San Marino’s Republic, Wednesday, June 14th, 2023 - The 51st San Marino Rally and the Italian Gravel Trophy, finally return. On Friday, June 16th and Saturday, June 17th, all the best Italian rally drivers will gather around the small white-and-blue Republic for the highly anticipated new encounter between the Sparco Absolute Italian Rally Championship and the Italian Gravel Torphy, which also includes the Absolute Italian Junior Rally Championship and the 5th Zone Rally Cup of ACI Sport. A concentration of quality and spectacle that involves 102 teams at the starting line, including both modern and historic cars competing in the Historic Italian Gravel Trophy. There is a lot of quality and spectacle, but also significant points at stake, especially for the Absolute Italian Championship, for which a coefficient 1.5 score will be assigned.

THE PROGRAM | The rally's distance and timetable are divided into two days. Friday will be a preliminary day with the shakedown starting at 8:30 am in the Acquaviva area, followed by the "San Marino" Power Stage (2.04 km) at 4:30 pm, which will award 3, 2, 1 points to the top three finishers in both the CIAR and Junior categories. The Power Stage will be broadcast live on RAI Sport (raisport.it, ch. 58 DT) and ACI Sport TV (acisport.it, ch. 228 Sky, ACI Radio App, Facebook @CIRally @ACI SportTV). Afterwards, there will be a parade under the walls of the San Marino Center to present the drivers, postponing the actual race to the following day. Saturday will host the most substantial phase of the competition, with 8 additional stages divided into three loops on three different timed sections, completing a route covering 74 km of timed stages immersed in over 320 km of the total route. The "Terra di San Marino" stage (4.94 km - SS2 at 7:57 am, SS5 at 11:47 am) will be an extension of the Power Stage and will open the first two loops of stages, both live on ACI Sport TV, but especially the first one in the morning at 7:50 am live on RAI Sport. The stages "Torrente Aspa/Pieve di Cagna" (8.16 km - SS3 at 9:09 am, SS6 at 2:51 pm, SS8 at 5:28 pm) and "Lunano" (12.68 km - SS4 at 10:39 am, SS7 at 3:26 pm, SS9 at 6:03 pm) will follow. The finish and final award ceremony will take place in the heart of San Marino, at Piazzale Lo Stradone from 7:00 pm onwards.

SPARCO CIAR, DEBUT ON GRAVEL AND HEAVY POINTS| It is a crucial moment for the Sparco Absolute Italian Rally Championship, reaching the halfway point in the fourth of the eight scheduled events, returning after two years to tackle the roads of San Marino. There will be many variables to discover in an event that marks the debut on gravel terrain but also awards significant points that could shape the standings for the second half of the season. All eyes will be on the current leaders; Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Elia Ometto arrive with the confidence of a leaderboard that favours them, thanks to their three consecutive victories in the first three asphalt rallies. Their recent win at Targa Florio confirmed the Citroen C3 of FPF Sport, equipped with Pirelli tires, at the top of the overall standings with 76 points (including two power stage wins), making it the top contender for the title. However, the defending champions will now have to demonstrate their potential on gravel to widen the gap, as it was on these surfaces two years ago that they faced retirement. In contrast, the San Marino rally represents a unique opportunity for other challengers in the Italian rally championship race to reverse their fortunes and change the dynamics of the season. They too will need to adapt to the return to gravel surfaces. The outcome of the Sparco Absolute Italian Rally Championship standings will also depend on the competition with the specialists of the Italian Terra Rally Championship. These specialists, by securing top positions, could take points away from the Absolute Championship contenders. Conversely, participants in the Sparco Absolute Championship will have no impact on the Terra Championship standings.

Among the first to challenge Crugnola and Ometto are Fabio Andolfi from Savona, accompanied by Nicolò Gonella in the MS Munaretto Skoda Fabia Rally2, also equipped with Pirelli tires. Andolfi, who won the last San Marino rally for the major Italian championship in 2021, finishing in second place overall, will draw on these excellent memories to narrow the 33-point gap that currently separates him from the top. There is also an opportunity for Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai, who will make their second appearance in the new Delta Rally Škoda RS, following their successful debut at Targa Florio. They, too, return to gravel after exactly two years since their last outing, right in the shadow of Mount Titano. It will be the debut in San Marino for Enrico Brazzoli from Saluzzo, partnered with Manuel Fenoli in the PA Racing Skoda, who will have a chance to capitalize on this opportunity, given the absence of many competitors, to gain points and positions in the championship standings. One of the female faces of the series, Rachele Somaschini, also returns to the championship. Paired with Arianna Faustini in the second FPF Sport Citroen C3, she makes her second appearance in the championship after a promising start at the Regione Piemonte rally.

THE BIG NAMES| Among the competitors in both championships, the duo from WRC 2 can also contend for the top position in the race. Last year, they demonstrated their dominance in San Marino by securing victory. Nicolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov return to Skoda after a lacklustre performance at the Rally Italia Sardegna. They will undoubtedly be the ones to watch in the overall standings but will not take points away from the Absolute Championship drivers, nor the Gravel Trophy drivers.

AN EYE ON THE GRAVEL SPECIALISTS | No one will be missing, in fact, the specialists of the Italian Gravel Trophy have increased their presence. They are ready for the second event of the season. After the forced rescheduling of the Rally Adriatico, which has been moved to July as the third round, the dusty roads will come alive again three months after the season opener in Val d'Orcia. The championship standings are still wide open and will be defined in the remaining five rounds. San Marino will serve as the first test for the defending champions Paolo Andreucci and Rudy Briani, who are called upon to confirm their leadership after their victory in the opening round. Racing on a Skoda Fabia equipped with MRF Tyres, Andreucci boasts five overall wins in this race, in addition to last year's victory in the Gravel Trophy. While the first showdown appeared more balanced than in the past, the San Marino Rally can be an opportunity for many protagonists of the Italian Gravel Trophy to aim for the top and earn the role of alternative contenders in the title race. Leading the charge will be Giacomo Costenaro and Justin Bardini, who came close to victory in the opening round and will undoubtedly be ready to replicate their duel aboard the Delta Rally's Skoda Fabia. Tommaso Ciuffi, accompanied by Pietro Cigni, will seek to maintain his consistent results on the Skoda prepared by Bianchi and fitted with Michelin tires. His third-place finish on the return to the gravel was a great start to the championship for Ciuffi, who has been absent from the San Marino Rally for about 5 years since his successes in the two-wheel-drive category. The front group is still dominated by the numerous Skoda Fabia cars, and among the leading drivers, the local driver Jader Vagnini, partnered with Martina Musiari, will also be one of the most anticipated and formidable on the familiar roads. The reaction of Enrico Oldrati from Bergamo, with Elia De Guio as his navigator in the MS Munaretto's Skoda, is eagerly awaited, as he appeared to struggle more than expected in the opening round. However, he will arrive in the small state after an extraordinary training session in Portugal during the WRC event, where he finished among the top twenty overall.

SCANDOLA AND CECCOLI ARE BACK | Among the experts of off-road racing, always fast on the roads of San Marino, two great performers of the discipline will return to action: Umberto Scandola and Daniele Ceccoli. The Veronese driver, Scandola, will compete in the Italian Gravel Trophy with MS Munaretto's Skoda Fabia, accompanied by navigator Daniele Michi for the first time, two years after narrowly missing out on the title in 2021. He will need to get acquainted with the new car and the new navigator, but he has always stood out on the white and blue roads, with three victories in his record (’13, ’17, ’21). On the other hand, Ceccoli, the last local hero to win in 2018, could not miss the home race. He will once again team up with Piercarlo Capolongo, navigating the Skoda of Erreffe Rally Team. This will also be Ceccoli's first appearance in the Italian Gravel Trophy in 2023.

A LOT OF DUST | Many crews on Skoda Fabia cars will populate a group of 24 Rally2 entries. Emanuele Dati, from Versilia, who finished sixth in Tuscany but retired in San Marino in the previous edition after only three stages, will try to take a step forward. He is confirmed to compete alongside Giacomo Ciucci. There is also a probable growth opportunity for Luca Panzani from Lucca, who finished fourth in Val d'Orcia. After breaking the ice on his return to gravel after several years of absence, Panzani will aim for the overall podium aboard the Skoda prepared by Pavel Group, navigating with Francesco Pinelli. Nicola Tali from Sardinia will make his second consecutive appearance, arriving from participating in the Rally Italia Sardegna. He surprised everyone in the first round with top-notch stage times and will try to replicate his performance with navigator Massimiliano Frau in the Delta Rally's Skoda. Joining the group of Sardinian drivers in this championship is Giuseppe Dettori, a loyal representative of Arzachena, always accompanied by Carlo Pisano in the right seat of the Skoda. He is also returning from participating in the World Rally Championship in Sardinia. Among the many experienced drivers, young Angelo Pucci Grossi, son of a rally driver, will try to carve out a space for himself. He was the best junior in the Italian Rally Championship and currently leads the Pucci Grossi Trophy after the success of Radicofani. He will make his second appearance in the Skoda alongside Francesco Cardinali.

OFF-ROAD DEBUT FOR CIAR JUNIOR | The San Marino Rally will also mark the first off-road outing for the Italian Absolute Junior Rally Championship, serving as the second event of the season after the debut in the Targa Florio. The ACI Team Italia youngsters will arrive in the white and blue Republic after two important training days held near Gubbio, as the first appointment of the Junior Academy organized by the Federation through the ACI Sport "Michele Alboreto" Federal School and the collaboration of Motorsport Italia and Pirelli, technical partners of the program. The national crews underwent practical tests on two different off-road sections, which, for some, represented their very first experience on gravel roads. They also had the opportunity to delve into every detail of the sport with the support of professionals by their side, including the tutor and Federal Instructor Piero Longhi, who will closely follow them in every race. The program was completed with theoretical sessions, including communication and regulations. There will be 10 crews competing in the Renault Clio Rally5 cars in San Marino, with Davide Pesavento from Vicenza and Marco Frigo leading the championship thanks to their victory in Sicily. All of them will immediately try to secure their position, starting with the young drivers who stood on the podium such as Igor Iani from Ossola with Nicola Puliani, followed by Riccardo Pederzani from Varese with Edoardo Brovelli, who has more experience on off-road surfaces and have previously raced in San Marino. Sicilian driver Salvatore Scannella will make his absolute debut on gravel after a good performance at home, still with Francesco Galipò as his navigator. Finally, the Trentino driver Geronimo Nerobutto, navigated by his sister Francesca, will compete on the surface he knows best. He participated in CIR Terra races last year, as did Matteo Doretto from Pordenone, accompanied by Andrea Budoia. More comfortable on the gravel is also Filippo Peduzzi from Monza, navigated by the Brazilian Gabriel Morales. Prior to the Targa rally, Peduzzi had only competed in five races on gravel roads throughout his career, but he will also have to face the roads of San Marino for the first time. There is some previous experience on gravel for Marco Zanin from Treviso, navigated by Massimo Moriconi. On the other hand, it will be the debut in dusty conditions for Francesco Dei Ceci from Caserta, with Marco Lepore as his navigator. Dei Ceci is the youngest of the group, along with Niko La Notte from Arezzo, both born in 2004. La Notte, however, will have Matteo Zaramella guiding him with the pace notes

2WD | A great battle is also expected among the 2WD category, both for the Absolute and Gravel championships. In the CIAR 2WD category, which awards the Italian title in this class, the best crews will compete for the points at stake, with a coefficient of 1.5. The leader will once again be Gianandrea Pisani from Lucca, this time navigated by Andrea Colapietro in the Peugeot 208 Rally4. Pisani arrives at the fourth round with a full load of points, thanks to three consecutive victories at the beginning. Among the top contenders, all driving French cars, there will be Fabio Farina from Trento with Gabriele Zanni and Christopher Lucchesi from Lucca with Enrico Brachi, second and third in the standings separated by just one point but already over 27 points behind Pisani. There are many other challengers, including several young drivers, who are still considered strong contenders for the top positions, such as Giorgio Cogni from Piacenza with Alessandro Cervi, Davide Nicelli from Lombardy with Tiziano Pieri, Michael Rendina from Rome, who comes from a racing family, with Mario Pizzuti, and Nicola Cazzaro from Vicenza with Sergio Raccuia. Corsican driver Cedric Cardi, with Gaelle Dumont, will also be at the start, making his second appearance in Italy this season after the Alba Rally. Standing out in the Absolute category is the Friulian girl Arianna Doriguzzi Breatta, making her umpteenth debut in championship races, all of them new to her, with Simone Crosilla by her side.

Challenging the contenders in the Absolute category will be the favourites for the CIRT championship, among whom Nicolò Marchioro from Padua, with Marco Marchetti, will return. Marchioro was the dominant force last year in the front-wheel-drive small car category and is back in the category after an unfortunate first race in the Rally2 in Tuscany. Also participating will be Davide Bartolini from Arezzo with Chiara Lombardi, and Manuele Stella from Verona, who is focused on gravel this year, partnering with Sara Refondini, all driving Peugeot 208 cars.

RALLY ZONE CUP | The race for the 5th Zone Rally Cup ACI Sport continues, passing through San Marino. This cup includes races in the quadrant encompassing the Republic, Marche, Umbria, and Emilia Romagna. After the first round, the battle at the top features the highly regarded Emiliano Roberto Vellani, the current leader after his first victory and Antonio Rusce from Reggio Emilia, both driving Skoda cars.

SPARCO CIAR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Crugnola 76pt; 2. Andolfi 43pt; 3. Basso 38,5pt; 4. De Tommaso 36pt; 5. Bottarelli 21pt; 6. Ferrarotti 18pt; 7. Avbelj 16pt 8. Scattolon 14,5pt; 9. Rusce 6,5pt; 10. Mazzocchi 3pt;

CIR PROMOTION CLASSIFICATION: 1. Bottarelli 47pt; 2. Ferrarotti 43pt; 3. Scattolon 33pt; 4. Avbelj 32pt; 5. Rusce 26pt; 6. Mazzocchi 24pt; 7. Michelini, Sulpizio 10pt; 8. Dall’Era 9pt; 9. Aragno 8pt; 10. Lombardo 4pt

CIAR JUNIOR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pesavento 22pt; 2. Iani 18pt; 3. Pederzani 12pt; 4. Scannella 10pt; 5. Nerobutto 8pt; 6. Doretto 6pt; 7. Gudenzi 4pt; 8. De Ceci 3pt; 9. Zanin 1pt

CIAR 2WD CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pisani 45pt; 2. Cambiaghi 26pt; 3. Farina, Lucchesi 20pt; 4. Di Pietro 12pt; 5. Cogni 11pt

ITALIAN ABSOLUTE RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP SPARCO 2023 CALENDAR: March 10-11 | Rally Il Ciocco and Valle del Serchio; April 14-15 | #RA Rally Regione Piemonte; May 5-6 | Targa Florio Rally (coeff. 1.5); June 16-17 | San Marino Rally (coeff. 1.5); July 28-30 | Rally di Roma Capitale (coeff. 1.5); September 8-9 | Rally 1000 Miglia; September 29-30 | Rallye Sanremo; December 1-3 | ACI Rally Monza (coeff. 1.5)

CIRT STANDINGS: 1. Andreucci 15pt; 2. Costenaro 12pt; 3. Ciuffi 10pt; 4. Panzani 8pt; 5. Vagnini 6pt; 6. Dati 5pt; 7. Hoebling 4pt; 8. Tali 3pt; 9. Oldrati 2pt; 10. Grossi 1pt;

ITALIAN GRAVEL TROPHY 2023 CALENDAR: March 18-19 | Rally Val d'Orcia; May 20-21 | Rally Adriatico; June 16-17 | San Marino Rally; September 15-16 | Rally dei Nuraghi and del Vermentino; October 21-22 | Rally delle Marche; December 1-3 | ACI Rally Monza

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