Curmi dominates in Etna

Grimaldi Team Malta driver Alan Curmi, 24, won the famous Etna Hill Climb last Sunday, beating the numerous more fancied runners in the process. The event attracted a record 250 starters.

Three Maltese drivers from Grimaldi Team Malta participated in this event, all three racing in class F4 for Formula cars under 1400cc.

Curmi, fresh from his first overall win at Cesaro three weeks ago, was present with his yellow JBR-3 Kawasaki.

Patrick Gauci also used his green Hawke Kawasaki for the Etna event. The car has recently undergone some changes in the electronics department, and Gauci was well pleased with these modifications.

Joshua Anastasi was the third team member present at Etna, racing his orange JBR-4 Kawasaki.

The hill was closed for free practice most of Saturday afternoon and the Grimaldi boys all managed at least four runs up the hill, making adjustments to suspension between runs, in preparation of Sunday's races.

Racing on Sunday started at 9 a.m. with the multitude of cars from the lower groups climbing first, leaving the "noise" to the end.

Anastasi was the first of the three to come under starter's orders but no sooner had he left the start on his first of two important runs, a half-shaft snapped and he was left stranded for the rest of the day.

Curmi was next off the line and he blasted up the hill to a record time, the fastest of the run by a good two seconds.

Gauci was the last of the three Grimaldi Team drivers to take the start, and in his case, too, it was a good, clean and measured run to slot him into the top ten overall, a big improvement over Cesaro.

Thanks to the faultless organisation, all 250 cars had performed their first run by 11.30 a.m. and by 12.30 p.m. all was set for the second and final run.

With Anastasi on the stands, it was Curmi who came under starter's orders first.

This was going to be a difficult run. He needed to conserve his lead but not be overcautious.

He performed this task admirably to produce a total time which was fastest by just under half-a-second.

"I was rather worried at the finish," he said, "because I thought I had taken it a bit too easy, but luckily it was just right."

Gauci also produced a measured second run to retain his place in the top 10, with ninth overall.