On 23rd and 24th July, the Misano World Circuit hosted the third round of the Italian “Challenge Formule Storiche” organised by Tommaso Gelmini’s GPS Classic, which saw the success of Pierre Tonetti of AB Motorsport team in his Brabham BT6 in both the races. In race one in front of Bruno Ferrari and Paolo Marzatico both in a Branca Formula Junior, in the second one, the second and third place went respectively to Marzatico and to a combative Francesco Zadotti, in his Tecno F3 “passo corto”, reliable at last.
A hot sunny day greeted race one, but race two took place just after a storm, and therefore on a wet track.
Tonetti's supremacy had already begun during the free practice on Friday, when he preceded Ferrari by of 1"04 and Marzatico by 2" and half; Tommaso Gelmini was fourth in a beautiful Brabham BT2, before the "flying woman" Patrizia Sbardolini in her Merlyn. Sixth and first of the Formula 3 was the Roman Francesco Zadotti.
However the weekend didn’t start well for Tonetti, in fact he finished the free practice on Friday with a broken engine. At the end he said "I have to thank Tommaso Gelmini for being able to take part in the races, since he lent me the engine of his Branca. Then I have to thank my mechanic David Donato and my Engineer Mr. Ermolli. Mounting at the last moment an engine which wasn’t mine, but being able to repeat the already good results of the practice, lower than 3" compared to the ones of last year, and being able to win, has also cleared all the doubts in those who thought I had a particular engine."
Because of unsolvable engine problems, Francesco Liberatore in his Dolphin and the German Wolf Zweifler in a Cooper T 59 couldn’t start.
In race one, we have to underline the withdrawal of Gelmini, at the third bend of lap one, due to a gearbox problem, not solved in race two; the good fight in the middle of the group between Zadotti and Angelo Delea in the Brabham BT16 and the debut of the Belgian driver Mauro Poponcini in the races in Italy, who, after gaining confidence with the circuit, got better and better.
On the next day with the wet track, Paolo Marzatico and Angelo Delea started from the pits. Marzatico, taking significant risks, obtained a second place at the end which was like a victory. Very nice his head to head with Zadotti that, thanks to his experience did not give in easily his second place. Patrizia Sbardolini engaged with Delea and Buratti (Chevron F3) a series of duels that excited the most attentive audience. Unfortunately Ferrari paid the price for the wet, as at the exit of the last bend of lap two, he turned and slammed the front of his car breaking a rim, thus ending his race.
Authors of a great second race were Tazio Taraschi and Mauro Poponcini.
The first in a front engine car ended fourth at the end, before the rear engine cars, the second fifth, showing a great ability in driving on the wet. The general rankings of the Challenge Formule Storiche remains open: that is, both Buratti and Taraschi could pass Tonetti, who has already won the Junior Cup, awarded to those who have scored more points in the European and Italian races.
The next and final event in Imola is on 8th and 9th October.ANGELO SENECI