CIV IMOLA: FIRST PRACTICE SESSIONS CONCLUDE, TOMORROW SEES BIANCHI ENTER THE HALL OF FAME Imola, 6th April 2012 the opening sessions of the second round of the 2012 Campionato Italiano Velocità took place today at the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” circuit of Imola. Over 130 riders, across seven categories, battled it out against the clock as they worked to refine their bikes ahead of Sunday’s races while also striving to secure a strong grid position. The Stock 600, Moto2 and Moto3 categories all make their Imolese debut this weekend as in 2006, when the CIV last visited this track, these classes were not yet part of the Italian championship. FIRST QUALIFYING RESULTS the provisional fastest time for the Superbikes was set by Matteo Baiocco (Ducati Team Barni) who stopped the clock on 1’49″748. His closest rivals, Gianluca Nannelli and Fabrizio Lai, also set impressive times with the former (riding the Ducati prepared by Team Grandi Corse) closing just five hundredths of a second from the leader while Lai, riding for Team Althea Racing by Echo, was only nine hundredths off Baiocco’s pace. The fourth Ducati in the first four belonged to Conforti who was followed by Clementi. After his win at Mugello, Riccardo Moretti, riding the Indian Mahindra machine, once again topped the 125 Gp timesheets with a fastest time of 2’02″948; behind him, Andrea Mantovani (Aprilia), and Tuscan rider Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Aprilia O.R. by 2B Corse-Zack M, who crashed in the final stages but was unhurt). Rome’s Mazzola and Frenchman Arciero completed the top five. Provisional pole in the Moto3 class went to young Andrea Locatelli, making his CIV debut on the Honda with the San Carlo Junior team (his best time was a 2’04″437). Second and third place went to his two team-mates, or rather Mugello’s race winner Matteo Ferrari, and Michael Coletti. Imperiali Racing’s duo, Santoro and Valtulini, closed in fourth and fifth place respectively. Another impressive result today for Riccardo Russo (Yamaha Team Italia FMI) who, after having taken the win in the European championship at Imola just one week ago, clocked today’s fastest time in the national Stock 600 category. His best, a 1’54″510, was a few tenths better than the times set by Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha RCGM Team) and Nicola J. Morrentino (Yamaha – Elle 2 Ciatti), who finished second and third ahead of Vitali and Cocco. Team Barni and Ducati secured both first and second in the Stock 1000 class. First place at the end of today’s session went to Simone Saltarelli who, thanks to a time of 1’51″619, put his 1198 in front of the 1199 Panigale ridden by his team-mate, Ivan Goi. Third and fourth for the protagonists of the opening Mugello round, Alessio Velini (BMW 2R Antonellini by Bargy) and Alessio Corradi, while Perotti closed fifth. In Supersport it was Roberto Tamburini (Honda) who set the fastest time in the final minutes (1’52″622) to finish ahead of Russian rider Vladimir Leonov (Yamaha Yakhninh MS), and Massimo Roccoli with the Yamaha of Team Bike Service WTR Ten 10. Dionisi, the current leader in the standings, was fourth, ahead of Gregorini. Danish rider Robbin Harms (Bimota by Edo Racing) recorded a 1’54″289 to assure himself of first place in the Moto2 category, in front of Bolognese rider Ferruccio Lamborghini (Team Quarantaquattro Racing) and reigning champion Alessandro Andreozzi (Andreozzi Reparto Corse). KEVIN CALIA: AN IMOLESE RIDER ON THE ATTACK IN MOTO3 there are four riders who are ready to fight for great results at their home circuit. Firstly, Imolese riders Gianluca Fontanelli and Andrea Poggi who are competing in the Superbike class, on the Hondas of Team Bierreti Racing, then Mattia Cassani (born in ’89, riding a Yamaha R6 in the Stock 600) and then there is Kevin Calia who, on board the Honda of Team Elle 2 Ciatti, will go all out to take a win in the Moto3 class. Having just missed out on the win at Mugello (where he closed second), the 17 year old will want to be a frontrunner at ‘his’ track and do all he can to move into the lead in the general standings. “Today we had a few small set-up problems which prevented me from setting the fastest time but we still have tomorrow in which to improve our position”, said Kevin, sixth at the end of today.”I would love to win at my home track and in front of a home crowd and so will do my best to take the best possible result.” WORLD-CLASS WILDCARDS the Supersport class boasts two impressive wildcard entries this weekend, in the form of Alessandro Gramigni and Massimo Roccoli. Tuscan rider Gramigni, world 125 champion in 1992, rode at his home track Mugello two weeks ago, finishing fifth. At Imola, a track where he has raced in both the national and world championships, he hopes to be a protagonist come race day. The same applies to former champion Massimo Roccoli who has taken three national Supersport titles over recent years. Both riders will want to battle it out with Dionisi, Cruciani and Tamburini, the frontrunners during the first round. HALL OF FAME: THIS WEEKEND IT’S THE TURN OF PIER PAOLO BIANCHI After Fabrizio Pirovano, awarded the prize during the opening round, this weekend will see Pier Paolo Bianchi enter the CIV Hall of Fame. Tomorrow afternoon, at 6pm, in the Pirelli CIVillage, the 60 year old rider from Rimini (the winner of three world 125 titles during his career) will be formally acknowledged as one of the ‘greats’ of the Italian championships, having taken three Italian titles between 1975 and 1980 on board a Morbidelli and then an MBA. The CIV staff will present him with an official certificate and celebrative painting on the stage, just before the Pole Position prize-giving. LIVE TV AND INTERNET COVERAGE On Sunday live coverage will began at 11.30am on Nuvolari (ch. 144 Sky and Digital Terrestrial) with the Stock 600 and Stock 1000 races while on Sportitalia 2 (ch. 226 Sky and Digital Terrestrial) the Superbike, 125 Gp/Moto3 and Supersport/Moto2 races will kick off from 1.50pm. The Mugello round will also have good coverage abroad thanks to Motors TV (coverage of the event across Europe) and with TenSports, Indian television that will broadcast the 125/Moto3 category. The racing is also broadcast on the Internet, in live streaming on the CIV website in collaboration with Sportube.tv. USEFUL INFO The second free practices begin tomorrow at 9.55am while official qualifying will start at 2.50pm, at the end of which the race grid will be established. Racing will get underway on Sunday morning, with the Stock 600 at 11.45, followed by the other categories. Tomorrow you can come and watch qualifying at a price of 10 euros for a field ticket that includes paddock entry (5 euros for FMI card-holders) while on Sunday tickets cost 15 euros (10 for concessions). A two-day ticket costs 20 euros (15 for concessions).