The Befana trophy race held in Monsummano Terme on January 7-8, 2006, was the first event of the year in Italy. The weather was cold and humid at 8°C, but the track was in perfect condition.
At my last race in this location, I finished 4th with a great XB8, but with radio problems, too. "I must to try again" kept repeating in my mind.
Qualifying
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In the first round qualifying, Samuele Lenzi took the lead less then 1 sec in front of me. For the 2nd round I had changed the shocks oil from 600 to 400 and I recorded the best time. The last round was decisive; I had done my best but Lenzi was fastest...
Semi-final
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I made no changes to my XB8⦠the car was very fast and handled great. I was first to the finish line with absolutely no mistakes in 20mins!! I had a great feeling with the car.
Main Final
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The big event started at 3:00PM. I took the lead followed by Fabianelli, Lenzi, Rossi, Ribaldi... After the first pitstop, I made a few mistakes. Fabianelli jumped in 1st position, followed by Rossi and me. The last 5 mins was very exciting with 3 cars separated by less than 5 seconds. In the last lap I pushed very hard and my XB8 responded well. I saw a small gap to pass, and I got it!
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I'm very happy about the performance of my XB8. It is a very great handling and reliable car! I have found a driving sensations like no other brands..
