The rider from Lamezia will be joined by the Campania champion throttlman Diego Testa
Now it’s official, the multiple Italian racing and karting champion Claudio Gullo will return to powerboat racing after 8 seasons of absence.
The “protege” of Pippo and Nuccio Caffo, official testimonial of the global motorsport brand Vecchio Amaro del Capo, will be at the start of the Italian Touring Cup Championship organized by the FIM powerboating and at the end of October will also take part in the European Pleisure 150 UIM Championship.
The ace from the Piana di Lamezia Terme, in agreement with the Caffo 1915 group, has decided to try the sporting adventure of speed on water again after 8 seasons of absence, seasons in which Gullo was present in various motor racing categories and national karting, winning various Italian titles and a National Bronze medal for Athletic Valor awarded to him by the Italian National Olympic Committee.
The forced stop from powerboating occurred after the osy 400 World Championship held in Tallinn, Estonia in 2016.
After being the first Calabrian in history to score points in the hydro GP (9th place on his debut which earned him a Sports Merit plaque from CONI), during the warm up the rider from Lamezia ran into a dangerous loop in the air which resulted in a burst vertebra and various fractures.
Since then, due to health problems, he had never touched a racing boat again, then thanks to a few laps on a normal boat at sea and a few laps on a jet ski… the spark was rekindled and the challenge started again.
The multi-tiler from Lamezia Terme, reigning double Italian champion in Karting (13 total national titles on his sporting palmares in various classes and disciplines) will compete in the Italian and European championship at the wheel of a 7.5 meter mercury powered Hull Chaudron 25 s, and he will be joined by the multi-time Italian/European and World champion Diego Testa from Naples.
Testa will be the Throttlman (the one who is at the paddles of the hull) and will represent the rowing club of Naples while Claudio Gullo will be the only Calabrian at the start in powerboating and will represent Calabria through the D&D jet ski sports association of Vibo (of President Filippo D’agnolo) with which he is registered with the National FIM, will therefore be a crew from the south, Calabria/Campania that will try to stand out in the Italian and European context.
The sporting partners are also Calabrian/Campanian, in fact Testa has been the testimonial of the well-known Sorbino clothing company for years while Gullo will officially pilot the hull for the Caffo 1915 Team of Limbadi, the chaudron 25s will take the name of Vecchio Amaro del Capo/Sorbino and will be launched by the Neapolitan Sorbino Offshore 24 Team.
The news of his participation in powerboat racing was also taken very well by the FIM President, the lawyer. Vincenzo Iaconianni, and the Regional Delegate Mimmo Imperiale, the 2 federal number ones (in their roles) immediately made themselves available for the issuing of the license and for various advice.
The first race will take place near Grado in Friuli Venezia Giulia and will be the 1st Grand Prix of Aquileia Grado which will take place on 10/11/12 May, by next Tuesday (as soon as the weather conditions are favourable) the Calabrian will make his debut with the new vehicle and Team on the Gulf of Naples for a day of testing.
“Finally, after 8 seasons spent in many different categories, I will be able to race on the water again, this time it won’t be inshore but it will be a mix of races in the open sea and on rivers (the European Championship will take place on Lake Como in October) . I am happy with this new adventure as I always like to challenge myself in new categories and specialties, I don’t like always racing in the same category, I hope to do well and learn a lot thanks to the advice of the champion Testa who will also be my coach in this new adventure. Pippo and Nuccio Caffo immediately supported me, we will try to bring some good placings to Calabria while always keeping our feet firmly on the ground, being the only Calabrian at the start in powerboating stimulates me even more to do well. Bringing my Region and my country together with that of my sporting partner in areas where other Calabrians do not compete is a great personal satisfaction and I think it is also for our fan friends.”
