Stack earns second Euroformula win in thrilling first Monza race

Photo: Fotospeedy

Motopark’s Everett Stack claimed his second Euroformula victory in an entertaining opening race of the weekend at Monza.

His team-mate Yevan David started on pole, ahead of BVM Racing’s points leader Tymek Kucharczyk.

They held their positions at first, as a six-car train formed. Kucharczyk locked up under pressure into turn one on lap three, and Michael Shin went down his inside at the della Roggia chicane. Shin got a wheel alongside David there two laps later.

Jose Garfias squeezed inside of Kucharczyk into turn one on lap six, and Kucharczyk got back alongside but was demoted to sixth as Enzo Yeh drove around the outside of him at Ascari and Stack overtook on the inside at the last corner.

Kucharczyk shot back past both under braking into turn one, but it forced Yeh to cut turn two to avoid contact. Stack then dived past Kucharczyk at della Roggia but ran too deep and was back to sixth.

He nailed his next attempt at turn one on lap eight, and Yeh was shuffled down to sixth through Curva Grande.

Just ahead, Garfias took second into turn one on lap nine then the lead on lap 11. David reclaimed it through Curva Grande, while Stack overtook Shin for third on the outside into della Roggia. The top two now had a gap, until they battled again.

Garfias took the outside for turn one on lap 12 wans was ahead but did not have room to turn in and cut the chicane. He was only able to return the lead to David at the last corner, then passed at turn one again on the inside but cut turn two. Yeh had overtaken Kucharczyk under braking, and exiting turn two Shin’s rear-right wheel drove for his front-left.

The rear of Shin’s car was sent skywards and Yeh was gravel-bound, with both then parking up to retire. Fernando Barrichello navigated the chaos to snatch fourth, with Ed Pearson now completing the six-car train.

Stack took second from David into the final corner, but David had nosed ahead as they started lap 14.

David led again approaching turn one on lap 15 of 16, but three-wide action after Curva Grande put Garfias and Stack ahead of him. Stack slipstreamed past on the left entering the last lap, but David went further outside and shot past the top two under braking.

Garfias also passed Stack but spun around Motopark team-mate David, cut the chicane and visited turn two’s gravel.

It put Stack back ahead, and he led home Barrichello and Kucharczyk for victory. David’s rear-left tyre shredded, but he still finished sixth with a crabbing car and earned reversed-grid pole for race two.

Kucharczyk’s championship lead grew to 36 points with two races left, David moved ahead of Shin into second in the standings by two points and Garfias exited title contention.

Car racing debutant Stylianos Kolovos crashed into fellow series newcomer Luca Viisoreanu early on, eliminating his Nielsen Racing team-mate and copping a three-place grid penalty.

Race results (16 laps)