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09/05/2008: Off to Monza for the second round of 2008

After a successful start to the second season in Silverstone, the GT4 European Cup will head for Monza, racing in Italy for the first time. With a planned grid of twenty cars, the series will race in its new format for the first time, with two 25-minute sprint races and a 50-minute endurance run, including a mandatory pit stop with a possible a driver change.
The fast Italian circuit will be new to a number of the drivers, although some of the teams did take part in the test days in Monza in March. This round should also see the debut of the Sports Light version the Belgian Racing Gillet Vertigo fitted with a V6 Alfa Romeo engine, currently undergoing homologation. The Vertigo, which has been a regular in the G2 category of the FIA GT Championship, will be a welcome addition to the category.
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Michael Mallock started off the GT4 season with two pole positions in Silverstone in his RS Williams Aston Martin N24, but his weekend came to an abrupt end with a heavy crash in race one. But the young British driver should be back in action for Monza. "I'm all good now," he explained. "I had quite a bit of bruising on my legs and feet and concussion, but it has all cleared now so I'm back on form! Unfortunately the car wasn't as lucky, the damage was too severe to salvage anything so we are shaking down a new car tomorrow for Monza. The guys at RSWilliams have been working flat out to get ready, so we are now in a position to run the car before they travel down to Monza next week."

Belgian Racing, the official Gillet Vertigo racing team, is preparing its GT4 Vertigo, for the Monza round of the GT4 European Cup on 18th of May 2008, where it will compete in the Sports Light category.
The car will be powered by an Alfa Roméo V6 engine, and driven by two Belgian gentleman-drivers.
“For us, it is important to be present in the GT4 championship with our Vertigo. It will strengthen our presence on the international scene and reach the gentleman-drivers target. It is a logical opportunity.” said Tony Gillet.
Belgian Racing is already present in FIA GT Category G2 with its Maserati V8-powered Vertigo. The GT4 is the second Vertigo present during the FIA GT race week-ends. It benefits from the latest technologies developed and tested on the FIA GT car, in accordance with its specific regulation.
Homologation is under way at the moment, and should be completed in time for the car to compete in Monza.
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The second race of the GT4 European Cup at Silverstone was close and action-packed, with a race-long battle between reigning Champion Eric de Doncker's Mustang FR500 and the Aston Martin N24 cars of Klaus Engelhorn and Jamie Smyth. However, on lap 13, contact between Engelhorn's Aston and the Mustang, which was in the lead, saw both cars spin.
Engelhorn pulled away and took the chequered flag ahead of Smyth and De Doncker, but the Stewards of the Meeting later gave him a 15 second penalty for driving standards, which relegated him to third. Jamie Smyth therefore took the win for Beechdean, with Eric De Doncker second and Engelhorn third.
In the Sports Light category, Catherina Felser took her first victory in the KTM X-Bow, ahead of Christopher Haase of Germany.
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Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof claimed the first win of the 2008 season, crossing the line in his Jetalliance Aston Martin N24 after 13 laps of exciting racing around the Silverstone track.
He was followed across the line by Danny van Dongen in the Corvette C6, the car making its GT4 debut this weekend. Third place went to Jurgen van Hover of Belgium, in the Speedlover Aston Martin N24.
Some drops of rain fell, but not enough to make the race officially wet. The start of the race saw a good battle between the Astons of pole sitter Michael Mallock and Mayr-Melnhof, but on lap two, Mallock's car went off, hitting the wall hard, and bringing the safety car out. Racing resumed on lap seven. The remaining six laps saw some excellent battles, especially between Engelhorn, De Doncker and Kenis. Van Dongen got to within 0.7 of leader Mayr-Melnhof, but it was the Aston which took the chequered flag. As for De Doncker and Kenis, the Mustang and BMW crossed the line side by side, De Doncker taking fifth by only 0.025 of a second - a real photo finish !
In the first Sports Light category, Dennis Retera took the win ahead of his team-mate Catharina Felser, both driving KTM X-Bow cars. The nr 101 X-Bow finished in a fine 7th position overall, in the middle of the GT4 field, with Felser 10th overall. A great start for the new car.
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Michael Mallock made it two in a row when he placed his RS Williams Aston Martin on pole position for the second race of the 2008 GT4 European Cup in Silverstone.
Mallock set a lap of 2:02.130, 1.5 seconds ahead of second-placed Eric De Doncker, the reigning GT4 Champion, in his Mustang FR500C. Third place went to Jurgen van Hover in an Aston Martin N24. The leading Sports Light car was Christopher Haase of Germany in the nr 101 Reiter KTM X-Bow.
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Next Race : 18/05/2008: GT4 European Cup season 2008, event 2 - Monza
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Monza
Location: 25 km north of Milan Circuit length: 5770 m Contact information: SIAS SpA, via Vedano 5 Parco di Monza, 20025 Monza (MI) Tel: +39 039 24821 Fax: +39 039 320 324 Email: autodromo@monzanet.it Website: www.monzanet.it Press Officer: Gianni Cattaneo Tel: +39 02 7745 239 Fax: +39 02 77 45 201 Email: stampa@acimi.it Nearest Airports: Milan Linate (LIN) - 25 km; Bergamo-Orio al Serio (BGY) - 30 km - Milan Malpensa (MXP) - 60 km | |
GT4 European Cup Timetable
Monza (Italy) – May 16th – 18th, 2008
Provisional Timetable – Draft 9 – May 8th, 2008
Friday, May 16th
09.00 – 09.30 British F3 International Series Free Practice 1 30’
09.45 – 10.35 GT4 European Cup Free Practice 1 50’
10.50 – 11.50 FIA GT3 European Championship Free Practice 1 60’
12.05 – 12.35 British F3 International Series Free Practice 2 30’
13.30 – 14.20 GT4 European Cup Free Practice 2 50’
14.35 – 15.35 FIA GT3 European Championship Free Practice 2 60’
15.50 – 16.50 Superstars Free Practice 60’
17.05– 17.35 British F3 International Series Qualifying Practice 1 30’
17.50 – 18.35 GT4 European Cup Qualifying Practice 20/5/20
Saturday, May 17th
09.00 – 10.20 FIA GT Championship Free Practice 80’
10.35 – 11.25 FIA GT3 European Championship Qualifying Practice 20/10/20
11.40 – 12.10 British F3 International Series Qualifying Practice 2 30’
12.25 – 13.45 FIA GT Championship Pre Qualifying Session 80’
14.00 – 14.30 Superstars Qualifying Practice 30’
15.00 – 16.00 FIA GT3 European Championship Race 1 60’
16.25 – 16.55 British F3 International Series Race 1 30’
17.15 – 17.50 FIA GT Championship Qualifying Practice 15/5/15
18.15 – 18.40 GT4 European Cup Race 1 25’
Sunday, May 18th
09.00 – 09.30 FIA GT Championship Warm Up 30’
10.00 - 10.25 GT4 European Cup Race 2 25’
11.15– 12.15 FIA GT3 European Championship Race 2 60’
13.15 – 15.15 FIA GT Championship Race 2h
15.45 – 16.15 British F3 International Series Race 2 30’
16.45 - 17.10 Superstars Race 22’ + 1 lap
17.35 – 18.25 GT4 European Cup Race 3 50’
Other Events
FIA GT Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
British F3 International Series
Superstars







