Six Maltese drivers accompanied by Grimaldi Team Malta manager Joe Anastasi made the trip across to the Autodromo Valle dei Templi near Racalmuto last weekend to participate in the first round of the ‘Campionato Nazionale Siciliano di Velocita in Circuito’, where again they made their presence felt with excellent results.

The weekend’s circuit racing was very much a first for Maltese drivers, for the simple reason that we don’t have a circuit here in Malta and sadly I can’t see us having one, not in my lifetime anyway. The novelty certainly did not deter from the enthusiasm of the Malta team who spent most of Friday settling down at the circuit and lapping regularly in their road cars to feel their way around. Eldest driver in the team, and now Sicilian regular was David Anastasi who at 58 has lost none of his enthusiasm or flair. David was again driving his faithful Mini Doda Honda, though this time he was running on Dunlop tyres for the first time.

Edward Calleja started off his Sicilian adventure with the Vittoria event last October, followed it up by Adrano in November and was again present at Racalmuto with his smart and potent Lotus Elise Honda.

Steve Zammit Cutajar made it four visits to Sicily with his smart Tatuus Suzuki. New faces to the Sicilian scene were those of young Alan Curmi driving the potent JBR-3, and Jamie Sammut driving a very interesting ex British Hill Climb Championship Reynard Cosworth.

The sixth member of the team was current ICC Hill Climb champion and winner of the previous 2 Sicilian events Joshua Anastasi, now driving his new JBR-4.

Saturday morning was occupied with free practice, and qualifying for grid positions started at 2pm.

Edward Calleja was the first Maltese driver to hit the track, but he was welcomed by a rain shower that slowed the pace considerably and could place no better than 8th on a grid of 12 cars. David Anastasi was out with a gaggle of P2 cars who were all getting quicker with every lap as the track dried out, David being as quick as the best of them till his engine let go and he had to pull into the pits.

Group 8 was the group for the single seater formula cars in which Malta had four runners. Alan Curmi immediately set a blistering pace and was on pole at the 10 minute mark when he hit suspension trouble halting the session till the tow truck brought him back to the pits, whilst Jamie Sammut’s Cosworth engine went off song and he too stopped on the circuit, but out of harm’s way.

When the session was resumed Joshua Anastasi really started “flying” round the track, making five pole position laps in succession and ending the session comfortably on pole, with Alan 4th and Steve Zammit Cutajar an encouraging 6th. The rest of Saturday afternoon was spent readying the cars for Sunday’s 10-lap race.

Sunday dawned sunny and clear if frighteningly cold. All 80 competitors were allowed a couple of warm up laps and the racing in earnest started at 10.30. Edward Calleja was first to go again and he made an absolute fairytale start from 8th to lead the gaggle of 12 cars into the first corner.

His main opposition came from a well driven Nissan Primera GT but our Ed was in complete control of the situation for nine of the 10 laps. Then just a couple of corners away from the finish a sensor triggered within the fuel system cutting the Honda engine’s fuel supply. Edward hurriedly clicked it back on and remarkably still finished 2nd, winning his class, and making the fastest lap of the race.

With David “hors de cambat” with a damaged engine, the next group of Maltese drivers were the “formula” boys. Josh got a good start to lead from pole into the first corner, but Alan got an even better one to move from 4th to 2nd by the first corner.

Josh then made a brief mistake which put him a solid last whilst Alan, Maria La Rosa and eventual winner Davide Ali fought it out for the lead. That is till Maria unceremoniously thumped Alan, sending him spinning off the track.

With Ali now leading comfortably from Maria all eyes turned on Joshua who was climbing up the field at a high rate of knots, overtaking car after car as he sent the lap times flying. By the 6th lap he was 3rd but still a long way from Maria and Ali.

The commentator too was having kittens as Josh closed in on the leading duo. With 2 laps to go it was 5 seconds to Maria; 3 seconds at 1 lap and under 2 seconds as they crossed the finish line to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Josh had livened up what could have been a dull race, taking the fastest lap of the day in the process, a full second better than winner Ali, as well as the class win. Speaking after the race Josh admitted that a slight loss of concentration as he looked in his mirrors was the cause of his first corner “off”. Pity because he was easily the fastest driver at Racalmuto last weekend.

So Malta’s first attempt at circuit racing had its dull moments, but it certainly had its “highs” too and what better proof of this than the fact that drivers are already starting to make arrangements for the next round, also at the Autodromo Valle dei Templi, at the end of June.