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Racereport 2003 / 03 Most


FIA-TC‘ 65: Anton wins maximum points and compliments

 

 

 

Dieter–Karl Anton (A) and the Giuliettas of Scuderia del Portello celebrated a festival for the “cuore sportive” in the Autodrom Most (CZ). In the third round of the FIA Challenge for Historic Touring Cars up to 1965 (FIA-TC‘65) they arranged a formation with the overall winner Anton and his GTA in front escorted by the four Giulietta TI.

 

 

 

Anton started into the FIA-TC’65-race from the fourth position. The track was wet in the first laps of the one-hour-race after a rain shower. After the red lights turned off Anton passed Mikael Gustavsson (S) in the Ford Lotus Cortina, the fastest car in 1,6 litre-class after the qualifying. Bo Warmenius (S) passed his compatriot first and after some metres Dieter-Karl Anton did so too.

 

 

 

The struggle between Warmenius and Anton with changing leading positions was the highlight of the first laps whereas pole setter Max Rostron (GB) tried to extend his lead in the Ford Mustang followed by Nigel Vaulkhard/John Smirthwaite (GB) in another Mustang. In the fourth lap Dieter-Karl Anton could pass Bo Warmenius and both relegated Vaulkhard/Smirthwaite to the fourth position. The track became dry and Anton together with Warmenius hunted the Mustang of Rostron.

 

 

 

But the Austrian GTA driver had to be very careful with Warmenius directly behind him. In the 12th lap Warmenius found the gap and entered the second position overall again. Max Rostron opened the pit stop period and the overall leader handed his car over to teammate Ulf Larsson (S). Larsson came back on the track immediately behind Warmenius and Anton who were fighting for the first position. But including the time for the pit stop Larsson’s Mustang was one lap behind.

 

 

 

After all the teams had done their mandatory pit stop Anton was leading followed by Gunnar Turebrand who took over the Ford Lotus Cortina from Warmenius in a perfectly timed drivers change and John Smirthwaite in the Mustang. They were followed by a Ford Lotus Cortina armada with Christoforou/Stagg (GB), Michael/Sanders (GB) and Gustavsson/Gustavsson (S). Ulf Larsson had to retire after the V8 showed blue smoke signs because the cooling water vaporized.

 

 

 

In the class for cars of the Fifties the Squadra Giulietta was again dominated by Marco Rossi/Marco Cajani (I). But behind them the positions changed many times among the three competitors in the beautifully prepared Alfas. Graziano and Frederico Tessaro (I) did a fantastic race as well with their Fiat Abarth 1000 TC, one of the typical touring cars of the Sixties dominating the 1-litre-class in the period. They managed to pass the chequered flag as 9th overall in their first FIA-TC’65 race this year.

 

 

 

The overall classement was won by Dieter-Karl Anton in the Alfa Romeo GTA. It was his second win in a row after the success in Mondello Park. But after the race the Most job was not over for the Austrian. After a protest had been lodged the engine capacity had to be checked but was found legal. With a smile the FIA-TC’65 leader registered the result and received fair handshakes from the protest lodgers.

 

 

 

Gunnar Turebrand secured the second place for the Warmenius-Ford Lotus Cortina ahead of Vaulkhard/Smirthwaite and Pantelis Christoforou/Nick Stagg in a Ford Lotus Cortina. Kerry Michael and Chris Sanders retired six laps before the end of the race after the alternator broke. They lost the 5th position overall.

 

 


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