The V8 Racing Corvette of Miguel Ramos and Nicky Pastorelli took a brilliant first seasonal win today in Race 1 at Portimão, and one that tasted as a home win for Ramos. The pair switched to the 7-liter version of the C6 for this race and the choice revealed to be the right one. Luca Filippi-Andrea Montermini, who led in the first stint, finished second on the Villorba Ferrari after serving a long handicap (30″) but took leadership in the points standings.

Third was local pair César Campaniço-Carlos Vieira on the Audi R8 of Lusitanian outfit Novadriver, who took also the overall win in GTS (but scores points only for the Spanish GT) ahead of the Esta Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi – Alexey Basov and the Seyffarth Mercedes of Seyffarth-Toril. Dimitri Deverikos (in GTS) and Aleksander Talkanitsa sr (in SuperGT) took the honours in the Gentlemen’s Trophy.

At the start, Talkanitsa jr pips poleman Filippi and keeps the lead for a couple of corners. Campaniço is third ahead of Ramos, Pier Guidi, Zampieri and Sijthoff but in the hairpin behind the straight Seefried, with a brakes problem, strikes into Castellacci and Bontempelli, prompting the safety car in, while Ladygin runs on debris and has to pit. The race had started without the Drivex Porsche (broken suspension in formation lap) and the AF Corse of Cameron, mechanical trouble in Q2.

At the restart, it’s again Filippi ahead of Talkanitsa, Campaniço, Ramos, Pier Guidi, Zampieri and Sijthoff, while there is big battle for 8th, with Razia being passed by Deverikos, Beretta and Rosell. Lap 7 sees again the safety-car to allow t remove from the track the stranded Mosler of Unzurrunzaga. The battle heats up in lap 15 when Beretta attempts to pass Sijthoff at the end of the straight spinning in the middle of the group and being forced to the pits.

Ramos opens the pit stops, after which Pastorelli is in the lead with 20 seconds over Basov, Talkanitsa, Montermini (who takes third in lap 23) and Vieira, all within 5 seconds, then Tutumlu, van der Drift, Laursen (who goes off-track in lap 26), Sijthoff and Barba.

The last laps see the Novadriver Audi climbing to third behind Ramos and Montermini, then Basov, Talkanitsa, Seyffarth, Tutumlu and Barba, while there are penalties for van der Drift, Camp and Sijthoff for pit stop infringements.

Source : International GT Open