Final round of the Italian Supermoto Championship at Castelletto Circuit

On Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st, the last four Italian Supermoto Championship races were held at the Castelletto di Branduzzo (PV) circuit. It was a very demanding weekend due to the heat and the 'double' race format on both Saturday and Sunday.

In the S1 category, Fabrizio Bartolini struggled to find the right rhythm and had to settle for two fifth-place finishes on both days.

Bartolini finished the Championship in fifth place in the Italian Riders classification and sixth in the Internazionali d'Italia classification.

Great spectacle in the S4 category: on Saturday, Iacopo Arduini #05 competed in two full-throttle races, securing first place despite qualifying fourth. Sunday was more challenging, seeing him finish in fourth place. Arduini achieved an excellent second place in the final Championship standings.

A positive weekend also for his category teammate Giancarlo Liberati #39: on Saturday, despite starting from tenth position after qualifying, he finished fifth and seventh. On Sunday, he secured an eighth-place finish for the day. Liberati concluded the Championship in fifth place in the final S4 category standings.

In the S5 category, the tenacious Marzio Ravaioli #64 managed to secure a sixth place on Saturday and a fifth on Sunday. He concluded the season in fifth place in the Championship standings.

Mattia Negri #70 delivered a good performance in the S2 category, securing two eighth-place finishes.

Also noteworthy is the North Italian Interregional Champion title in the S1 category won by our rider Alessandro Mantia #341.

Marko Ukota #36 was absent due to injury.

Iacopo Arduini #05 S4 rider, Italian Vice Champion 2019

'These were two very tough races, both physically and psychologically, because I knew I couldn't make any mistakes. On Saturday, I managed to gain points against my rival Kevin Vandi with a first and a second place, while in the second race on Sunday, a bad start compromised the final result. Nevertheless, I am very happy with second place in the championship and with the work done by the team throughout the season; we've grown visibly.'

Fabrizio Bartolini S1 rider 'A challenging weekend at Castelletto with 4 heats contested over two days. On Saturday, with only an asphalt track, I finished qualifying in eighth position, searching for the optimal setup. In Race 1, after a decent start, I recovered two positions and finished in sixth place. In Race 2, I confirmed my qualifying result and was eighth at the end of the heat. For Sunday's races, a long and fast dirt section was added, which suited me quite well, and I finished qualifying in 5th place. In Race 1, I had an excellent start and was 4th for over half the heat; in the final part of the race, I was overtaken by a surging D'Addato and by Cousin, whom I unfortunately struggled to counter. Race 2 saw me 5th at the start, then I settled into 6th until the end of the heat. I close this unlucky season in 5th place in the Italian Championship despite absences due to injury. I'm not entirely satisfied because I put a lot of effort into winter preparation and was in excellent form at the start of the season; next year, I'll be even more motivated to make a comeback! A big thanks first to my team who supported me this season and to all the technical and non-technical sponsors. See you in 2020!'

Gilda Benazzi Team Principal FRT Racing 2

'We conclude a very challenging season, with some bad luck due to injuries to Occhini and Bartolini. We never gave up, and Arduini's second place rewarded us for our work. Liberati's performance, who joined midway through the season, the evergreen Ravaioli, and the 'combative' Ukota were also good. We thank all the sponsors and supporters, the mechanics, and all the staff involved with our team. Now it's time to get back to work for the 2020 season.'