ANCONA – Andrea Buratti from Ancona won the victory in the first round of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship, held last weekend at the Vallelunga racetrack, just outside Rome. The championship, organized by ACI Sport, represents the maximum expression of Italian motor racing and is contested over four races lasting three hours each, with crews made up of two or three drivers. For the occasion, Buratti raced together with the Dutch Sandra Van Der Sloot at the wheel of the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup of the EF Racing Team of Jesi, one of the most prestigious teams on the international scene.
At the start of the first test of the season, 35 crews took to the track at the wheel of the most prestigious Gran Turismo cars, including Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Aston Martin, BMW, Audi and Honda. Also present in Vallelunga were internationally renowned competitors such as the former Formula 1 player, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of Charles, Ferrari Formula 1 driver who, at the wheel of the 296 GT3 from the Maranello company, won the overall classification. In the GT Cup category, Buratti ran an impeccable race, always driven in the very top positions, thanks also to a car well prepared by the technicians of the Jesi team headed by Enrico Fulgenzi, a great specialist in GT races and who has always been linked to the Porsche brand.
«I am really happy with this victory – the Dorian driver commented at the end of the race on the podium – considering that I have only been involved in car racing for a couple of years. In the crew with Sandra I felt very comfortable, we made five changes during the race and we always kept a very fast pace. I want to thank my co-equiper, the whole team and, above all, Enrico Fulgenzi, who is also my coach, and who led me to debut in this championship. If these are the premises, I am sure that the results will also come in the next races.” And speaking of the calendar, there will still be three races to be held on the prestigious circuits of Mugello (14 July), Imola (8 September) and Monza (27 October), events which will still see the Doric driver busy, determined more than ever to conquer the Italian category title.
