BRC Racing Team achieves success in the 2nd round of TCR Italy at Vallelunga

The second round of the Italian TCR Championship (ACI Racing Weekend Vallelunga, May 24-25, 2025) concluded with a thrilling victory for BRC Racing Team, thanks to Alex Ley, who triumphed in Race 2 driving his Hyundai Elantra N TCR after a weekend marked by steady progress. Alongside him, Gabriele Covini demonstrated a solid and promising development trajectory, culminating in his best career result in TCR: a fourth-place finish in the second race. The weekend had started positively during qualifying, with both drivers delivering strong performances. Ley secured the fifth fastest time overall, while Covini was seventh. Once again, as at Misano, both drivers finished within the top 8, a crucial condition for capitalizing on the reverse grid in Race 2. The two ended qualifying less than six-tenths behind pole position, confirming the increasingly narrow gap with the category’s top contenders.   In Race 1, Ley and Covini delivered a lightning-fast start from the grid. Alex was well-positioned to reach the podium, but a post-race penalty for contact at the start dropped him to sixth place. Covini was also battling for top positions until a front-left tire puncture forced him into a pit stop, nullifying a solid performance that had seen him in fourth place.   The comeback came in Race 2, with another excellent start from the BRC drivers, who approached the first corner at Cimini in P1 (Ley) and P2 (Covini). The deployment of the Safety Car froze the positions in the early laps, but once racing resumed, Ley maintained the lead until the checkered flag, crossing the finish line with a small margin over the second-place driver and claiming his first victory with BRC Racing Team. Covini managed the pressure maturely in the final stages, securing a valuable fourth place.   Gabriele Rizzo, Team Principal of BRC Racing Team, commented: “Another exciting race weekend at Vallelunga in TCR Italy for our young drivers. We are proud to have guided Alex back to victory. Throughout the weekend, he showed speed and race management skills. He could have performed slightly better in qualifying, but in both races, he improved his starting positions on track. The victory in Race 2 is well-deserved and caps off another weekend of professional growth. Gabriele continues to make impressive progress, considering his limited experience. A small mistake during Free Practice 2 was quickly corrected with an excellent qualifying performance. It was unfortunate to suffer a tire puncture in Race 1, but he quickly learned from it, fighting with the best in the championship and finishing the race without errors, achieving an extraordinary fourth place.”   Alex Ley commented: “Finally, it’s been a year since my last victory at Misano. I’m really happy to have stood on the top step of the podium again and to be back in the championship fight after a not-so-great first round. I had great starts in both races, then managed the car and tires. The overtake on Covini? I was lucky at the second chicane because shortly after, the Safety Car came out.”   Gabriele Covini stated: “It was truly a fantastic race where I was able to keep pace with the best and where I had the confidence and consistency to defend and attack. It was a truly amazing day, and I thank the team for all their hard work. I see this result as a starting point for my growth, and I hope to achieve more satisfactions throughout the season.”   The team, while thanking its partners and sponsors—particularly Giannitti and OMP—for their ongoing support and trust in our work, now looks ahead to the upcoming TCR Italy event (August 1-3 at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola) with renewed confidence and the awareness of having two young talents in constant development. Race 1 Results 1  Nicolas Taylor        PMA Motorsport    Audi RS 3 LMS    giri 17 in 30’48.539 2 Nicola Baldan        Aikoa Racing        Audi RS 3 LMS +0.800 3 Pietro Alessi        BF Motorsport        Audi RS 3 LMS +10.502 … 6 Alex Ley        BRC Racing Team    Hyundai Elantra N TCR +19.071 … 15  Gabriele Covini    BRC Racing Team    Hyundai Elantra N TCR  1 giro   Race 2 Results 1 Alex Ley        BRC Racing Team    Hyundai Elantra N TCR giri 17 in 31’10.451 2 Nicola Baldan        Aikoa Racing        Audi RS 3 LMS  +1.637 3 Nicolas Taylor        PMA Motorsport    Audi RS 3 LMS +6.642 4 Gabriele Covini    BRC Racing Team    Hyundai Elantra N TCR +7.442 5 Jacopo Cimenes    MM Motorsport    Honda Civic FL5  +12.416