27th November 2009
Profiles
of visiting drivers in international
Superstars Series at Kyalami
(All are Italian unless
otherwise identified)
Gianni Morbidelli,
41, heads the foreign entry in a ROAL
Motorsport BMW M3. He wrapped up his
third successive Superstars Series
championship with his sixth win of the
year at the penultimate round in Monza,
Italy, in October. He was an F1 driver
for Minardi, Ferrari, Footwork and
Sauber between 1990 and 1997.
Pierluigi Martini,
48, will be seen at the wheel of a
Zakspeed Team Chrysler 300C SRT-8. He
is a former European Formula 3 champion
(in 1983 in a Ralt), drove for the
Toleman, Minardi and BMS Dallara F1
teams (1984 to 1995) and won the Le Mans
24 Hours in a BMW V12 LMR in 1999. He
has three Superstars wins to his credit
this season and is fifth in the
championship.
Andrea Chiesa,
45, who drove for the Fondmetal F1 team
in 1992, is in a Swiss Team Maserati
Quattroporte and is 14th in
the current championship standings.
Kristian Ghedina,
40, who drives a BMW 550i for the
Movisport Team, is a former Olympic
skier. He has raced in Formula 3000,
Italian Super Touring Cars and Porsche
Super Cup and was runner-up in the 2008
Superstars Series. He is currently
sixth in the championship with one race
win.
Max Pigoli,
51, will be at the wheel of his own
team’s Mercedes C63 AMG. He has two
wins under his belt so far this season
and is currently third in the
championship. He was the 2006
Superstars Series champion in a Jaguar
S-Type R and is a former Italian GT
champion (in 2004) and Super Touring
champion (1997).
Roberto Papini,
44, will make his Kyalami debut in a
CAAL Racing BMW M5. He is a veteran of
eight years in the Ferrari Challenge
Pirelli Trophy with a best result of
fifth in a Ferrari F355. He is in his
third year of Superstars and is
currently fourth in the championship.
Mauro Cesari,
40, is a former 100 Miglia di Magione
winner in a Seat Leon, Alfa 33 Trophy
winner and Fiat Barchetta Trophy
winner. He is in his first year of
Superstars and is currently 7th
in a CAAL Racing BMW 550i.
Sandro Bettini,
36, is a former Alfa 33 Trophy winner in
2007 and 2008 and is in his first season
of Superstars. He drives a CAAL Racing
BMW M5.
Fabrizio Armetta,
37, will drive a Motorzone Race Car
Chevrolet Lumina CR8 in his first
appearance at Kyalami. He was second in
Superstars in 2005 in a BMW M5 and has
previously competed in Formula Ford,
Formula 3, International GT and Italian
GT racing in a Lamborghini Gallardo.
Francesco Ascani,
55, is team-mate to Morbidelli in a ROAL
Motorsport BMW M3. He has competed in
every year of Superstars, finishing
first in 2004, fourth in 2005 and
seventh in 2008. He is currently eighth
in this year’s championship.
Fabrizio Gini,
35, will drive a TRT Scuderia BMW M5.
He is a past winner of the International
GT Open in a Ferrari 360 in 2006, was
second in 2007 and is in his first year
of Superstars.
Nico Calderola,
47, is a successful former rally driver
with wins in Italy and Asia-Pacific
championships over the past 15 years.
This is his first year in Superstars and
he drives for the Vaccari Motori team in
a BMW M5.
Ermanno Dionisio,
50, hails from the Principality of
Monaco and has enjoyed success as a
rally driver in Italy in the 1980s and
1990s. He will drive an Audi RS4 for
Audi Sport Italia.
Christian Montanari,
28, from San Marino, will drive a
Habitat Racing BMW M3. A former Italian
karting champion, Formula 3 and FIA GT
driver, he has also competed in the
Daytona and Le Mans 24 Hour races in a
Ferrari F430.
David Baldi,
43, is the driver of one of the three
CAAL Racing BMWs and will be behind the
wheel of an M5
There are 10 BMWs in the
17-car field (three M3s, five M5s and
two 550is), two Audi Rs4s, a Jaguar XF
SV8, a Mercedes C63 AMG, a Chevrolet
Lumina, a Chrysler 300C SRT-8 and a
Maserati Quattroporte.
Two cars, a Ferlito
Motors Jaguar and an Audi Sport Italia
Audi RS4, have been made available to
South
African drivers who are
able to raise the necessary sponsorship.
The Superstars Series
race weekend programme will include a
free practice on Saturday from 11h00 to
11h30 and qualifying from 15h00 to
15h30. There will be two 25-minute plus
one lap races on Sunday at 11h30 and
15h00.
Grandstand and general
admission tickets can be obtained from
branches of Computicket around the
country or at
www.computicket.com.
For hospitality enquiries
and bookings, contact: CIRCA
Hospitality, 011 347 1300 (www.circa.co.za),
or Warwick Hospitality, 011 467 8400 (www.warwickhospitality.co.za).
For further information,
please go to
www.go-gp.org
or
www.kyalamiracing.co.za.
Ends
