September 15, 2023: The second leg of the Youngtimer Cup confirms the unbeatability of Marcos Mantis. In Vallelunga, Panini and Pergreffi rule, leaving very little room to their opponents.
In the two qualifying rounds, Modena natives Panini and Pergreffi, on the Marcos Mantis of the Biella Circle, take the pole positions of their respective rounds.
While Mantis and its drivers are unreachable even in Vallelunga, the situation behind the British GT is very balanced. In the first round of qualifying is Arturo Pucciarelli (1’49″413) that earns the front row, while in the second round, behind Andrea Pergreffi is the BMW E36 driven by Eugenio Mosca (companion Roberto Olivo – DC Racing).
In Race 1, after a few meters, Panini is already out of reach for Pucciarelli (Alfa Romeo 156 E1 FIA – Sesa Racing), Giovanni Buganza (Alfa Romeo 156 Super Turismo FIA – Team Xmotor), Roberto Olivo, Armando De Vuono (BMW M3 E36 NS) and Domenico Gaudenzi (Alfa Romeo 156 E1 FIA).
In the fight for the podium, Pucciarelli and Buganza stay very close until mid-race when, due to a transmission problem, Pucciarelli is forced to leave the place of honor to Buganza.
Following the stop of Pucciarelli, the challenge between Sergio Borsini (Alfa Romeo 147 – Sesa Racing) and Olivo turns into a fight for the podium, with Borsini putting pressure on Olivo. At the Tornantino, Olivo is too fast at the exit, causing his BMW to oversteer and to spin in the attempt to control it, fortunately ending in the escape route, a few centimeters from the guard rail.
Unfortunately for Borsini, the podium fades just as the pilot of the 147 approaches the checkered flag. During the final stages, his orange 147 stops for a technical problem and Olivo regains the podium, after recovering from his previous mistake.
In the last kilometers of the race, Gaudenzi has a problem as well, in this case to the diesel fuel-injection system, but manages to finish the race. Because of that issue though, he must forfeit Race 2.
Panini gets on the highest step of the podium for the third time in the season, after the double victory of Mugello, and is joined by Buganza and Olivo.
Even in Race 2 the script for the win does not change, with the white Mantis, this time with Pergreffi at the wheel, going to a pace unthinkable for anyone.
Behind the leader stands with authority the journalist-driver Mosca, who precedes Orlandini, protagonist of a tremendous start.
In order to pass Orlandini, Pucciarelli and Buganza use every of their resources and,
after the lively start, Orlandini himself is forced to retire due to a technical issue and the fifth position is inherited by Borsini, who has managed to reset his 147 GTA after the stop of race-1.
The winner Pergreffi, as well as Panini did in race-1, also scores the best lap, with a 1’47″378.
On the podium, together with the Mantis, go a BMW (Mosca) and an Alfa Romeo (Pucciarelli).
The Youngtimers will be back in the tussle on October 21-22 for the third race of the season. Host of the race will be another beautiful track, the Marco Simoncelli circuit of Misano, during the Italian Speed Festival.
