CAPPELLINI NIPS ROGGIERO FOR POLE
COMPARATO, SELIO AND PHARAON IN TOP 5

CAMPIONE D' ITALIA (16^th June) - Local driver Guido Cappellini took charge and captured his 2^nd pole of the season and 41^st of his colorful career and will lead the field of 22 drivers for the 5^th Round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating at the Grand Prix of Italy.

Cappellini, who was forced to push to the maximum of his ability taking off over 2 seconds of his orginal fastest lap on the 8 turn 1.9 kilometer course on a suprisingly calm Lake Lugano in the beautiful alpine region on the boarder of Italy with Switzerland.

The native of Como, Italy and lead driver of the Assicom team ran off a third best 52.89 first lap and improved to a 52.29 taking pole away from fellow Italian Massimo Roggiero in his Baltcom TV Vivid  DAC by 5/100's of a second. For Roggiero, his streak of 2 straight poles came to an end but at the same time moves to the top of the table with 76 pole position points having taken 76 so far this season. It was a great effort following his barrell roll in the afternoon practice session that forced the team to thrash about to get the hull ready for the 6 boat shootout.

Cappellini, leads in the points chase for the world championship with 60 and wants to win 4 straight for the first time since his championship season of 1996 and the first time in this series since American Scott Gillman won 4 on a trot in 1997.

Third on the start dock will be another Italian Fabio Comparato in the Lindab N. Comparato DAC with a time just behind Cappellini of 6/100's of a second and a 52.35. For Comparato, it's a welcoming back to his great drives of a year ago before his horendous crash at years end in Sharjah.

Sami Selio of Finland was 4^th and the first Johnson 3 litre engine surrounded by Mercury 2.5 litre power with a 53.50. Selio is confident that his race setup will move him to the podium for the 2^nd time this season in his Hotel Van Boxtel boat.

Saudi Arabian Laith Pharaon, winner of the opening round of the season and followed by 3 straight DNF's, is ready to look for win number 2 with a time of 54.49. American Scott Gillman in a new boat thrashed about to reach 6^th in qualifying and didn't improve when he ran out of fuel on his first lap of his 2 lap shootout for the pole and ended with an offical time of 54.76.

Francesco Cantando  in the Singha beer was 7^th with a 55.10, Victor Kunitch in the Vivid Team DAC was 8^th with a 55.20, while Yutaka Sugihara of Japan was 9^th with a 55.97 and Duarte Benavente of Portugal 10^th with a 56.35 in his Siemens Castrol ABG.

Frenchman Philippe Dessertenne who is 15 points behind Cappellini in the championship with 45 points is starting 11^th and hoping to reach the podium for the 3^rd time this season. Cappellini has won here twice in his career while Jonathon Jones of Wales has also won here twice but is not here this weekend.

22 Drivers will take take the start for the 50 lap event beginning at 14 :30 Central European Time (8 :30 EDT in  North America).