NEWS
ITALIAN GT ENDURANCE - VALLELUNGA RACE REPORT:
STADSBADER AND FABI OPEN ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH SECOND IN PRO-AM
Jun 16, 2024
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Italian GT Endurance, Round 1 – Vallelunga, Italy
Stadsbader and Fabi second in Pro-Am at Vallelunga opener
A record grid assembled at Vallelunga for the opening round of the Italian GT Endurance Championship. VSR fielded a Pro car, number 19, for the all-Italian crew of Riccardo Cazzaniga, Alberto Di Folco and Edoardo Liberati and two Pro-Am cars. The drivers of the 63 were Jacopo Guidetti, Baptiste Moulin and Stephane Tribaudini and in the 66 car were Alessandro Fabi and Gilles Stadsbader.
The grid for the three-hour race was set by the combined qualifying times and the 19 car lined up on row three. The 66 was fifth fastest in the Pro-Am class and the 63 seventh fastest. A clean start saw Cazzaniga lose a place to Nilsson as the Pro-Am VSR cars ran together in sixth and seventh with Stadsbader ahead of Tribaudini. By lap nine the GT3 cars were lapping the Cup cars and traffic became an issue. On lap thirteen Stadsbader gained a place, passing Deledda and three laps later the first of five pit windows opened. Tribaudini boxed first for Moulin and at the end of the window Cazzaniga pitted for Di Folco, followed by Stadsbader for Fabi. Di Folco was as quick as leader Leclerc in his stint and reeled in the battle for fifth, catching and passing Cassarà and Bracalente before a Full Course Yellow stopped his progress. The Full Course Yellow lasted throughout the second pit window when Liberati, Guidetti and Stadsbader took over the VSR cars. A Safety Car closed up the field but racing resumed for just one lap before it was called back on track. Racing got underway again with three minutes to go until the third pit window. Liberati pushed his nose alongside Denes BMW but couldn’t make the move stick and pitted for Cazzaniga from fourth place. Tribaudini took over the 63 car whilst Stadsbader remained on board the 66 for a double stint. Passing Ponzio he was the fastest Pro-Am on track. A quick spin for Cazzaniga demoted the 19 to sixth place and seven laps later he pitted in the fourth window for Di Folco as Moulin and Fabi took over the Pro-Am cars.
Another full course yellow, just before the final pit window, allowed the cars to stop in staggered formation. Fabi, running third in Pro-Am, was the first to pit giving the car to Stadsbader for the run to the flag. Liberati took over the Pro car and Guidetti jumped in the 63. The Full Course Yellow turned into a Safety Car and racing resumed with seventeen minutes left. Liberati lost twelve of those stuck behind a backmarker and took the flag in fifth place overall. Stadsbader held off Donno for second in Pro-Am and Guidetti passed Jelmini and Mac to finish just two seconds off the podium. All three VSR cars finished in the top ten.
The Italian GT Endurance continues in a month’s time with round two at Mugello.
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