Photo: ACI Sport

Kevin Giacon wins hard fought race at Vallelunga as Nicola Baldan retakes points lead

Kevin Giacon won the first race of the weekend at Vallelunga in his Opel Astra TCR. The Gruppo Piloti Forlivesi driver came home ahead of Honda’s Davide Nardilli, with Nicola Baldan completing the podium in his Pit Lane Competizioni SEAT, taking the championship lead in the process.

At the start Baldan lost the lead in favour of Nardilli, with Giacon behind the pair. Max Mugelli was fourth in his Audi RS 3 LMS ahead of Audi team-mate Carlotta Fedeli, BF Motorsport’s Alessandro Thellung and MM Motorsport’s Eric Scalvini. The former championship leader tried a move on the inside on the SEAT driver at Campagnano, touching him and sending him into a spin. The Honda hit the SEAT as it spun, resulting in damage for the Rome-based driver and a 10-second penalty for the MM Motorsport driver.

After four laps, Giacon made a move on Baldan and made it stick, the SEAT driver slotting in behind him and following him for several laps. On lap nine the Pit Lane Competizioni driver tried a move on Giacon, but the Opel driver managed to retain his position and launched himself into the chase for race leader Nardilli.

On lap 12 Giacon made a move at the last corner, which involved some contact, and jumped into the lead. The Honda driver made use of the other Honda’s loss of momentum and jumped into second, only to lose the place two laps later.

Despite his early accident, Scalvini had made up ground and was up to fifth on track, but the penalty he received for his contact with Thellung pushed him back to ninth. Giacon won the race ahead of Nardilli and Baldan. Max Mugelli was fourth ahead of Alberto Viberti and Carlotta Fedeli.

Vincenzo Montalbano came home seventh after a race-long fight with Viberti, the BF Motorsport driver coming home ahead of Volkswagen’s Massimiliano Gagliano and Eric Scalvini. Alessandro Thellung completed the top ten one lap down on the leader as he was forced to pit after his first lap incident.

Baldan now leads the championship, 12 points ahead of Scalvini who will start from eleventh in tomorrow’s race, which is scheduled for 14:45 CET.