SPORTSCAR

The win that Nova Race posted in Monza yesterday in the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship opener stemmed from strategy and experience: Luca Magnoni and Aleksander Schjerpen had had good grades on Saturday sealing off Qualifying boasting the second fastest GT4 time. However, as Sunday approached, concerns prevailed that the sheer power and slickness of the opponents would have made it difficult even to step on the class podium for the Italian-Norwegian pair. As it is, the Varese, Italy-based team was able to seize the opportunities triggered by the weather vagaries, as drizzle started just as the GT cars were reaching the grid. The Italian crew knows by heart the best qualities of the battle-hardened Ginetta G55, and this allowed the #208 car pit wall to make the right bets whenever uncertainty reigned.