Brescia, Wednesday, September 6th, 2023 – The Sparco Italian Rally Championship is about to return to action with the 1000 Miglia Rally, the penultimate event of its season. The event organized by the Automobile Club Brescia will take place on Friday, September 8th, and Saturday, September 9th, and is set to offer a memorable 46th edition with a total of 190 participants divided into two races, with 114 teams competing in the top ACI Sport series and 76 in the 2nd Zone Rally Cup, which is now in its penultimate stage with a higher coefficient. The national championship will be the main focus of the competition, even though the Absolute title has already been awarded to the Champions Crugnola-Ometto and the 2WD title to Pisani. It will still offer crucial points for the other championships within the CIAR, particularly for the Italian Rally Promotion Championship, the Italian Absolute Rally Junior Championship, and the Italian R1 Championship.

THE PROGRAM | The 1000 Miglia route will renew the challenge on some of the classic sections of the Brescia province and will cover a total of 483.62 km, including 104.84 km of competitive stages divided into 9 special tests. The usual warming-up shakedown will take place on Friday morning from 8:00 am, with priority drivers being the first to tackle a 2 km route in Puegnago del Garda. Starting at 4:20 pm, the rally will kick off from the Montichiari Exhibition Center, which houses the Race Headquarters, race direction, and press room. Following that, at 5:30 pm, the only special stage of the first day, SS1 "Valle Sabbia – Dall’Era Valerio" (2.54 km), which serves as the Power Stage and awards 3, 2, 1 points to the top three finishers in the Sparco CIAR category. This stage will be broadcast live on RAI Sport (channel 58 FreeView and raliplay.it) as well as on ACI Sport TV (channel 228 Sky, 52 tivusat, acisport.it, or Facebook @CIRally @ACISportTV). Saturday, as always, will be the crucial day and will consist of two passes on four different sections, always in the same sequence. It will start with the extension of the Power Stage, "Provaglio Val Sabbia" (10 km – SS2 at 8:30 am and SS6 at 2:25 pm), followed by the shorter "Bione" (6.13 km – SS3 at 9:02 am and SS7 at 2:57 pm), "Mura" (8.92 km – SS4 at 9:52 am and SS8 at 3:47 pm) and finally the concluding, longest and most feared "Pertiche" (26.10 km – SS5 at 10:26 am and SS9 at 4:21 pm), which will surely make a difference. Victory and celebrations will then be held at the finish line in Piazzale Arnaldo in Brescia, scheduled for Saturday evening starting at 6:07 pm.

TOP-LEVEL COMPETITION | It is needless to emphasize the importance of this event for the top teams of the Sparco CIAR, both for those who have already secured victories or seen their chances slip away, but especially for those who still need to stay in the race with the last two rounds in Sanremo at the end of September and Monza in early December on the horizon. It presents the perfect opportunity to continue a flawless season for the reigning Italian Champions Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Elia Ometto, who have chosen to honour the championship in this stage after clinching the third title in their career with three races to go in Rome. The duo in the Citroen C3 from FPF Sport, equipped with Pirelli tires, returns to Brescia to attempt a repeat of their last edition victory and aim for a possible sixth win in six championship races. Also expected to compete is another driver from Varese, Damiano De Tommaso, who, along with Sofia D'Ambrosio, will seek to redeem the unfortunate Roman chapter and reverse the course of a truly troubled season. The ACI Team Italia driver will once again be behind the wheel of the Skoda Fabia from Delta Rally and will have the opportunity to narrow the gap in the standings with the second and third positions, which are currently occupied by the absentees Basso and Andolfi.

The 1000 Miglia, on the other hand, represents a crucial crossroads for the teams aiming for the title in the Italian Rally Promotion Championship. For this sub-series, it is indeed the penultimate event before Sanremo, which will conclude with a final round at a coefficient of 1.5. The most prominent contenders in this case are the top three in the standings, grouped within just 4 points, but others can still nurture title aspirations due to the regulation that considers the final standings based on the best 5 results achieved. Leading the way is always Luca Bottarelli, with 66 points, called this time to his home race with the newcomer Marco Pollicino dictating the notes from the right seat of the Skoda prepared by DP Autosport. Following closely, just half a point behind, is Ivan Ferrarotti from Reggio Emilia, with Massimo Bizzocchi, driving the Fabia from PA Racing, the only one among the top three to have already scored four useful results. The third force on the eve is the Slovenian Bostjan Avbelj, paired with his compatriot Damijan Andrejka in the Skoda from MS Munaretto, with 62 points earned, arriving in great form after winning the last two races at the Targa Florio and in Rome. Also on the rise is Andrea Mazzocchi from Piacenza, always with Silvia Gallotti in the Citroen C3, among the chasers who will have one last chance to stay close to the front group before the final showdown. Among the many Skodas, the Volkswagen Polo prepared by HK Racing with Giacomo Scattolon from Pavia and Sauro Farnocchia on the notes stands out, called to make a comeback after the zero points scored in Rome. The experienced driver from Reggio Emilia, Antonio Rusce, navigated by Martina Musiari in the Skoda Fabia from Erreffe Rally Team, is also set to return to action, having scored points consistently this season and hunting for a fifth consecutive useful result. Lucca's Rudy Michelini will also be back on the CIAR Sparco asphalt after two rounds of absence, with Nicola Angilletta joining him in dictating the notes in the Skoda. Despite his experience, the Savonese Francesco Aragno is preparing for his debut, also making his first appearance with Giancarla Guzzi alongside, also in a Skoda. Among the 34 cars in the top Rally 2 class expected to start from Montichiari, the exception is the Hyundai i20 of Liberato Sulpizio from Frosinone, always assisted by Alessio Angeli, making his second personal appearance on the Brescia asphalt. Alberto Dall'Era from Brescia himself is an integral part of the home challenge, partnered with Luca Beltrame, making his championship debut in the Citroen Citroen C3 from PA Racing and seeking redemption on the familiar roads after retiring in the last edition. Also on a Citroen C3 is the Roman Fabio Angelucci, always paired with Massimo Cambria, while the Skoda will be driven by the Larian Maurizio Mauri in partnership with Gea Daldini. Completing the Rally2 lineup for the national championship is Rachele Somaschini, who, navigated by Arianna Faustini in the third Citroen from FPF Sport, will try to get closer to the leadership in the Women's standings.

However, three elements among the Rally2 category are by no means to be underestimated, as they have both the skill and the determination to aim for the top, possibly even for the overall victory. Two of them will race at home, both in Skodas: Stefano Albertini in the all-Brescia duo with Danilo Fappani, currently leading the CIR Asfalto in which they are competing this year and winners of three editions of the Rally 1000 Miglia, the last one being two years ago, and second on the podium in the previous one; then the young Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi, arriving in excellent form after winning the CIRA at Rally Piancavallo last weekend, where Albertini was absent. Making an occasional appearance in the national championship, also returning to the Brescia area after last year's fourth-place finish, is Andrea Nucita from Messina, who has been predominantly engaged in the European championship this year with Rudy Pollet in the Hyundai i20 from Friulmotor.

CIAR 2WD | As with the Absolute category, the CIAR 2WD also has its 2023 Italian Champion, Gianandrea Pisani. The driver from Lucca has put together a series of masterful performances behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208 Rally4 and will undoubtedly aim to extend his winning streak with a good result on the roads of Lombradia, navigated for the first time by Andrea Bartarelli. It is another chance for redemption for Trentino’s driver Fabio Farina, one of Pisani's main rivals during the season, still accompanied by Gabriele Zanni in the 208. All the teams in the junior category of the national championship will be driving Peugeots, including the Valtellina driver Moreno Cambiaghi with Giulia Paganoni, currently in third place, the Corsican driver Cedric Cardi making his season debut paired with Enzo Mainch, the Vicenza driver Nicola Cazzaro always supported by Sergio Raccuia, the Roman driver Michael Rendina, following in his family's footsteps, with Mario Pizzuti. Also returning to the starting line is the Ligurian Emanuele Fiore with Andrea Casalini, who scored points again in Rome, where the Messina driver Michele Coriglie was absent with Federico Grilli. Expected to start is the young Ossolan driver Gabriel Di Pietro with Andrea Dresti, looking to regain the excellent form shown in Alba and redeem his recent negative outings. The experienced driver from Brescia, Graziano Nember, with Luca Catalano, will have the support of the home crowd and the advantage of familiar roads.

The fight for the Italian Absolute Rally Junior Championship begins again in Brescia, with 9 ACI Team Italia-signed teams, all driving Renault Rally 5 cars equipped with Pirelli tires, competing in the fourth round of their season, the first of three final clashes with Sanremo and Monza. The last stage with a coefficient of 1.5 on the Roman asphalt rebalanced the standings, which now features two pairs tied at the top. The Vicenza driver Davide Pesavento, partnered with Marco Frigo, arrives as the most successful of the group after two early victories and will aim to recapture the form shown in the initial stages after an unlucky third round saw him finish off the podium. The Varese driver Riccardo Pederzani, who has always been in the top three, celebrated his first victory of the season in Rome and will look to follow it up, still navigated by Edoardo Brovelli. A great performance in Rome was also put on by the Nisseno driver Salvatore Pio Scannella, who, along with Francesco Galipò, is still searching for his first victory, while the Ossola driver Igor Iani is seeking consistency, currently fourth in the championship, 15 points behind the leader and just 2.5 points behind the Sicilian duo. The Caserta driver Francesco Dei Ceci, partnered with Nicolò Lazzarini, delivered an outstanding performance, securing their first podium in the championship and aiming to confirm their status among the top Juniors. On the other hand, the Trentino siblings Geronimo and Francesca Nerobutto need to reverse their fortunes, while the Pordenone driver Matteo Doretto arrives at the 1000 Miglia after training at the Rally Piancavallo, valid for the CIR Asfalto, where he clinched a class victory, still alongside Andrea Budoia. Continuity is the key word for the Treviso driver Marco Zanin, who returned to score points in Rome, still with Massimo Moriconi, while the Aretino driver Niko La Notte will compete for the first time this season with the Brazilian Gabriel Morales, with the main objective of stepping onto the final podium in Piazzale Arnaldo after three consecutive retirements.

THE 4TH ACT OF THE GR YARIS RALLY CUP | The roads of the Rally 1000 Miglia will also serve as the stage for the fourth round of the GR Yaris Rally Cup. The trophy sponsored by Toyota Italy will bring 12 teams to the spotlight, competing in Japanese R1T 4x4 Naz. class cars, among which the winners of the first three stages stand out. In fact, three drivers have taken turns claiming victory, one per race, but for consistency, the young Jacopo Facco leads the way, also topping the special Under23 classification. Among those chasing him are the Sicilian Salvatore Lo Cascio and the driver from Pistoia, Thomas Paperini, who was the last trophy winner, all separated by just 4 points.

SUZUKI RALLY CUP, MATCH POINT FOR GIORDANO | The Suzuki Rally Cup is back with the fifth round, reigniting the competition. This single-make series dedicated to cars from the Hamamatsu-based manufacturer features a starting grid with 12 Suzuki Swifts, in either Hybrid or the previous Sport version among the Racing Start category, and includes 6 young drivers under 25. Among the more experienced drivers, all eyes will be on Matteo Giordano and Manuela Siragusa, who, with a potential victory, could celebrate their second consecutive win in the Suzuki Rally Cup with two rounds to spare. Among the most credible challengers are an up-and-coming talent like Alessandro Forneris and a veteran of the trophy like Trentino's Roberto Pellé.

 

SPARCO CIAR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Crugnola 141pt; 2. Basso 62pt; 3. Andolfi 61pt; 4. De Tommaso 36pt; 5. Avbelj 34pt;

CIR PROMOTION CLASSIFICATION: 1. Bottarelli 66pt; 2. Ferrarotti 65,5pt; 3. Avbelj 62pt; 4. Mazzocchi 36pt; 5. Scattolon 35pt;

CIR 2WD CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pisani 97,5pt; 2. Farina 61pt; 3. Cambiaghi 39,5pt; 4. Lucchesi 33pt; 5. Cogni 28,5pt

CIAR JUNIOR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pesavento, Pederzani 54pt; 3. Scannella 41,5 pt; 4. Iani 39pt; 5. Dei Ceci 32pt;

 

SPARCO ITALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 CALENDAR: March 10-11 | Rally Il Ciocco e 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 | Rally di Monza (coeff. 1,5)

 

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