Scorching Cervesina

58°C and a starting grid. No, we weren’t at a barbecue this weekend – even if, for the riders beneath their helmets and leathers, it certainly felt like they were getting sizzled to a crisp. The weekend at the Tazio Nuvolari Circuit in Cervesina brought the Girone Nord (Northern Round) to a close on an incredible, scorching Sunday on 26th July, with two season titles officially wrapped up.

Boccardo on the grill

Just minutes before pitlane opened, Sergio Boccardo (Team Rotondo) suffered severe back pain. He lined up on the grid anyway, and in the process – whether due to the discomfort or the blistering heat beating down on his helmet – he was hit by a moment of foresight: he predicted he’d finish dead last, but felt certain he’d still bring something home. In short, he thought he was toast. 

Well, he brought home a whole lot more than “something”.
In Race 1, he stayed glued to the duel between Vincenzo Sciacca (Team Rotondo) and Ignacio Roman (Team D.P.S.) for all seven laps – even passing them at one point – before crossing the line third, while the top two were separated by just seven thousandths of a second. In Race 2, with Sciacca out of contention due to tyre trouble and Roman pulling away to a solo three-and-a-half-second lead, Boccardo went toe-to-toe with Alessio Chiollo (Chiollo-Pace Racing) and edged him at the line. That secured Boccardo second overall for the day behind Roman, with Sciacca taking third. 

So Boccardo proved to be a pretty terrible fortune teller, but reminded us all – as if we needed reminding – that he’s an outstanding racer.

Chiollo burns through… 34 thousandths

In the TNSV Replica race, the script repeated itself with a different cast. Chiollo claimed class pole position, led most of Race 1, and lost out by a mere 34 thousandths to Luca Bernardelli (Martelli Motors), who fought through engine troubles to gain three places in the final three laps and cross the line first in front of Race Control. Behind them, Matteo Caruso (Buscema Racing Team) took third after fending off Gino Saraceno (Team Giesse Racing). 

In Race 2, the roles reversed: Chiollo took the win, Bernardelli followed a few seconds back, and Caruso picked up third once again. Overall victory for the day went to Chiollo, second place to Bernardelli, while Caruso’s third gave him his very first TNSV Replica podium.

Ceccarini hits the deck and bounces back onto the podium 

In the Malossi Racing Academy, the fall was literal. Joseph Ceccarini started from the front row and immediately joined the lead trio alongside Torquato Testa and Antonino Rapicavoli, before sliding off on lap five of seven. Uninjured, he remounted straight away, dropped four places, and clawed back three of them before the chequered flag: third, ahead of Mattia Coletta and Yeyo. 

Coletta pulled off his own fightback in Race 2, latching onto the lead group, carving out two seconds, and taking the lead on lap four. Shortly after, the after-effects of a crash in practice caught up with him, forcing him to retire. The day ended with Ceccarini taking second behind Testa, and Rapicavoli in third.

Fedeli from the back of the grid 

In the Trofeo ScooterMatic Regioni Nord race, the biggest comeback came courtesy of Michael Fedeli (Guzz Garage), who launched from fifth on the class grid. Second in Race 1 behind Carmelo Spinello (Buscema Racing Team), he went on to win the second heat in a four-way sprint finish where all riders were covered by half a second. Day trophy and season title bagged in the very same afternoon. Joining him on the podium were Spinello and Davide Manzo (BSC Moto), who had secured class pole.

And then there were those who didn’t even get singed 

In Cervesina, some riders arrived without ever having to pick themselves up, keeping their tyres firmly glued to the tarmac. Torquato ‘Toto’ Testa, for instance, took a clean sweep in the MRA: pole in 1:39.485, both heat victories, and fastest lap with a 1:39.622. Flawless execution throughout. But there’s a key detail here: according to the coaches, this was the finest MRA race of the season. The riders have grown immensely, and it would be a mistake to think Toto achieved these results without real competition – that was far from the case. Everyone is sharper, more confident, and faster now, and Sunday’s battle showed just how much the grid has evolved since the start of the year.

Over in ScooterMatic, Vincenzo Sciacca (BSC Moto) was another unbeaten hero, putting together pole with a 1:33.012, two heat wins, fastest lap in both, and the SM Nord title. With twenty-four starters lined up across eight rows behind him, Roman sidelined almost immediately by mechanical issues, and Alice Guzzon making a rocket start in Race 2 to lead the pack before yielding two seconds in the latter half to finish fourth behind Sciacca, Mirko Abello (BSC Moto), and Roman – three riders covered by half a second. Overall podium: Sciacca, Abello, Guzzon. 

Sizzling all the way to Varano 

The grill – and this time we mean the one in the garden – is already prepped for the August bank holiday barbecue. The hottest month of the year is wrapping up, we’re taking a brief breather, and the Trofei Malossi will return at the Autodromo Riccardo Paletti in Varano de’ Melegari (Parma) on Friday 18th for free practice, Saturday 19th for racing, and Sunday 20th September for the grand finale, as engines and microphones fire up for World Malossi Day. 

In the meantime, stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and avoid going out in the midday sun so you don’t suddenly find yourself possessed by Nostradamus like our very own Sergio Boccardo.

Have a great summer!