O’Play crashes at Vittorio Veneto Cansiglio, Mitsubishi Lancer wrecked

During the first race of the 43rd Vittorio Veneto‑Cansiglio event, European closed‑car champion O’Play lost control of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX on a hot, low‑grip section of the track and collided head‑on with a guardrail. The impact caused extensive damage to the car, though the driver escaped serious injury, reporting only a minor neck strain and issuing a public “mea culpa”. Phoenix Racing Team must repair the vehicle quickly before the next round in St Ursanne.

The two practice sessions earlier in the day ran without incident. Diego Degasperi set the fastest time (2’54’’85) in a Norma M20 FC, followed closely by Franco Caruso and Federico Liber in Nova Proto prototypes. Times improved in the second run, with Caruso posting 2’50’’07. The results left the forecast for the upcoming Italian Mountain Speed Championship races uncertain, as drivers will need to balance speed with the challenging, variable‑temperature asphalt.