GDL Racing claims podium finish at Mugello
GDL Racing had another great day at Mugello last Saturday. The Tuscan track hosted the inaugural Dunlop 12 Hours of Italy, where the Gianluca De Lorenzi’s squad managed to claim the second and third place in the 997 class with the Porsches.
Marco Mapelli (who set the sixth time in the qualifying and started from the third row of the grid), Roberto Fecchio and Russian Pavel Karmanov completed 336 laps in the Porsche 997 Cup without major issues, taking the seventh overall place and finishing behind the winning car of Rufier Racing. The all-Austrialian crew Malcom Nial and Marc Pilatti, shared the other GDL Racing’s Porsche. They eventually ended third in the class and ninth overall, despite an excursion on the gravel in the step 2.
The other GDL Racing’s car – a V8 powered-Mercedes SLS GT3 – had a difficult race as it went also into the gravel in the step 1 on Friday afternoon, during the first three hours. A stone damaged the ABS system and the team decided to repair the car during the night, although it costed a 10-lap penalty. Hong Kong’s Nigel Farmer, Malaysian Lim Keong Liam and Singaporean Gerald Tan claimed the 22nd overall place.
Gianluca De Lorenzi’s team once more confirmed to be one of the front-runners of the 24HSeries endurance races. Its next appearence in 2014 will be in the VLN Championship as well as in the 12 Hours of Zandvoort in May. Full plans for the coming year will be announced soon.
