Round 3 - San Marino (Imola)

ACE SERIES San Marino (Imola)
1996/97 Pole Position: 1:15.966 (Oliver Roberts)
1996/97 Race Time: 1h23m43.681 (Oliver Roberts)
Race Distance: 61 laps

Qualifying

Right before the qualifying for round 3, Marco Saupe announced that Thomas Bodlien from VW has joined his team. From now, Thomas will contribute his points to the renamed M&T SPEED (formerly M-SPEED) team.

PosDriverTeamTimeGapPoints
1.Oliver RobertsDigitech1:15.165 20
2.Michal JanakDigitech1:15.606+0.44116
3.Alex BarnellCurb Crawlers1:15.810+0.64514
4.Martin DevineEnigma Racing1:15.855+0.69012
5.Alan StrangTeam Ecosse1:15.886+0.72110
6.Markus KruggelWild 131:16.255+1.0908
7.Jan SvehlikBolgani1:16.265+1.1006
8.Juha HyvonenFORT-Jiuqi1:16.393+1.2285
9.Steffen DienerRoadrunner1:16.404+1.2394
10.Rafal ZiarnikYapamotox1:16.448+1.2833
11.Marco SaupeM&T SPEED1:16.540+1.3752
12.Nuno MaltezRocketship1:16.622+1.4571
13.Eik HoffmannRed Diana1:16.664+1.499 
14.Thomas BodlienM&T SPEED1:17.014+1.849 
15.Ignacio GarciaCurb Crawlers1:17.208+2.043 
16.Argyris MaistralisCrash Heads1:17.214+2.049 
17.Axel BrunsWild 131:17.314+2.149 
18.Reinhold SchatzerRocketship1:17.406+2.241 
19.Mark McCubbinMcCubbin-Supreme1:17.511+2.346 
20.Mirko PatzenbeinEnigma Racing1:17.577+2.412 
21.Jonathan SteadTeam Sted1:17.888+2.723 
22.Hendrik MehlCrash Heads1:18.733+3.568 
23.Scott DrydenTeam Ecosse1:18.811+3.646 
24.David WrightP76 Racing1:18.893+3.728 

Race

This season's GP at Imola was quite similar to the last race held there, although it wasn't as nearly a commentator's nightmare as it was in the 1996/97. However, not much overtaking action was seen after the first part of the race, but therefore, spectators were at least able to see many retirements.

After the start, the race developed in a very spectacular way, the lead was constantly changing and positions were only provisional - as soon as somebody overtook another driver, the next lap brought again a change in the rankings. Lap 1 had the first major incident already when Reinhold Schatzer had an accident that forced him to visit his pit crew to replace some of the car's damaged bodywork. Argyris Maistralis followed Reinhold's example in lap 2 and while nobody else came into the pits in the following laps, Argyris had another accident in lap 7, this time too heavy to allow him to continue the race. Three laps later, Ignacio Garcia Cuadrado and Eik Hoffmann crashed out. During this period, Alan Strang was leading the race, chased by Michal Janak and Oliver Roberts. But in case somebody thinks the mass of retirements had to do with the driver in the lead - with Michal Janak on position one, lap 11 saw the retirements of Rafal Ziarnik and Reinhold Schatzer while Reinhold's team mate Nuno Maltez ended his race 3 laps later. After that accident, the marshalls were allowed to breath deeply for a couple of laps as the remaining drivers concentrated now. Michal, Oliver and Alan were the top 3 at this point, but a bad 15th lap put Alan back on 5th behind Jan Svehlik and Mirko Patzenbein.

Martin Devine left the scene after a crash in lap 19, just one lap before the first series of regular pit stops started. The only change in the front positions resulted from different strategies: Alan regained 3rd place because he, unlike most others, opted for a one-stop strategy. Additionally, Jan and Mirko changed postions after the stop and were on 5th and 4th. The battle for 6th place was very close and not less than 6 drivers were in reach for it at this point, including Marco Saupe, Steffen Diener, Axel Bruns, Thomas Bodlien, Jonathan Stead and Markus Kruggel, all seperated by 15 seconds. Two drivers that weren't that far in the front retired in lap 25 and 25, namely Anthony Long and Scott Dryden. After Scott was out of the race, the number of incidents on the track decreased. Alan made his stop in lap 28 and that throw him back on 9th position. Until David Wright's crash in lap 51 marked the next period of heavy work for the marshalls, the only other situation of interest was connected to Oliver. The black box in his car indicated a retirement in lap 37, causing a massive uproar in the Digitech pit, but Oliver somehow managed to recover his car and rejoin the race, but this incident will later be subject of investigations by the technical administration of the IAF1GPC ;-) Oliver lost a couple of seconds and from then on Michal Janak was the clear race leader.

The last interesting moments of the race were mainly retirements: David Wright in lap 51, Mark McCubbin in lap 52, Alan in lap 53 and Thomas in lap 57. The very last overtaking manoeuvre was made by Juha Hyvonen who took 10th place from Jonathan Stead in lap 60, but Michal, Oliver and Jan were unchallanged podium finishers.

PosDriverTeamTimeGapPoints
1.Michal JanakDigitech1h23m49.209 180
2.Oliver RobertsDigitech1h24m31.272+0:42.063170
3.Jan SvehlikBolgani1h24m54.345+1:05.136165
4.Mirko PatzenbeinEnigma Racing1h25m24.492+1:35.283160
5.Axel BrunsWild 131h25m26.845+1:37.636155
6.Steffen DienerRoadrunner1h25m41.224+1:52.015151
7.Markus KruggelWild 131h25m59.505+2:10.296147
8.James LuscombeV-Tec F11h26m05.843+2:16.634143
9.Marco SaupeM&T SPEED1h26m27.025+2:37.816139
10.Juha HyvonenFORT-Jiuqi1h27m41.330+3:52.121135
11.Jonathan SteadTeam Sted1h27m48.304+3:59.095132
12.Hendrik MehlCrash Heads1h29m23.675+5:34.466129
13.Thomas BodlienM&T SPEED56 laps(91.8%)115
14.Alan StrangTeam Ecosse52 laps(85.2%)104
15.Mark McCubbinMcCubbin-Supreme51 laps(83.6%)100
16.David WrightP76 Racing50 laps(81.9%)95
17.Scott DrydenTeam Ecosse25 laps(41.0%)46
18.Anthony LongP76 Racing24 laps(39.3%)43
19.Martin DevineEnigma Racing19 laps(31.1%)33
20.Nuno MaltezRocketship12 laps(19.7%)20
21.Reinhold SchatzerRocketship10 laps(16.4%)16
21.Rafal ZiarnikYapamotox10 laps(16.4%)16
23.Eik HoffmannRed Diana9 laps(14.8%)14
23.Ignacio GarciaCurb Crawlers9 laps(14.8%)14
25.Argyris MaistralisCrash Heads6 laps( 9.8%)8
 
New Lap Record: 1:17.657 - Michal Janak (Digitech)

Race Statistics

PosCarDriverFastest LapLL/TLPitstopsAvg.
Grip
Tyre Usage
TimeLap #StopsAvg. LengthCD
1.2M.Janak1:17.6575753/6120:17.88693 61
2.1O.Roberts1:17.889612/6120:20.33493 61
3.21J.Svehlik1:17.737580/6120:20.309922338
4.40M.Patzenbein1:19.237610/6120:17.28693 61
5.8A.Bruns1:18.219580/6120:18.42793 61
6.36S.Diener1:18.414580/6120:20.05793 61
7.7M.Kruggel1:18.546610/6120:19.04193 61
8.25J.Luscombe1:19.914540/6110:27.98392 61
9.45M.Saupe1:19.220570/6130:31.06293 61
10.9J.Hyvonen1:18.905600/6130:34.876924021
11.37J.Stead1:21.232600/6110:36.89592 61
12.16H.Mehl1:21.158560/6120:36.73392 61
13.43T.Bodlien1:20.350560/5620:34.56793 56
14.5A.Strang1:20.766486/5210:45.25993 52
15. M.McCubbinlogfile missing
16. D.Wrightlogfile missing
17.6S.Dryden1:24.862250/2510:43.54993 25
18. A.Longlogfile missing
19.39M.Devine1:22.904150/1911:06.94893 19
20.13N.Maltez1:25.199120/130 93 13
21.31R.Ziarnik1:25.24660/100 93 10
21.14R.Schatzer1:24.92790/101-:--.---93 10
23.24I.G.Cuadrado1:25.31650/ 90 93 9
23.29E.Hoffmann1:24.83350/ 90 93 9
25.15A.Maistralis1:27.09060/ 610:28.37691 6

What the drivers said about the race

Michal Janak (Digitech), Race winner:
"I used diferent strategy than last year. I opted for 2 stops instead 1 as I did last year. After start on D's I went into pits in laps 21 and 41 for fresh sets od D's. I don't know if the CC's were too slow or if they had some trouble, but I saw the backmakers on the end of 5th lap. I was afraid, that they can ruin my good laps. I had luck and usualy I used them to gain some speed on the straights. (...) In my opinion there is small chance that somebody can beat time which made Oliver last year. I pushed hard through whole race and my time is about 6 secs. behind his time."

Scott Dryden (Team Ecosse), 17th:
"Yes, again I failed to complete the race and am completly gutted, I'm beginning to think that I'll never finish, and to make matters worse I'm not even sure how I can improve things. I try'd to make sure I'd got everything 100 percent right for this race... I was totally focused throughout (no concentration lapses) and I wasn't pushing too hard. But still... (...) This is really anoying now, I've let Team Ecosse down badly in the first three races. Things must improve..."

Juha Hyvonen (FORT-Jiuqi), 10th:
"Almost boring race. If this had not been one of my favorits I would've chrashed just to end my misery. Last 30 laps or so were really fun to drive, although my setup was pretty slow - I'll be amazed if I'm not the last who finished."

Reinhold Schatzer (Rocketship), 21st:
"Well, this one does really seem not to be my season. Another race finished with a retirement due to an accident. I thought I am already past Coulthard, but he was a bit faster than me, so a crash was inevitable - just see the replay. Anyway, the race began with a pit for a new wing in lap 1, so my retirement in the early lap 11 seems just a logical consequence in that thrashed race."

James Luscombe (V-Tec F1), 8th:
"Started fourth on the grid, but was up to first at the end of the first lap. Outbraked myself at the first 2nd gear lefthander and went down to fifth. Worked back to the lead until I pitted on lap 33. Decided to have a DD tyre strategy as the tyres seemed to last well on the first stretch. Spent the rest of the race catching and passing MS and then HHF to regain the lead. I'm quite surprised that I managed the whole race with the car still intact, had several trips onto the grass especially on the second (4/5th gear) chicane and was lucky to avoid the 7 CC's lined up along the way. This is not one of my favourite tracks."

Action Replays

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Last modified: Saturday 06 December 1997 - 22:25