Final challenge in Castelletto

On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 October, the last two races of the Italian Supermoto Championship were held in the beautiful setting of the Castelletto di Branduzzo (PV) circuit.

A very demanding two days for the team, with the presence of riders from the X Off Road Interregional Championship.

S1 Category

In Saturday's qualifying, Andrea Occhini recorded the second fastest time behind Marc Schmidt, while Fabrizio Bartolini was seventh. In the two races, a rampant Andrea Occhini immediately positioned himself behind the German rider from Team L30, setting fast laps and finishing both heats in second position, allowing him to take the top step of the podium for the day in the Italian Championship standings. Fabrizio Bartolini was unlucky, as in the first lap of Race 1 he crashed heavily due to contact with tires at the side of the track. Bartolini did not give up and still finished Race 1 at the back of the pack, while in Race 2, despite chest pain, he finished in seventh position.

On Sunday, the conditions were again good for an excellent performance: in Race 1, Occhini started from 4th position and with a 'hot' start immediately moved into second place. However, on the fourth lap, due to a broken gear lever, he dropped to third position and finished the race in eighth, just behind his teammate Fabrizio Bartolini, who was still suffering from the previous day's fall.

In race 2, another 'sprint' start for Occhini saw him take second position, which he held until the end. Bartolini finished in ninth position.

The Championship concluded with Andrea Occhini in second place in the Italian Championship standings. Fourth place went to the tenacious Fabrizio Bartolini. In the S1 International of Italy standings, Occhini finished third and Bartolini fifth.

S3 and S5 Category

A good performance also for rider Fabio Mazzolai in the S3 category who achieved third place in the S3 championship.

Also noteworthy is the return of Marzio Ravaioli after his injury in Latina, who achieved second place in the S5 championship after a Saturday and Sunday spent in the top positions on the grid.

Andrea Occhini #51

'The sixth and seventh rounds of the Italian Internationals on the same weekend in Castelletto di Branduzzo, just a few kilometers from my home, meant I had to do well. Out of the 4 scheduled races, I managed to secure 3 absolute second places (first Italian) and in one, unfortunately, I was on track to do so until I unluckily broke the rear brake lever. It's a positive balance for this season, a shame we weren't more decisive in the early races. However, it's been a splendid year, enriched by a team that managed to accommodate all my requests and made me feel part of a wonderful family! I thank all of them and all the sponsors who believed in our team!'

Fabrizio Bartolini #110

'Competing in 4 heats over a weekend, we knew it would be very challenging, but bad luck was the main protagonist in Castelletto. With a decent qualifying on the first day, I secured seventh position on the grid. I know the objective of the races is to try and manage the minimal championship lead over my immediate pursuers, D'Addato and Teo Monticelli. Unfortunately, through no fault of my own, on the first lap of Race 1, I hit a tire thrown onto the track by another rider at high speed, was thrown from my bike, and crashed heavily. I managed to restart with difficulty but found myself at the back of the group and struggled to finish the race. I competed in Race 2 in terrible physical condition, but my desire to do well was strong, and I finished in 7th place.

Sunday began with uncertain weather; later in the morning, it was decided to combine free practice and qualifying into a single session. The track was modified from the previous day, with an off-road section added at the end of the long downhill straight. Unfortunately, I was still physically affected by the crash, and the stresses of the off-road section and the asphalt sky section were not helpful. I qualified in 10th place. In Race 1, I managed well and made good overtakes, finishing in 7th place. I finished Race 2 in 9th place, trying to salvage what I could. I returned from the Castelletto weekend with a 4th place in the championship, 2 fractured ribs, and a minor head injury!

Jokes aside, I am still satisfied with the result achieved, which is also my best-ever result in the Italian Championship, which I have been competing in for many years now. I must first thank my team for supporting me this season and all the technical and non-technical sponsors. See you in 2019.'

Nicola Ferranti Team Manager FRT Racing 2

'The season ended on an uphill battle; we demonstrated once again here in Castelletto that our bikes and our riders are highly competitive. Andrea and Bicio worked exceptionally well.'

Next year, we'll start strong right from the beginning. Thanks to all our riders, mechanics, all the staff, sponsors, and technical partners for this fantastic season.'

X Off Road Interregional Championship

A special mention also goes to our riders competing in the Interregional Championship alongside the final races of the Italian Championship:

Category S1: second place in the championship for Mattia Negri in the Lombardy Regional

Category S2: second place in the championship for Alessandro Mantia in the Lombardy Regional

Category S5: first place in the championship for William Scamarcia in the Lombardy Regional

See you in 2019!!!

FRT RACING 2 by Gilda Benazzi