Giacon encores at Monza and Brigliadori retakes the points lead

Jonathan Giacon encored in TCR Italy at Monza, winning the second race in two days of his first appearance in the current season. Eric Brigliadori won the fight with Salvatore Tavano to finish in second position and so retook the leadership in the standings, two points clear of his rival.
With the other title contenders – Marco Pellegrini and Felice Jelmini – forced to retire, Brigliadori and Tavano will face each other in a two-way shootout in the season’s finale at Imola on 20/22 November.
At the start, pole sitter Pellegrini took the lead from Tavano, Giacon, Alessandro Giardelli and Ronnie Valori, but the first lap was plenty of incidents: Igor Stefanovski’s Hyundai ran wide at the first chicane, Jelmini’s Hyundai and Simone Pellegrinelli’s CUPRA came together and the latter retired, Matteo Poloni’s Audi was sent into a spin by Michele Imberti’s CUPRA and collected the other CUPRA of Nicola Guida.
The safety car was deployed and when the race restarted in lap 3, Pellegrini outbraked himself at the first chicane, losing the lead to Tavano and making contact with Giardelli.
Giacon put the pressure on Pellegrini, passed him for second and began to close the gap to Tavano. Behind the leading duo, Pellegrini was fighting with Valori for P3. Brigliadori benefitted from the situation and passed them both, while soon afterwards Pellegrini hit Valori who spun in the middle of the chicane and collected Stefanovski.
In the final part of the race, Brigliadori stole second from Tavano, but time was running out and despite his effort the Audi driver could not catch up with Giacon who claimed his second consecutive victory at the wheel of the MM Motorsport Honda Civic from Brigliadori, Tavano and Francesca Raffaele who scored her best result in the championship on her first weekend at the wheel of a Target Competition Hyundai. 

Race 2
1. Jonathan Giacon (MM Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R), 13 laps
2. Eric Brigliadori (BF Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 0.713
3. Salvatore Tavano (Scuderia del Girasole, CUPRA Leon Competición), 8.819
4. Francesca Raffaele (Target Competition, Hyundai i30 N), 18.491
5. Ronnie Valori (BF Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS), 21.124

Championship points
1. Eric Brigliadori 148; 2. Salvatore Tavano 146; 2.; 3. Marco Pellegrini 116 

Picture: ACI Sport