Valentino Rossi, Alessio “Uccio” Salucci and Andrea Ceccato took tenth in today’s qualifying session at the 6 Ore di Vallelunga.

Team 46, on a Kessel Racing Ferrari 430 GT3 did a best time of 1’35”943, that got them on the fifth row for tomorrow’s
endurance race.

Rossi will be the starting driver: “I want to see how I handle the tussle so I’m doing the start. Up to now I’ve aways driven alone so I want to see what happens in a car race start.”

One of Rossi’s rivals will be Emanuele Pirro, five times winner the 24 Hours of Le Mans who qualified third with a Corvette Z06 GT3 from Scuderia 22, who asked Rossi at the end of session which was better, motorcycles or cars? “I can’t compare cars to bikes” replied Rossi. “It would be like comparing soccer to basketball.”

The race starts tomorrow morning at 9:30.

Source | gruppoperoni

Continue reading: 6 Ore di Vallelunga – Team 46 qualifies 10th

Valentino Rossi may take part in the 19th edition of the 6 Ore di Vallelunga that’s being held next Sunday at the Vallelunga race track.

The 6 Hours of Vallelunga is an endurance sports car event and Rossi’s best friend Alessio Salucci (Uccio), is entered in the race along with Andrea Ceccato, while the third rider still results TBA, but will be announced later today.

‘Uccio’ isn’t new to car racing and has partecipated in several races as he admitted in his interview with Riders Magazine. The car will be a Ferrari F430 Scuderia GT3 prepared by the Swiss Team Kessel Racing.

Rossi has tested F1 cars, raced in a couple of rallys, tried at the Mugello circuit a Maserati MC12 belonging to his former girlfriend Arianna Matteuzzi father’s racing team and a Mercedes DTM at Hokenheim.

The eclectic Italian will be at the Monza Rally Show the 28th of Novembre with a Ford Focus WRC and then will appear at the Bologna Motor Show, that takes place from the 4th to the 8th of December.

Continue reading: Valentino Rossi to Race at the 6 Ore di Vallelunga?

I bet most of you are thinking who the hell is Alessio Salucci? You’ve seen him hundreds of times at the parc ferme with a yellow towel and cap in his hands, he’s better know by his nickname “Uccio.”

Salucci has been interviewed in the October issue of Riders, here’s a few Q&A’s that let’s us in on some of the aspects of his life.

Uccio and Valentino Rossi have been best friends since they were four years old, but he also works as his personal assistant and drives the Monaco Dynasty motorhome around all the European circuits and get’s his paycheck from Rossi’s management company VR46, along with four other people: Albi, the press officer, Carlo, the accountant, Carlo, his personal trainer and Rossi’s dad, Graziano who’s the CEO.

Do you feel more like a friend, a psychologist or a driver?

A real friend, someone you can talk to and to take a load off your chest if you need to. Valentino is always under a lot of pressure, at the racetrack and even at home, he needs someone like me.

And your paycheck?

If I tell you, Valentino will kick my ass. I can’t complain though, he pays me well, very well.

Continue reading: Alessio Salucci: Out of the Shadow, Into the limelight