05.11.2002 ROBERTO COLCIAGO AND GABRIELE TARQUINI JOIN ALFA ROMEO AS FABRIZIO GIOVANARDI HEADS FOR BMW
>>> 05.11.2002 OFFICIAL ALFA
ROMEO RELEASE
After winning the Manufacturers and Drivers titles in 2002, Alfa Romeo confirms its intention to compete in the FIA ETCC (European Touring Car Championship) in the 2003 season with the Nordauto GTA Racing Team. Alfa Romeo also intends to continue to cooperate with its sporting clients who compete in the various national championships and company-organised, single-brand trophies. Three Alfa 156 GTAs will be in the line-up for the ten events scheduled, cars to be driven by Nicola Larini, Gabriele Tarquini and Roberto Colciago. Nicola Larini, who has raced with the brand's cars since 1992 when he won the Italian Touring Championship, has confirmed he will continue to drive for Alfa Romeo. 1993 saw him triumph with an Alfa Romeo in the DTM, and then again at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo the driver from Tuscany participated in the International Touring Championship. From 1998 he has raced with an Alfa 156. Gabriele Tarquini won the British Touring Championship (BTC) with an Alfa Romeo in 1994. He participated in the ITC at the wheel of an Alfa 155. This season he raced in the last two European Touring events with a Nordauto GTA Racing Team Alfa 156, contributing to the brand's victory in the Manufacturers Championship. Roberto Colciago, winner of the Swedish Super-Touring Championship, was also part of the Alfa Romeo team this year, participating in the last three European events and taking an excellent second place at Pergusa. But also up-and-coming young driver, Fabio Francia, an outstanding performer in the Alfa Challenge, may well participate in some of the European Touring events with a Nordauto GTA Racing Team Alfa 156. Just turned twenty-one last May, Francia finished 2nd in this season's Italian Super-production Championship and has already won two Italian titles at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo: the I.S.C. with an Alfa 147 in 2001 and the I.V.T.C. N4 with an Alfa 146 in 2000. Driver Fabrizio Giovanardi will end his association with the Nordauto GTA Racing Team at the close of this season - December 31 2002. The champion from Emilia, who this year has won the FIA European Touring Car Championship with the Alfa 156 GTA with one event still to go, has been racing with Alfa Romeos since 1995. During these eight years he has won 1 Spanish Super-Touring Championship, 2 Italian Super-Touring Championships and 3 European Touring Car Championships. He has driven to victory 33 times at the wheel of an Alfa 156, including 9 wins this season, and contributed to Alfa Romeo's conquest of the prestigious FIA ETCC Manufacturers title. Alfa Romeo would like to thank Fabrizio Giovanardi for all his efforts, which have enabled him and the Team to share so many successes. |
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