Photo: ACI Sport

Nicola Baldan wins eventful first race at Monza

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Nicola Baldan took his second win of the year in his Pit Lane Competizioni SEAT León TCR in a dramatic first race of the weekend at Monza. Plamen Kralev came second in his Audi RS 3 LMS, as a penalty for Pit Lane Competizioni’s Max Mugelli meant Massimiliano Gagliano completed the podium in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.

Pole sitter Kevin Giacon took the lead at the start in his Opel Astra TCR, with Eric Scalvini jumping up to second from fifth on the grid. However, a contact at the first corner triggered a drive through penalty awarded to the Honda driver, which he took on the third lap, leaving his place to championship rival Nicola Baldan. Kralev was then third in his Audi, with Max Mugelli behind him, as SEAT’s Giuseppe Montalbano was awarded a drive through penalty for a jump start.

The Pit Lane Competizioni driver was defending his third place hard, so much he made contact with TCR Germany regular Simon Reicher at the first corner, which meant he got a 10-seconds penalty for the incident. Giacon was in the lead, but Baldan gradually started to get closer to the Opel driver. Kralev sat third, while a close battle for fourth involved Mugelli, Gagliano, Reicher and BF Racing’s Alessandro Thellung, who had made contact with Honda’s Gian Maria Gabbiani on the fourth lap.

The latter contact meant the SEAT driver was also given a drive through penalty on lap eight. As Baldan closed in on Giacon more and more, the Opel’s front left tyre blew up in spectacular fashion, leaving the car stranded at the first chicane and handing Baldan the lead.

More drama came as BF Racing team-mates Thellung and Montalbano, who were both given drive through penalties, fought for ninth on the last lap. The former cut the first chicane in the process, receiving a five-second penalty after the race. An engine problem for Montalbano meant it was not enough to finish ahead of his team-mate.

Baldan won the race comfortably ahead of Kralev and Gagliano, with Reicher in fourth. Scalvini recovered to fifth, also courtesy of Mugelli’s penalty, the Tuscany-based driver classified in sixth ahead of South Italy Racing’s Andrea Argenti. Daniele Cappellari took his CRC SEAT to eighth ahead of Thellung and Montalbano.

The second race of the weekend is scheduled for tomorrow at 16:25.