The Sparco Italian Rally Championship is gearing up for one of the most exciting events of the season at the 1000 Miglia Rally, the penultimate round taking place on Friday, September 13th, and Saturday, September 14th. It is a crucial battle for the national title, the sixth in the calendar, which could decide the championship winners before the season finale in Sanremo in mid-October. The 47th edition of the event, organized by the Automobile Club Brescia, kicks off the “title sprint” with a classic route featuring 115.50 km of timed sections spread across 11 special stages, within a total distance of 521.31 km. A total of 141 teams are registered to compete – 38 in Rally2 cars and 26 in the Rally4 class – including many local drivers competing in the penultimate round of the 3rd Zone Rally Cup, along with numerous competitors in the GR Yaris Rally Cup and Suzuki Rally Cup.

THE PROGRAM | The event will begin on Friday morning with the prologue, consisting of free practice and qualifying for the Rally2 cars starting at 10:00, on a 2 km section in Puegnago sul Garda, followed by the shakedown for other categories. The Montichiari Exhibition Center will once again host the headquarters and Service Park, and the rally will start from there at 15:36, heading into the first three special stages of the day. The action begins with the Power Stage in SS1 “Valle Sabbia Dall’Era Valerio” (2.54 km – 16:50), which will be broadcast live on ACI Sport TV (Sky ch. 228, Freeview ch. 52, also visible on acisport.it and Facebook @CIRally or @ACISportTV) and RAI Sport (ch. 58 Freeview and raiplay). Then, the “Treviso Bresciano” (9.10 km – 17:19) and the longer “Pertiche” (19.30 km – 20:17), this year raced in reverse, will shape the standings before the overnight break. Saturday’s schedule includes two sections, each with four special stages: a repeat of “Treviso Bresciano” (SS4 at 9:11, followed by two runs of the extended Power Stage in “Mastanico” (6.93 km – SS5 at 9:55, also live on RAI Sport, SS8 at 14:54), the short “Bione” (4.20 km – SS6 at 10:26, SS9 at 15:25), and “Marmentino” (16.95 km – SS7 at 11:08, SS10 at 16:07 ). To wrap up, a repeat of the traditional “Pertiche” at 16:51 will finalize the standings and send the winners and losers to the awards ceremony in Piazzale Arnaldo, scheduled for 18:46. As always, ACI Sport TV will provide extensive coverage of the 1000 Miglia Rally, with live broadcasts from qualifying, the stages, and the final ceremony (info on acisport.it/CIAR).

THREE CONTENDERS FOR THE ABSOLUTE TITLE | Once again, the spotlight will be on car no. 1, with Andrea Crugnola at the wheel and Pietro Ometto navigating. The leading duo of the CIAR Sparco (84.5 points) in the Citroen C3 Rally2 prepared by FPF Sport and equipped with Pirelli tyres have a great opportunity to clinch the Absolute title with a race to spare. Crugnola needs a win – potentially his fifth of the season – to secure his fourth national championship, but he could also settle for second place if his direct rivals fail to score points in the Power Stage. In their last three appearances at the 1000 Miglia, Crugnola and Ometto have achieved two second-place finishes and a win in 2022. To keep the title race open, their two main rivals must win: Simone Campedelli with Tania Canton (68 points) and Giandomenico Basso with Lorenzo Granai (57 points), second and third in the Sparco CIAR standings. Campedelli has been the most consistent so far, driving the Skoda Fabia RS from StepFive Motorsport, also on Pirelli tyres, always finishing on the podium but without a victory. The Romagnolo driver returns to the 1000 Miglia Rally after a 12-year absence. In that edition, Giandomenico Basso, a driver with a special connection to Brescia, having won the event four times (’04, ’07, ’09, and ’12) and holding the record for most stage wins (36). This year, the Treviso driver, behind the wheel of the GR Yaris Rally2, also equipped with Pirelli tyres, is the only other driver to have won a race besides Crugnola, with his victory in Piedmont. However, he enters this sixth round after two underwhelming performances, with a retirement in Due Valli and a fourth-place finish in Rome.

LOCALS AS THE BALANCE TIPPER | Beyond the top three championship contenders, other top drivers represent a variable to watch in the race for the title. Not competing in the CIAR Sparco, but still among the favourites for the home race win, are local idols Stefano Albertini and Danilo Fappani, who have claimed four victories (’17, ’18, ’21, ’23) and a second-place finish in their last five appearances. The Brescian duo, driving a Skoda Fabia RS, can still "take away" points from the national contenders. Fresh from a second-place finish at the European Rali Ceredigion, Andrea Mabellini, navigated by Virginia Lenzi in a Skoda RS from Delta Rally for MRF Tyres, is also among the favourites for the home event and currently sits seventh in the CIAR Sparco.

Ahead of Mabellini in the national standings is Slovenian Bostjan Avbelj, racing with Damjian Andrejka in a Skoda RS from MS Munaretto, following his win in the CIR Promozione in Rome, and Pavese driver Giacomo Scattolon, competing for the first time this season with Francesco Magrini, also in a Citroen C3 from FPF Sport. With the Promozione title already awarded to Signor-Michi in Rome, Avbelj and Scattolon—separated by just 1.5 points in the CIRP—will battle for positions that still offer a significant share of the prize money.

Also expected to compete are Paolo Andreucci and Andrea Nucita, lower in the standings but always among the favourites in CIAR Sparco races. The multi-time champion from Garfagnana, Andreucci, the top driver for MRF with Rudy Briani navigating, is returning in a Citroen C3 from Turbocar after retiring in Rome and has the chance to rebound with a race he’s won five times (’00, ’06, ’08, ’10, ’11). The Messinese driver Nucita, absent in Rome, also returns for the season finale, once again paired with Rudy Pollet in a Hyundai i20 from Friulmotor with Michelin tyres.

ACI Team Italia driver Roberto Daprà arrives in Brescia after an excellent outing in Greece, where he finished in the top ten overall in his World Championship season finale, delivering a strong performance on Greek gravel. Now the Trentino driver, along with Luca Guglielmetti, will focus on the national championship in a Skoda RS from DP Autosport, although he’ll face a race he has only competed in once, in 2021, in two-wheel drive.

Like Avbelj and Scattolon, the 1000 Miglia represents a chance to aim for top positions for other CIR Promozione competitors. This includes Bellunese driver Nicola Sartor, fourth in the standings, debuting again with Lorenzo Mattucci in a Skoda Evo from Delta Rally. Meanwhile, Como driver Alessandro Re, looking to bounce back after a retirement in Rome, will compete in a Volkswagen Polo from HK Racing with Marco Vozzo. Several teams will be racing in Skoda Evos, including Reggiano driver Ivan Ferrarotti with Massimo Bizzocchi, Valtellinese Fabrizio Guerra with Manuel Fenoli, local driver Alberto Dall’Era with Luca Beltrame, and Roman driver Fabio Angelucci, the Over 55 leader, returning after two years behind the wheel of a Skoda, again navigated by Massimo Cambria. An exception in the CIRP will be Frosinone driver Liberato Sulpizio, competing in a Hyundai i20 with Alessio Angeli.

A promising duel is also expected in the Female classification, with Milanese driver Rachele Somaschini, accompanied by Nicola Arena in a Citroen C3, aiming to reclaim the lead. She will face attacks from Salentina driver Sara Carra, fresh from a win on the streets of Rome, co-driven by Federica Mauri in a Skoda.

CIAR JUNIOR, MATCH POINT FOR DORETTO | The 1000 Miglia Rally could also prove decisive for the Italian Absolute Junior Rally Championship. Like the Absolute title, the battle for the youth series, branded by ACI Team Italia, could also be settled by Saturday evening in Piazzale Arnaldo. The outcome will depend on Matteo Doretto and Marco Frigo, leaders among the Juniors with three wins in four races and 69 points. To be crowned champion, the Pordenone driver only needs to win or finish second and earn 1 extra point in the Power Stage. Chasing drivers, such as Casertano Francesco Dei Ceci with Nicolò Lazzarini (46.5 pts), who suffered bad luck in Rome and finished second, Trevigiano driver Marco Zanin with Fabio Pizzol (third with 40.5 pts), and Sardinians Mattia Ricciu and Marco Corda, the only ones to win this year—on San Marino’s gravel—(fourth with 31 points), will try to delay Doretto’s title and push the battle to Sanremo. Also looking to continue their recent growth are Pavese driver Andrea Boatti with Rosario Siragusano and Bolognese Lorenzo Lorallini with Veronica Modolo, who finished fourth and third respectively in Rome, their best season results so far. Two more newcomers will complete the group of Renault Clio Rally5s from Motorsport Italia, equipped with Pirelli tyres: Piacenza driver Alessandro Mazzocchi with Silvia Gallotti and Turin’s Asia Vidori with Jasmine Manfredi.

OPPORTUNITY IN 2WD | The Two-Wheel Drive title will certainly be decided in Sanremo. The regulations for this series allow for a maximum of 6 participations, with the last race offering a higher coefficient, as with other championships. Therefore, the current leaders Pisani-Moriconi and second-place Christopher Lucchesi will not compete in Brescia. Their absences open the door for Piacenza driver Giorgio Cogni, alongside Simone Brachi in a Peugeot 208 Rally4, who has been on the rise after a second-place finish in Due Valli and a win in Rome. Verona driver Stefano Strabello, paired this time with Ivan Gasparotto, is also coming off his best performance of the season and will compete in a Peugeot, as will other teams in the 2WD national series: Pistoia’s Daniele Campanaro with Irene Porcu, absent in Rome, and Ligurian Emanuele Fiore with Andrea Casalini, who achieved some good times in the Roman leg. Ossolano driver Gabriel Di Pietro, one of the best young drivers in the category, returns after a missed round, partnered with Andrea Dresti, and Valtellinese driver Moreno Cambiaghi with Giulia Paganoni, who has only competed once this year at Ciocco, where he retired. A notable exception will be Roman driver Michael Rendina, competing in a Renault Clio, and navigated for the first time in this championship by Martina Musiari, after two outings on gravel.

GR YARIS RALLY CUP | The GR Yaris Rally Cup is also heading into its season finale, with the fourth of five rounds running alongside the CIAR Sparco. Twelve Toyota R1T 4x4 cars are entered in the competition, with Pistoiese driver Thomas Paperini firmly leading the standings thanks to his recent win in Rome. He will face the usual rivals, including Salvatore Lo Cascio, Tommaso Paleari, Simone Di Giovanni, and Fabrizio Andolfi Jr., all within just 7 points. Also in the mix is Trevigiano driver Mattia Zanin from ACI Team Italia, participating in a one-off race, as he has been competing in the Junior European Championship this year.

SUZUKI RALLY CUP and R1 CHAMPIONSHIP | A double battle in the RC5N group will feature the 10 teams driving Suzuki cars, competing in the penultimate round of the Suzuki Rally Cup and also in the race for the Italian R1 Championship. Leading both series are the top three drivers in the Swift Hybrid: Trentino driver Roberto Pellé, who has an advantage in the one-make series, Sicilian driver Giorgio Fichera, second in both standings, and another Trentino driver, Sebastian Dallapiccola, the youngest in the group, who took the lead in the R1 championship with a win in Rome.

OVERALL CIR SPARCO CLASSIFICATION: 1. Crugnola-Ometto 84,5pt; 2. Campedelli-Canton 68pt; 3. Basso-Granai 57pt; 4. Signor-Michi 42pt; 5. Avbelj 34,5pt; 6. Scattolon-Zanni 28,5pt; 7. Mabellini-Lenzi 21pt; 8. Nucita-Pollet 19,5pt; 9. Andreucci 11,5pt; 10. Re 11pt

CIAR JUNIOR CLASSIFICATION: 1. Doretto 69 pt; 2. Dei Ceci 46,5pt; 3. Zanin 40,5pt; 4. Ricciu 31pt; 5. Boatti 30pt

CIAR 2WD CLASSIFICATION: 1. Pisani 67,5pt; 2. Lucchesi 61pt; 3. Cogni 58,5pt; 4. Vigliaturo 43pt; 5. Strabello 35,5pt

CIR PROMOTION CLASSIFICATION: 1. Signor 80pt (already crowned Champion); 2. Avbelj 60,5pt; 3. Scattolon 59pt; 4. Sartor 33pt; 5. Rusce 31pt

CIAR SPARCO 2024 CALENDAR: March 15-16 | Rally il Ciocco e Valle del Serchio; April 12-13 | Rally Regione Piemonte; May 10-11 | Rally Targa Florio (coeff. 1,5); May 26-29 | Rally Due Valli; July 26-28 | Rally di Roma Capitale (coeff. 1,5); September 13-14 | Rally 1000 Miglia; October 18-19 | Rally Sanremo (coeff. 1,5)

- Press Release with no regulatory value –

#CIRally #ACISport #Rally1000Miglia

Updates, info, pictures and classifications are available at www.acisport.it/CIAR

ACI Sport TV (on acisport.it - Sky 228 – Freeview ch. 52 – Facebook @acisporttv – App ACI Radio)

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - @CIRally

YOUTUBE - ACI SPORT TV

ACI Sport Press Office
Daniele De Bonis +39 339 7573991 debonis@acisportspa.it
Gabriele Ratti +39 351 815 8673 external.ratti@acisportspa.it