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Christian Pescatori and Fabrizio De Simone dominated the N-GT class throughout. They crossed the line nearly 30 seconds ahead of a pair of battling Porsche 996 GT3-RSs. “It was a race without problems for us, so I'm very happy,” Christian Pescatori said afterwards. “I am happy for me, for Fabrizio, for the team, and for Pirelli. They all did a lot for this victory. This is a good circuit for Pirelli, particularly the new Pirelli tyres. I hope the situation will be similar in Donington!" In the GT class, the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 GTC of 1999 Champion Karl Wendlinger and his new team-mate, Jaime Melo of Brazil took an excellent second place. Championship leaders Gollin and Cappellari were third, despite carrying 100 kg of penalty weight, while their team-mates Bobbi and Gardel, lying second for most of the three-hour race, pulled out just laps from the end, an engine problem having caused their fuel consumption to soar. Fourth place went to the GPC Giesse Ferrari 575 GTC of Peter and Babini. Sixth went to the BMS Care Racing Ferrari of Livio/ Calderari/ Bryner, which had been a front-runner for much of the race but fell back due to throttle problems. Taking the final point for eighth was the JMB Racing Ferrari of Longin, Khan and Robert Lechner. The nr 19 JMB 575 GTC of Gosse/Kutemann started at the back of the grid after an engine change in practice and finished 5 laps down. In the GT drivers' title chase, Gollin and Cappellari still lead after five races, with Bobbi and Gardel joint third, nine points behind. Karl Wendlinger is fifth, with 21 points. In the Teams' Championship, BMS Scuderia Italia has pulled out a lead of 55 points ahead of GPC Giesse and JMB Racing, both on 26. In N-GT both GPC Giesse and their drivers are third in their respective championships. The next round of the Championship is at Donington Park on June 27th, giving British fans the chance to see and savour the sights and sounds of these machines live, rather than "on the dish". Last year, with temperatures high and the sun shining, the cars and drivers gave the 20,000 spectators a thrilling show, with a three-hour sequence of changes of lead, nose-to-tail battles, overtaking manoeuvres and assorted racing incidents. BMS Scuderia Italia finished 1&2, with Bobbi and Biagi taking the win. It will be fascinating see whether the tried and tested BMS 550Ms can stay ahead of the somewhat recalcitrant 575GTCs and beat the light and nimble Saleens and also whether the lone N-GT 360GTC can once again fend off the Teutonic hordes. BTW, still no sign of the Arnoux/Tambay 575, nor any Enzo Masers....
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The
winding and undulating Brno circuit, universally popular with the drivers,
hosted another exciting round of the FIA GT Championship on its 5.4 km
circuit. The fifth round of the 2004 season saw the second win for Germany’s
Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7 of Bartels and Alzen, while the Italian
GPC Giesse Squadra Corse claimed its first N-GT class win for Pescatori
and De Simone in the Ferrari 360 GTC. GPC have been threatening to win
all season and had dominated their classes in Hockenheim before being
struck by bad luck, so victory was all the more sweet.
