Heartbreak for Esser as World Champs down to final 52

After taking a hugely popular win in his 1/16 Final, which should have put him through to tomorrow’s Main Finals day at the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Italy, Alex Esser’s celebrations were to be short lived as his car failed post tech inspection.  One of only four racers representing British manufacturer Shepherd here in Gubbio, making the Worlds podium finishing manufacturer the smallest represented of the 6 brands competing at the 11th edition of Worlds, the young American racer’s body shell was declared to be outside the minimum measurements, the rear bumper cut too high.  Winning the 20-minute encounter ahead of Stefan Strasser and Jules Kerguiduff, Esser’s disqualification would promote Rolli Josua to third and into tomorrow’s 1/8 Finals.  With rain cancelling yesterday’s second day of qualifying, the damp aftermath conditions would also effect today’s program with the start of racing delayed from 11:00 to 14:00 as the damp track proved well off the pace in the specially arranged free practice which was later extended to get cars running on the track and to bring back up traction levels.  This delayed start meant racing wouldn’t finish until just before 19:00 before a red sunset quickly brought a close to the Lower Finals day with just 52 drivers of the 114 starters now remaining in the competition.  In the second of the 1/16 Finals it was Michaël Derderian who took the win ahead of Kristof Sielaff and Nathan De Marco to get themselves through to Saturday.  The Mains day here at Miniautodromo Internazionale Mario Rosati will start at 08:00 with a round of group practice for drivers up to and including the Semi Finals before the first race gets underway at 09:30.  The World Championship deciding 1-hour final is set to start at 16:15 (local time) with Top Qualifier Dario Balestri set to lead them away.