounds of the Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here to see images, race reports, results & championship standings from the first three rounds of the Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
round 1 report & result round 2 report & result round 3 report & result championship positions after 3 rounds

3rd June 2002:  Kelvin Burt makes winning return to British Touring Cars in Production Class
 
Kelvin Burt stood in at GA Motorsport, claiming pole for both the sprint and feature races, grabbing the final podium position in race one, before winning the production class in the main raceOnly announced on Thursday as late stand in for Gavin Pyper in the GA Motorsport Production Class Alfa 156 who is serving a one race ban after his Thruxton incident with Production Class rival James Kaye, former single seater rising star, Kelvin Burt set Production Pole time for both the Sprint and Feature races, culminating in a class win in the Feature race.

At a swelteringly hot Silverstone, Kelvin Burt quickly got to grips with the Alfa 156, lining up the car in a Production class fastest time ( 17th overall ) of 1:32.674. Championship pace setter James Kaye ( Honda Civic ) lined up behind him less than a 1/10 of a second back. Team mates Alan Blencoe and Graham Saunders followed up 6th and 10th in class. For the Feature race Burt once again out paced James Kaye, Blencoe slotting in behind them and Saunders four places further back.

Race one saw a titanic battle between Burt, Kaye and the Renault Clio of Robert Collard, which eventually saw Burt snatch the final class podium position behind Kaye and Collard, team mates Alan Blencowe and Graham Saunders finishing the afternoon 9th and 10th in class. Race two however saw Burt fend off the attentions of James Kaye who spun off while challenging for the lead and despite late pressure from the Honda driver he hung on to win. Blencowe and Saunders rounded off the GA Racing team's weekend by coming in 4th and 7th.


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Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge high resolution images
click here to view high resolution images of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here to view high resolution images of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here to view high resolution images of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge
click here to view high resolution images of the 2002 Pearle Alfa 147 Challenge

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