Race 2

The 2007 season of Euroseries 3000 ended in style in Barcelona with the second win of the year for Giacomo Ricci (Elk Motorsport), who also clocked the fastest lap as in race-1. The 2006 series champion, who came back this year winning at Spa, found again in Spain the way to the highest step of the podium. Behind the Italian driver came Diego Nunes (Minardi/GP Racing) and Kasper Andersen (G-Tec).

Ricci's win wasn't easy. For more than half of the race the Danish Andersen led the group, despite a strong arm ache which disturbed him throughout the weekend. But at the tenth lap the G-Tec driver had to slow the pace, letting Ricci and Nunes through. The Brazilian had collided with his team-mate Rigon when the two Minardi/GP drivers were battling for third place. The Italian, 2007 champion, was forced to retire.

The poleman Jimmy Auby (ASR) led the final race of the championship just for the first lap. The South-African touched with Nunes, who was following him, and had to stop immediately. So Andersen took the lead, followed by Razia, Rigon, Nunes and Ricci. At the eighth lap the contact between the Minardi drivers forced Rigon to end his race prematurely. Luiz Razia (Elk Motorsport) held the second place behind Andersen for a long time, but then lost a couple of positions due to a spin. At the 13th lap Andersen, in crisis, lost the lead to Ricci and Nunes. At the end the Italian preceeded the Brazilian by 1"8, while Andersen saw the chequered flag 14"7 after the winner. On the points in Spain also Razia (Elk), Martini (RC) and Leal (Durango).

The final classification of the championship sees Rigon win with 108 points, ahead of his team-mate Nunes at 77. Third is Razia with 57, followed by Martini (39), while Ricci is fifth overall with 37 points.

Waiting for the official confirmation of the 2008 calendar, which will anyway feature three races in Spain (Barcelona, Valencia and Jerez), the next event for this category will take place on the 27th and 28th of November in Magione with the promotional tests for the young drivers looking to know this car. A F.3000 will also go on track in Rabat for a demo run on a city circuit, waiting for a race in Morocco to be held in the following future.

Giacomo Ricci (Elk Motorsport): "I thank the team for giving me a perfectly balanced car. Just in the end I had to deal with a very slippery car. I overtook Kasper Andersen at the end of the main straight: I went out of the chicane very fast, then I took his slipstream and I passed him on the outside. I can confirm that, after a year, I didn't lost my confidence with the Lola-Zytek."

Diego Nunes (Minardi/GP Racing): "After a good start, at the eighth lap there was a contact with Rigon. Unfortunately Davide spun and his race ended in that moment, while I came out of the accident unhurt. I could also win this race, but Ricci was good to beat me and Andersen."

Kasper Andersen (G-Tec): "This podium is very valuable. Throughout the weekend I had a physical problem, with arm ache. I held the lead for more than half of the race, then I had to slow down, because I could not keep Ricci and Nunes behind me anymore and they overtook me."

1 Giacomo Ricci (Elk Motorsport) in 32’51”040
2 Diego Nunes (Minardi/GP Racing) a 1”844
3 Kasper Andersen (G-Tec) a 14”714
4 Luiz Razia (Elk Motorsport) a 15”142
5 Oliver Martini (R.C Motorsport) a 15”911
6 Omar Leal (Engineering Durango) a 24”698
7 Francesco Dracone (2G Racing) a 1’15”213
8 Mehdi Bennani (Elk Motorsport) a 9 Laps
9 Davide Rigon (Minardi/GP Racing) a 12 laps
10 Jimmy Auby (ASR) a 19 Laps
11 Vladimir Arabadzhiev (ASR) a 19 Laps
12 Giuseppe Chiminelli (2G Racing) n.p.

Race 1

Nunes wins from Rigon -

Diego Nunes (Minardi/GP Racing) has won in Barcelona the first race of Euroseries 3000's last round. The Brazilian, thanks to his second success this season, has also secured the second place in the championship, behind his team-mate Davide Rigon. The other contender, Luiz Razia (Elk Motorsport), ended sixth, trying in vain to fill the gap.

Second place in Spain for the pole man Rigon who lost the lead of the race at the start, being immediately overtaken by his South American team-mate. Davide has tried really hard to get back to his first place but Nunes hasn't given him the opportunity to do so, and after a while, with worn out tyres, has been obliged to give up the fight ending just 200 thousandths from the leader.
Giacomo Ricci (Elk Motorsport), third under the chequered flag, has taken advantage from the fight between the two Minardi/GP Racing drivers and in the final laps of the race he has tried to overtake Rigon without succeeding. Nonetheless he has pushed really hard, getting the best lap in the race.

Oliver Martini (RC Motorsport) arrived fourth at the end of a hard battle with Kasper Andersen (G-Tec) and Luiz Razia (Elk Motorsport). Seventh and eighth place for Leal (Durango) and Auby (ASR) who will therefore start from the first row of the grid in race 2. For what concerns the championship, Rigon (already European and Italian champion 2007) has 108 points, second place for Nunes (72), then Razia (64). Race-2 (20 laps) will take place tomorrow ( Sunday) at 10:20 a.m. Live on Nuvolari T.V.

Diego Nunes (Minardi/GP Racing): " My start was better than the one of my team-mate so that I had the chance to overtake him at the first turn. Then Davide has pushed hard all the race long but I have succeeded in keeping the leadership till the end".

Davide Rigon (Minardi/GP Racing): " I have made a bad start and Diego has taken advantage from it. I have tried very hard to overtake my mate, but he has closed me at every brake. I have damaged my tyres trying to stay behind him so in the fast turns I was losing grip. So I ended behind him".

Giacomo Ricci (Elk Motorsport): "I had a better start than the Minardi duo, but I could not overtake them. They were really fast but at the end, when they were fighting against each other I have been able to fill the gap. I thank Elk very much for having given me this opportunity: racing in F.3000 in always fun".

1 - Diego Nunes - Minardi/GP Racing - 26’12”940
2 - Davide Rigon - Minardi/GP Racing - 0”200
3 - Giacomo Ricci - Elk Motorsport - 1”275
4 - Oliver Martini - RC Motorsport - 15”883
5 - Kasper Andersen - G Tec - 16”850
6 - Luiz Razia - Elk Motorsport - 17”043
7 - Omar Leal - Durango - 29”162
8 - Jimmy Auby - ASR - 32”632
9 - Vladimir Arabadzhiev - ASR - 35”637
10 - Francesco Dracone - 2G Racing - 1’02”414

Qualifying

Rigon and Nunes show the way

1. Row
Davide Rigon - Minardi/GP Racing - 1’34”705
Diego Nunes - Minardi/GP Racing - 1’35”114
2. Row
Giacomo Ricci - Elk Motorsport - 1’35”739
Kasper Andersen - G Tec - 1’35”873
3. Row
Oliver Martini - RC Motorsport - 1’35”879
Luiz Razia - Elk Motorsport - 1’36’134
4. Row
Omar Leal - Durango - 1’36”332
Jimmy Auby - ASR - 1’37”067
5. Row
Vladimir Arabadzhiev - ASR - 1’37”077
Mehdi Bennani - Elk Motorsport - 1’37”300
6. Row
Francesco Dracone - 2G Racing - 1’39”284
Giuseppe Chiminelli - 2G Racing - 1’44”917

 

Practice

Davide Rigon (Minardi/GP Racing) was the fastest in Barcelona at the end of the second free practice session of the last 2007 seasonal round of Euroseries 3000. The young Italian driver, on a dry track and in perfect conditions, managed to improve by more than 2'' the fastest time obtained by Giacomo Ricci in the morning practice: 1'35''286 was his best time. Behind Rigon finished his team mate, the Brazilian Diego Nunes, who lapped in 1'36''227. Good third time for the Danish Kasper Andersen, who did a 1'36''412 with the G-Tec car. Fourth "virtual" time in the afternoon practice for Raffaele Giammaria. The driver from Civitavecchia drove for Coloni Motorsport with the interim 2008 Lola-Zytek. Waiting for the new aerodinamics, the car presented a new suspension and the new 515 HP Zytek engine. The 2008 car gave at his debut an important feedback, showing immediately all his potential. The car will be sent again on track at Magione on the 27th and 28th of November for the collective testing of the series for 2008, named F.3000 Experience.

Coming back to the second free practice in Barcelona, among the best were also the Elk Motorsport drivers, Luiz Razia and Giacomo Ricci, 5th and 6th respectively. The couple of the Ernesto Catella's team preceeded Oliver Martini (RC) and Omar Leal (Durango).

 

Time Schedule

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9th
12:05 p.m. – 12:35 p.m.: FREE PRACTICES 1
04:35 p.m. – 05:05 p.m.: FREE PRACTICES 2

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10th
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.: QUALIFYING
02:40 p.m.: RACE 1 (16 laps, Km 74,48 – max 30’)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th
10:20 p.m.: RACE 2 (20 laps, Km 93,10 – max 40’)