FERRARI WINS ALSO IN CIV: MATTEO SNATCHES VICTORY IN TODAY’S MOTO3 RACE AT MUGELLO Scarperia, 25th March 2012 the first round of the Campionato Italiano Velocità concluded today at the Mugello circuit. Five great races, spanning seven categories, made up the first event of the 2012 season, with over 130 riders taking part. Today also saw the first ever Moto3 race which has now become a fully fledged category, after having debuted last year as the Challenge class. MOTO3: FERRARI TAKES THE FIRST WIN The first ever Moto3 race of the Italian championship was won by Matteo Ferrari. Riding for Honda San Carlo Junior, the 14 year old made the most of the solid set-up that his team had found during practice, and rode impressively especially in the final stages. Having battled it out with the other strong contenders, Kevin Calia and Andrea Locatelli, Ferrari was able to break away from the pair and cross the line seven tenths of a second ahead of them. Matteo certainly demonstrated his strength, and will surely be among the top riders during the next rounds. “I really had fun”, said the winner. “I thought I wouldn’t make it because they stuck right with me for the whole race, but I was able to get away in the final laps and win the first race. Thanks to my whole team for giving me such a perfect bike.” In second place, and thanks to a final push towards the finish line, was Calia who also shone in practice. The Honda rider (Team Elle 2 Ciatti) was the favourite to win, but didn’t manage it today. Behind him Locatelli who, having won the Trofeo Moriwaki, has proved he can run at the front in CIV too. STOCK 600: DOUBLE SUCCESS FOR TEAM ITALIA Team Italia FMI was the protagonist of the first Stock 600 race of the 2012 season. Riccardo Russo soon passed Sabatino and pushed hard to build a gap between himself and his rivals and manage the race effectively. It was mission accomplished for the young talent (who also won the first race of 2011 at Misano), and his comfortable win today means he will be the man to beat for the rest of the season. Crossing the line behind him was his team-mate Luca Vitali who, having made a bad start followed by a great recovery, was able to reach second place but could not fight for the win due to tyre wear. The surprise of the weekend came in the shape of Yuri Menchetti (Yamaha) who closed third. Menchetti, who hails from Barberino di Mugello itself, made the most of this ‘home’ advantage and took his first CIV podium, a fitting end to a weekend in which he was consistently among the frontrunners. STOCK 1000: CORRADI RETURNS TO VICTORY Alessio Corradi, who had already demonstrated ‘an extra gear’ during practice, was able to put the icing on the cake by winning the season’s opening race today. Making a strong start from pole, the rider, from Langhirano (Aprilia Team Nuova M2) quickly broke away from the pack by making a series of very fast laps. The only one to make a strong recovery and get close to him was Alessio Velini (BMW 2R Antonellini by Bargy) but even he was unable to close the 0.5 second gap that would have allowed him to fight with Corradi to the finish line. It was nevertheless a strong performance by Velini, who was followed across the line by Ivan Goi. The former Italian Stock 1000 champion rode the debuting Ducati 1199 Panigale to its first podium finish of the championship, and proved that he already has great feeling with the bike, prepared by Team Barni. SUPERBIKE: BAIOCCO IN A PHOTOFINISH the result of the Superbike race seemed a certain thing and it looked as if Matteo Baiocco would cross the line first for a comfortable win, but Gianluca Nannelli (Team Grandi Corse) shook things up by making a fantastic final lap. As he started the final lap he was two seconds behind Baiocco, but the Tuscan rider rode the final section of the track with the bit between his teeth, reaching the champion at the final corner. In the end it was Baiocco, riding the Ducati for Team Barni, to take the first win of the season. Matteo made the most of his and his Ducati 1198’s potential and again proved that he is at the top of his game. Nannelli nevertheless sent a strong message to Baiocco who will not be able to rest on his laurels this year. In third place was Fabrizio Lai. The Milanese rider, riding for Althea Racing by Echo, soon got away from Conforti who was still getting to grips with the Pirelli tyres (the Team Barni rider closed in fourth position) but was unable to keep pace with the leading pair due to severe pain in his arm. 125 GP: MORETTI GOES IT ALONE As predicted, the first win of the 125 Gp race of the season was an ‘Indian’ one. Taking the win, former Italian champion Riccardo Moretti, who rode a solitary race from start to finish. The Moretti-Mahindra pairing reigned supreme, leaving no room for its rivals and demonstrating that it will be the team to beat this season. A long run completed with times around 2m01 allowed Moretti to build up a good sixteen second advantage over the course of thirteen laps, clear proof of the quality of the Indian project. Behind him were two promising youngsters, in the form of Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Andrea Mantovani. The two battled it out right down to the line but it was the former who crossed the line first. The 14 year old Tuscan rider, riding the Aprilia with Team O.R. By 2B Corse Zack M closed just ahead of Mantovani (Aprilia), who did all he could to fight for second but had to be satisfied with an eventual third place finish. SUPERSPORT: DIONISI PROVES HIMSELF It started just as 200 had finished. Ilario Dionisi made the first race of the season his own, making fourteen perfect laps to comfortably win today’s race on board the Honda of team Scuderia Improve. Having made a strong start, the 28 year old found a rhythm that none of his rivals could match, managing his race well and keeping fairly calm, as he himself explained post-race. Behind the current champion (and clear favourite for the title again this season), was Stefano Cruciani. Riding the Kawasaki with Team Puccetti, he maintained that tyre wear prevented him from sticking with Dionisi but he did well to defend himself from another of last season’s main players, a certain Roberto Tamburini (Honda). The pair went head to head but it was Cruciani to cross the line first, just four hundredths of a second ahead of Tamburini. Both riders look likely to be key rivals as far as Dionisi is concerned. MOTO2: THE CHAMPION TAKES IT the first Moto2 race of the season went to current champion Alessandro Andreozzi. The young rider, riding for the team of the same name, battled with the second group of Supersport riders throughout the 14-lap race and in the end was able to cross the line just over a second ahead of his closest rival, Ferruccio Lamborghini (Quarantaquattro Racing). Third place went to Danish rider Robbin Harms, who rode his Bimota, prepared by team Edo Racing, to its first podium of 2012. More, from a press release issued by Speed Master: GREAT START IN THE ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SPEED MASTER RIDERS The first race of the Italian Championship was held today at the circuit of Mugello. In the Moto3 class, the riders from Honda San Carlo Junior Team, in cooperation with Speed Master, were among the protagonists of the day. From the beginning, Locatelli was one of the candidates for the podium, as he fought for the first positions. The young promise of the Italian scene lost the second position on the finishing line, and therefore he leaves Mugello with the third spot, determined by the photofinish. Also Coletti brought some satisfactions to the team: after a mistake on the first lap, the Italian was in last-but-one position. Thanks to an outstanding comeback, he managed to move up and finish the race sixth, showing his grit on the track. Pedro Rodríguez, who will be in the Spanish Championship in the Moto3 class with Speed Master team, took part in the Mugello round as wild card. The Spaniard had the chance to ride on the Italian circuit and to put together many kilometers on top of his Honda. Pedro took the opportunity to get ready for the race of the CEV in Jerez de la Frontera, which takes place next week, and to meet the crew that will follow him during 2012 season.