Welcome all to the magnificent Autodromo Nazionale Monza for todays running of the Italian GP, Round 3 of GPGSL Season 13Weather looks to be of no concern today for the duration of the race, so.... lets get underway.
The 22 drivers on the grid, ready to go...
Lights out, as the field head towards the chicance...
Italian home hero Matteo Scala with opportunities ahead if brave enough...
All looks under control on the approach to the Variante del Rettifilo for Lap 1...
The front of the field navigate the chicane first time around...
Through the Curva Grande on the run up to Variante della Roggia, and all drivers appear to be behaving...
Mid pack a bit spread out, but all still on the road...
The rear of the field safely going...
Down the back straight for the first time, Elleker in front whilst the pack behind jostle for position...
The back straight packed with the field...
Elleker heading into the Parabolica for the first time....
Paolo Silva on lap 2, heading to the 1st Lesmo...
Silva runs wide....
In the gravel, but escapes any damage. Deadset last...
2nd place Warrington locks a brake, loses momentum, which will give Vilela in 3rd ample opportunity to close...
Vilela is through to 2nd....
Hinz in 5th, with Warrington and Jalving just ahead....
Jalving all over the back of Warrington as they go through the Curva Grande...
Warrington yields to Jalving, as Hinz locks up behind them...
Warrington leading a train in the mid field, with 4th to 8th in close contact...
The two SCR's side by side into the Ascari chicane...
The cameraman cant quite zoom in quickly enough, but looks like both SCR's are off track...
Yep, both SCR's facing in directions they dont want to be...
Worseling down to 18th, whilst Gilson way back down the back...
Positions 6th to 9th, right in battle together...
Positions 1-8 on Lap 4....
Positions 9-16....
Positions 17-22...
Scala and Hinz off track after brake lock ups...
Whilst all the Scala/Hinz drama unfolded, back in the pack, it was trouble for defending series champ, De Bruyker...
The Belgian cant slow down enough, slams into the wall...race over.
Back to the front of the pack, it is Hinz leading a huge pack of cars after the debacle back at the chicane, where the field bunched up as a result of a bit of a melee...
It is O'Neill in 11th locking a brake...
He is off track, sideways....
O'Neill is facing the wrong way with the chasing pack in his face...
But, in a crazy miracle, Sakata in the Christel somehow punts the Alpha driver to face the right way, and it is game on again...
So, with all the craziness of the opening laps, ALL positions shown to allow a quick update on the current standings...
The pack head towards Ascari, closely bunched up....
Then down the back straight as Warrington sets the fastest lap...
Heading into the tight chicane, TNR driver Aidan Keranen locks up, right behind Worseling, who also locks...
Keranen saves himself, but the MMM of Soutsen may be the innocent victim here...
Soutsen lost control through contact, and is turned around in a spin...
Meanwhile up front, Jalving ran slightly wide, allowing Warrington to slide past into 3rd....
Elleker leads after 6 chaotic laps behind him, with a healthy gap back to 2nd...
Lap 7, and a SCR going into Ascari 2 wide again....
It is Gilson this time with Nico Beggani, and he is up on 2 wheels!!
Beggani is facing backwards in mid corner, against the wall, with Gilson in the gravel trap to the left...
Gilson manages to re-join the track, but is a distant 21st and last....
A DMR sandwich, with Warrington the meat in the middle...
Positions 9-16....
Positions 17-last...
Rookie Buitenhuis is starring in the TNR, driving the wheels off, as he sits right on the tail of Matteo Scala...
The TNR is ahead of Scala on the approach to the chicane....
Buitenhuis up to 5th!
Meanwhile, the other TNR of Keranen has just ground to a halt, with transmission failure. Day over for Keranen....
So, after an action packed start to this race, we take our first ad break.... back once we line the GPGSL bank accounts with $$$ from all our sponsors....
Race Director: Ernie B. Ecclescake
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