The final event of TCR Italy took place at Monza. While the freshly crowned champion Roberto Colciago competed at the wheel of a Honda Civic in the TCS class, Aku Pellinen (MM Motorsport Honda Civic) and Enrico Bettera (Pit Lane Competizioni SEAT León) took one victory apiece.
The Top Run-built Subaru WRX STi made his first appearance in the series. After an engine problem had sidelined him in yesterday’s qualifying, Luigi Ferrara took an encouraging third place in the first race. However he spoiled his chances in the second race causing an incident that eliminated himself and Pellinen.
Race 1 – Pole sitter Pellinen took the lead at the start, while Bettera stuck to his rear bumper for the whole race. On the last lap the two leaders were running abreast at the end of the pit straight and outbraked themselves at the first chicane. As a result, both were forced to cut straight; Bettera re-joined the track ahead of Pellinen and crossed the line first beating the Finn by inches. However, the Stewards imposed him a 5-second penalty for gaining an unfair advantage and dropped him to second behind Pellinen.
Ferrara was classified third, while Daniele Cappellari (Team Bassano SEAT León) beat Samuele Piccin (BF Motorsport SEAT León) for fourth.
Race 2 – Bettera sprinted from the pole and led into the first chicane; behind him Ferrara hit Pellinen who spun and retired, while the Subaru limped back to the pits. Bettera took a comfortable victory – the first for him in the championship – while Romy Dall’Antonia finished a distant second in the BF Motorsport SEAT León.
