All set for the epilogue of the 2018 campaign

The XXXVI Rally Due Valli will be the last act of the highest Italian rally series.
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Verona, Wednesday, October 10th, 2018 – The destiny of CIR 2018 will be decided this coming weekend on the roads of the 36th Rally Due Valli, rally organized by Automobile Club di Verona and that will name the New Italian Champion among the contenders home hero Umberto Scandola, Škoda, Paolo Andreucci, Peugeot, Simone Campedelli, Ford, and Andrea Crugnola, Ford. The four are in fact still fighting for the championship at the end of a difficult and hard season that has seen positive and negative phases for all the main protagonists that will get to the closer with similar chances in the title fight.
Four drivers still fighting for the championship in the closing round is quite a unique thing, not only in this National series, but also on an International level. The classification shows similar paths of the main protagonists. Scandola and Guido D’Amore have one victory only under their belt, the recent one secured at Adriatico that placed them on top of the classification. The driver from Verona also claimed a second, two thirds and two DNFs at Ciocco and in Rome. Andreucci claimed three wins – Ciocco, Sanremo and Elba – a second at Targa and two DNFs in San Marino and Rome. The Tuscan champion had an on-off season as he was slowed down by an incident in testing, by the absence of Anna Andreucci for a race and by several mistakes in the most recent races, which is quite unheard of from him. Campedelli and co-driver Tania Canton secured three second, one third and two DNFs at Targa and Elba, in a season with some mistakes and on-off performances. Crugnola and Danilo Fappani also had a tough season and their second place at Ciocco has been quite remarkable, followed by a P3 in Elba and P4 at Adriatico. They also scored two DNFs at Targa and San Marino.

An important role will be played by cars: namely, the Peugeot 208 T16 R5 for Andreucci, Ford Fiesta R5 for Campedelli and Crugnola, Škoda Fabia R5 for Umberto Scandola, and tyres: Pirelli for Andreucci, Dmack for Scandola and Michelin for Campedelli and Crugnola. The rally Due Valli will be the closing act of a long season and some underdogs can also inflame the battle. An eye will have to be kept on Luca Rossetti, Hyundai i20 R5 who will try to repeat the victory of the Due Valli scored in 2017. Elwis Chentre will also be present on Škoda Fabia R5.

Damiano De Tommaso, already crowned Junior Champion at Adriatico, will also be present. In Verona, the driver from Varese on Peugeot 208 R2, will also be present in CIR 2WD, where he virtually has already secured the title ahead of Ivan Ferrarotti, who in turn has already won the Renault Clio R3T Trophy.

The Italian R1 Trophy drivers will be present in Verona, despite the championship being already defined, as they will compete in the Suzuki and Renault single makes, that have also already named their winners. Giorgio Cogni, will be present as the new champion on Swift R1B, Alberto Paris alike on Twingo R1A. The Peugeot Competition Top 208 Trophy is still open with Tommaso Ciuffi and Andrea Mazzocchi challenging each other for the win of the Trophy.

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A total of 157,74 km competitive in 11 tests will await all the drivers with an overall liason of 499,73 km. The fight for the Italian Rally Tarmac Championship is still on and will be fought by classification leader Andrea Crugnola, Giacomo Scattolon and Rudy Michelini, both on Škoda Fabia R5. Among the most awaited drivers, Marco Pollara (Peugeot 208 T16 R5), Andrea Dalmazzini (Ford Fiesta R5) and Antonio Rusce (Ford Fiesta R5).

The closing act of the Italian Rally Championship will begin on Friday at 14:01 from the Service park set up in Veronafiere with two loops of the “Erbezzo” that is the longest test with its 22.43 Km. Day one will be closed by the super special stage “Città di Verona – Alfa Romeo Girelli” at 20:45 at the Rally Due Valli Arena on the parking sector C of the Bentegodi Stadium, where drivers will challenge each other in a head-to-head fight. This challenge will go live on Rai Sport. The big day is going to be Saturday October 13th. Eight tests (four to be repeated twice) will await all the crews: “Roncà” of 10.98 km, “Ca' del Diaolo” of 21.33 km, “Santissima Trinità” of 10.71 km and “Tregnago” of 12.58 km. Final celebrations will kick off at 19:00 on the finish platform in Piazza Bra.

In the pictures: Two moments of the celebrations at the Rally Due Valli 2017.