Nicolas Covatti handed italian wild card

Rising Italian star Nicolas Covatti has been handed the wild card for the FIM Fogo Italian Speedway Grand Prix at Terenzano on August 11.

The 24-year-old dons the famous No.16 race jacket and makes his World Championship debut after an impressive performance at Lonigo in the semi-finals of the SGP qualification rounds.

Lonigo-based Covatti, who races for Moto Club La Favorita in Vicenza, scored nine points and was just two short of a place in the Grand Prix Challenge in a meeting won by SGP regular Antonio Lindback. The event featured a raft of seasoned internationals including Hans Andersen, Matej Zagar, Piotr Protasiewicz, Leon Madsen and Martin Smolinski.

So Covatti, who was born in Coronel Pringles, Argentina, and holds an Italian passport and licence, will relish the chance to mix it with speedway’s crème de la crème at the Olimpia Stadium in north eastern Italy.

Covatti is joined in the meeting by track reserves Michele Paco Castagna and Nicolas Vicentin.

Terenzano rider Castagna, son of Italy’s most successful rider Armando Castagna, lines up at No.17. Vicentin, who races for Lonigo, wears the No.18 jacket.

British referee Craig Ackroyd will take charge of the action.