Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Italian Vittorio Iannuzzo took the opening race win in the European Superstock Championship Series in Valencia. The race was held in conjunction with the first round of the 2002 Superbike World Championship.

Iannuzzo’s Corona Suzuki teammate Giacomo Romanelli used the superior outright speed of his Suzuki to grab second place from Lorenzo Alfonsi on the DFX Ducati as the pair drag-raced out of the final turn and to the finish line.

Freddy Papunen and Andy Notman got themselves into the record book for all the wrong reasons when they crashed out on the first lap of the first race of the season. They were the only crashers in the race.

Romanelli, Alfonsi and last year’s runner-up in the championship Walter Tortoroglio spent most of the race trading paint as they fought for second place after Iannuzzo took off up front. Tortoroglio, who had led the race in the early stages, got the rough end of the deal and in the last few laps another Ducati, this one ridden by Sergio Fuertes, also got by. ‘Torto’ had to settle for fifth.

European Superstock
Finishing Order

1. V Iannuzzo, ITA, Suzuki, 21:58.519
2. G Romanelli, ITA, Suzuki, 22:04.969
3. L Alfonsi, ITA, Ducati, 22:04.971
4. S Fuertes, ESP, Ducati, 22:05.389
5. W Tortoroglio, ITA, Honda, 22:06.594
6. L Fourreau, FRA, Suzuki, 22:08.784