Udine, Tuesday, August 27th 2019 – The Italian Rally Championship is back under the spotlight after one month and a half of summer break. It will resume on an exceptional stage: the Rally of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The round in the North-East is back in the highest Italian Rally Series after two seasons in which it staged the World Rally Car. The 55th edition of the #RallyFVG promises a lot of spectacle. The race organized by Scuderia Friuli ACU will be valid as the sixth round of the Italian Rally Championship (CIR) and for the Historic Italian Rally (CIRAS), as the seventh round of the European Historic Rally (FIA EHSRC), Central European Zone (CEZ) and Rally Cup Zone 4. The entry list features 115 crews, 56 entered CIR and 59 Rally Cup.
Considering the protagonists of the Italian Rally Championship, Giandomenico Basso is the most awaited driver on the Skoda Fabia R5 run by Metior Sport. Following the great win in Rome, the classification leader and co-driver Lorenzo Granai will focus on pulling away from the rivals, when the Due Valli and Tuscan Rewind are left to go. Basso will be back to Friuli after 2016, when he won the race and championship. Simone Campedelli is present in the championship at 12.75 points with his new Ford Fiesta R5 run by Orange1 Racing. The Italian and co-driver Tania Canton know very well the race in Friuli and aim to close a bit the gap, trying to increase the pace on the car introduced at Rally di Roma. Luca Rossetti is third at 18 points in the works Citroen C3 R5. On the home streets where they won in 2008 and 2011, the driver from Pordenone and Eleonora Mori at the notes will have to put in a strong outing and get the result they only got close to during this season. Andrea Crugnola is only 6,25 points short of Rossetti. The winner of the first of the two races at Rally Italia Sardegna has also been very quick at the Rally di Roma and, together with Pietro Elia Ometto, will heat the challenge of the Tarmac Trophy (CIRA) up. He is leading the classification, but Rudy Michelini – who retired in the rally of Romae Stefano Albertini, who won the past two editions in Friuli, Antonio Rusce who is at his second race in Friuli and Alessio Profeta, all on Skoda Fabia R5 will challenge each other. Among the most awaited underdogs, Alessandro Perico will be on another R5.
The participants in the Italian Rally Junior Championship will be present in Udine – on the same car, the Ford Fiesta R2 of Motorsport Italia wearing the colors of ACI Team Italia - are led by Marco Pollara. The second is only 3,5 points short, Giuseppe Testa, who took a great satisfaction in Rome, when Pollara stopped instead. The third in the standings is Mattia Vita. Other drivers ready to slide in the fight are Andrea Mazzocchi and Pasquale Pucella, that come from an unlucky exit in Rome.
The rally will also be made more interesting by the drivers contending the 2WD Championship that is currently led by the Peugeot’s official driver Tommaso Ciuffi who enjoys an advantage of 24 points to Luca Panzani, who was not present in Roma nor in Udine, while the third place is currently held by Davide Jr. Nicelli on Peugeot 208 R2, who has good chances to shine. He is four points clear of Panzani and is leading the Peugeot Competition 208 Rally Cup Top. In this trophy he will have to fend off the attacks of Giacomo Guglielmini and Giorgio Cogni. Among the drivers entered in the 2WD, Jacopo Trevisani (Peugeot 208 R2), Rachele Somaschini (Citroen DS3 R3T) who is at her first exit in Udine and Patrizia Perosino (Peugeot 208 R2). The challenge for the R1 trophy is also one not to be missed. Daniele Campanaro is currently leading the pack on the works Ford Fiesta R1 after the debut in Rome. His lead will be challenged by Andrea Scalzotto on the Suzuki Swift R1. The very young driver from Vicenza is leading the Suzuki Rally Cup and is followed by Fabio Poggio, Corrado Peloso and Simone Rivia.
Two racing days and a partially new itinerary will see drivers challenging each other from Friday, August 30th at 14.35 in Città Fiera in Torreano di Martignacco, that is going to be the headquarter of the rally, as the rally will unfold in 153,85 timed km split in a total liason of 439,91 km starting and ending in Udine. On day one, "Valle di Soffumbergo" (10, 89 km), "Malghe di Porzus” (14, 32 km will be repeated twice, while the spectacle stage “Città Fiera” (2,05 km) will follow. Three stages will be repeated twice on day two "Trivio-San Leonardo"(14,15 km), “Drenchia” (14,82 km) and the long "Mersino"(21, 72 km).
#CIR #CIRALLY #CIRA #CIR2019 #ACISPORT #ACI #CIRJUNIOR #ACITEAMITALIA
|In the picture: the final podium of the Rally del Friuli Venezia Giulia 2016 Edition|
