Imperiale Racing closes its Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint campaign at Monza

02.10.2024 – It will be at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza that Imperiale Racing will close out its Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint commitment this weekend by fielding two Lamborghini Huracàn GT3 EVO2 cars.

The #85 Lamborghini will be in the hands of Phillippe Denes (USA) and Jack Bartholomew (UK), who are still in the running for overall victory, while the #54 car will see a change of driver: alongside Giuseppe Fascicolo (IT) will be 24-year-old Alessandro Tarabini (IT), who will be back at the wheel of a Lamborghini one year after his last appearance at Monza, in the Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint. In his career, Tarabini boasts a sixth place finish in the Clio Cup Italia 2020 and experience in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe 2022. They will race in the AM class.

Denes and Bartholomew still have a chance to win the tricolour championship. The Anglo-Saxon crew is 35 points behind the leader of the standings, a disadvantage that could be reduced to 31 lengths considering the discards: this race weekend will award good 44 points. Together they have shown great speed in all the first six races of the season, but a penalty on the opening weekend at Misano forced them to forfeit what would have been their first podium of the season, while at Imola a post-race disqualification deprived them of victory. The two won race two at Imola, while at Mugello two good comebacks had allowed them to finish seventh and eighth.

After the resurfacing works, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza has some changes in the Prima Variante, characterised by a wider tarmac, and in the Parabolica, which is more inclined to favour cornering speed. One of the fastest racetracks in the world, the Temple of Speed hosts the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix and is characterised by the strong braking of Prima Variante, Variante della Roggia, Variante Ascari and Parabolica. The long Curva Grande and the two Lesmo turns force drivers to drive smoothly, which is essential to ensure plenty of speed on the long straights.

Elena Pignatti (Team Owner):
‘We are looking forward to Monza for this last round of the Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint. We will do our very best to ensure every chance of success for Denes and Bartholomew, even though it will not be easy for them to make up the 31 points that separate them from the championship victory. The last word is never said, nevertheless, and we will fight until the chequered flag! We are also very happy to welcome to the team Alessandro Tarabini, a young driver from Monza who has chosen Imperiale Racing to return to his home track. We are sure that he will be able to prove his worth together with Giuseppe Fascicolo!’.

Weekend programme
Friday 23 August > Free Practice 10:30; Free Practice 15:20
Saturday 24 August > Qualifying 10:10; Qualifying 10:30; Race one 15:50
Sunday 25 August > Race Two 14:20

Where to follow the race
ACI Sport TV (Channel 228 SKY)
facebook.com/cigranturismo
www.acisport.it/CIGT
www.motorsport.tv
facebook.com/imperialeracingofficial
facebook.com/acisporttv

Drivers’ classification Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo Sprint | Round 3 of 4
1. Delli Guanti-Mazzola pti. 73
2. Kligmann pti. 72
3. Michelotto-Stadsbader pti. 58
4. Hesse pti. 57
5. Cazzaniga pti. 48
6. Denes-Bartholomew pti. 38

Calendar Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship 2024
3-5 May > Misano
31 May-2 June > Imola
23-25 August > Mugello
4-6 October > Monza