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Nations Cup race
Nations Cup VIII - Italy wins from Brazil and Germany... 19.10.97 Giovanni Montanari and Giovanni Anapoli (Vergani Racing) took their country’s first Nations Cup victory with a superb performance at Donington Park’s Valvoline Nations ...
Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM
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Nations Cup VIII - Italy wins from Brazil and Germany... 19.10.97
Giovanni Montanari and Giovanni Anapoli (Vergani Racing) took their country’s first Nations Cup victory with a superb performance at Donington Park’s Valvoline Nations Cup VIII today. The event, billed as the Olympic Games of Motorsport, was held in unpredictable weather as throughout the day fog slowly descended upon the circuit causing the second race to be stopped short.
Both races saw the Brazilian Wagner Ebrahim (Peter Thompson Motorsport) storm away into the lead from the start and never headed. But the Nations Cup, the only 2-car per team event in motorsport, is all about team-work so it was the Italian’s second and third places in the first race and third and fifth in the second that set them up for the longed-for gold medals. Ebrahim’s partner, 1997 Formula Opel EU Series winner Marcelo Battistuzzi (Vergani Racing), was unable to improve on his 7th place grid position in both races, but that was enough to give them the silver medals.
Great Britain’s hopes were dashed even before the end of the first lap of the first race as Adam Wilcox (Wilcox Motorsport) coming into the Esses for the first time, found Italian Andrea Bertocchi (Tecton Racing) barrelling into the side of him after locking a front wheel, forcing both into instant retirement. This left Stuart Moseley as the sole British representative in that race finishing eighth to uphold British honours, effectively ruling out any chance of finishing higher than seventh.
Two fourth places for Germany’s Jorg Bergmeister (FPC Motorsport) with team-mate Marko Stipp (Goral Motorsport) 14th and 17th in each race was enough to give them the bronze medals, the pairing unable to repeat the performance of their nation’s gold-medal winning performance of last year.
Justin Wilson and Warren Carway (Diamond Racing) just missed out on clinching third place for the European Union team, by two points, after Warren spun off the track while the pair were collectively third in the final points standings. Austria too just missed out as Walter Thimmler (Thimmler Motorsport) claiming 5th and 6th places just needed team-mate Hubert Stromberger (Penker Racing Academy) to finish well to clinch the bronze medals until the unfortunate Stromberger was taken out in the second race and forced to retire, pushing the Austrian team down to sixth.
Finishing fifth were the American pairing of Buddy Rice and Matt Sielsky (John Village Automotive) both held a strong mid-field position in the two races to finish just behind the European Union. Check information at: www.proaction.co.uk/proaction/press/
Formula Opel Valvoline Nations Cup VIII
Pos. Country/Drivers Heat 1 Heat 2 Total
Gold Italy Giovanni Montanari 2 3 Giovanni Anapoli 3 5 13
Silver Brazil Wagner Ebrahim 1 1 Marcelo Battistuzzi 7 7 16
Bronze Germany Jorg Bergmeister 4 4 Marko Stipp 14 17 39
4 European Union Justin Wilson 6 2 Warren Carway 15 18 41
5 U.S.A. Matt Sielsky 10 10 Ruddy Rice 16 9 45
6 Austria Walter Thimmler 5 6 Hubert Stromberger 11 25 47
7 Great Britain Stuart Moseley 8 14 Adam Wilcox 24 13 59
8 Ireland Vivion Daly 12 11 Mark Kershaw 18 21 62
9 Netherlands Sandor van Es 13 12 Sepp Koster 23 16 64
10 United Nations Andrea Piccini 9 8 Antony Pertocchi 25 24 66
11 Nordic Countries Andreas Bostrum 20 15 Hannu Viinikainen 22 22 79
12 South America Fabricio Masullo 19 19 Luciano Zangirolami 21 26 85
13 Australia Stephen White 17 23 Ian Agnew 26 20 86
For information: ProAction Tel: +44 1480 494060
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