Photo: Superstars Media

Kristoffersson takes championship lead after double win

By

Johan Kristoffersson won the second race at Imola and jumped into the lead of the Superstars Series thanks to a spectacular double win. The Swede was joined on the podium by Thomas Biagi and Andrea Boffo, who started from pole.

At the start the young Roma Racing Team driver retained the lead ahead of Gabellini, with Vitantonio Liuzzi in third at the first corner. Unfortunately the CAAL Racing driver had to pit to retire due to gearbox problems, allowing Francesco Sini and his Chevrolet Lumina to jump up to third.

Gianni Morbidelli made contact with Max Pigoli in an attempt to pass the Jaguar driver for ninth, an incident for which the Audi Sport Italia driver was later penalized. Morbidelli was able to pass Thomas Schoffler, Andrea Larini and Christian Fittipaldi to reach fifth before receiving a drive through penalty.

Meanwhile Sini retired, allowing Stefano Gabellini and Thomas Biagi to second and third respectively, the latter later passing his team mate. Kristoffersson continued his way up the field passing the BMW duo before reaching Boffo and overtaking him with nine minutes to go, taking the lead.

With just a handful of minutes to go Biagi passed Boffo as well. More drama was to come as smoke and oil started coming out of Kristoffersson’s Audi RS5, but the Swede managed to take his car to the finish line and win his second Superstars Series race in a row.

Kristoffersson won ahead of Biagi, Boffo, Fittipaldi and a consistent Schoffler, who rounded up the top five for Audi MTM Motorsport. Gabellini finished sixth ahead of Larini, Nico Caldarola, Mauro Cesari in the second Maserati Quattroporte and Sandro Bettini, who crossed the line in tenth.

After his amazing double win Kristoffersson jumps up to the lead with 53 points ahead of Thomas Biagi, who had a strong weekend at his home track finishing third and second. The BMW driver is two points shy of the lead and lies ahead of former championship leader Pigoli, who endured a difficult weekend at Monza and only collected three points. The Jaguar driver is joint third with Liuzzi and Larini, the trio 11 points behind the lead.

The Superstars Series resumes in a month, on May 20th, at Donington for the first non-Italian round of the championship.