Photo: ACI Sport

Nicola Baldan takes dominant win at Vallelunga as Eric Scalvini retires

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Nicola Baldan won the second race of the weekend in his Pit Lane Competizioni SEAT. The Veneto-based driver came home ahead of Gruppo Piloti Forlivesi’s Kevin Giacon, with Audi’s Max Mugelli completing the podium just ahead of Fabrizio Giovanardi in the BF Motorsport SEAT.

At the start Baldan stayed ahead of the field ahead of Mugelli, Davide Nardilli and Giacon. Fabrizio Giovanardi had a bad getaway off the line and slipped down to tenth, but made up one place even before the first corner as Eric Scalvini made contact with Pit Lane Competizioni’s Carlotta Fedeli.

Giacon quickly made up ground to jump up to second as MM Motorsport’s Alberto Viberti went up to third, pushing Mugelli in a sandwich with Davide Nardilli behind him in the third MM Motorsport Honda Civic TCR. Giovanardi was behind the trio, making up ground despite an early crash with Massimiliano Gagliano, who had gone wide at Cimini and smashed his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR into the side of the SEAT, which bent the left rear wheel.

A brilliant move on Nardilli allowed Giovanardi up to fifth, immediately followed by Scalvini. The Honda driver had a left rear puncture, though, and spun at the last corner on lap 4, subsequently retiring due to the damage. Giovanardi pulled off another good move on Nardilli to take fifth, and chased Giacon and Mugelli who soon started to fight for second.

In the closing stages of the race Giacon, Mugelli and Giovanardi were all packed, but there was not enough time to see the battle fully unfold. Behind them, Nardilli and Viberti had an entertaining fight with BF Motorsport’s Giuseppe Montalbano, which resulted in the SEAT overtaking the Honda duo on lap 13, while Nardilli retired with three laps to go.

Baldan won the race ahead of Giacon and Mugelli, with Giovanardi fourth on his comeback after three years away from touring car racing. Team-mate Giuseppe Montalbano was fifth ahead of Honda’s Viberti and Volkswagen’s Gagliano.

Nicola Baldan now has a 32-point advantage over title rival Scalvini, with 44 still up for grabs. The title will go to the wire at Monza on October 22nd.