"It is always exciting to be here, in this beautiful catwalk that the city offers", Angelo Sticchi Damiani, President of the Automobile Club d’Italia, said this morning in Belluno, on board his 1957 Lancia Aurelia B24, the iconic convertible from the film “Il sorpasso”, which he brings to the race alongside his daughter Alessia. Right in Piazza dei Martiri the participants of the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti had stopped for a stamp check, before keep carrying on the route of the Belluno Dolomites.
The battle on the head of the ranking is very heated, also this afternoon, between the chronometric checks on the Alpine pass of the Zoldo Dolomites, the head to head already seen yesterday will be repeated, with the 1937 Fiat 508C of Mario Passanante and Dario Moretti proceeding safely on the pressure switches; still excellent performance by Sergio Sisti and Anna Gualandi on the 1929 Lancia Lambda; then the Porsche 356 S90 of Massimo Bisi and Claudio Cattivelli, which however pays the price of a more recent year of production (1963), a particular that in the races of the Campionato Italiano Grandi Eventi ACI Sport must be taken in consideration, in relation to the coefficients, that then give the final result. Good performance also for Osvaldo Peli, with his very young son Andrea, on the 1934 Fiat 508 Balilla Coppa d'Oro, a crew that is also a symbol of a passion, that for historic cars, which continues to be handed down and preserved over time and through the generations.
The classification hints, however, even after the arrival of the last car at the parking set up at the Miramonti Majestic Grand Hotel, remain provisional, with the times of the day and coefficients that will have to go through the careful and precise calculations of the timekeepers involved in the event.
But the thrill of driving on the roads surrounded by rocks, or along the verdant valleys of the Dolomites, cutting through unparalleled panoramas in the world, is not only reserved for the oldest and more historic cars, thanks to the two separate Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti Legend, open to cars produced from 1972 to 1990, and the Tributo alla Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, dedicated to the most prestigious cars produced since 1991, the competition is extended to a wider audience. The 1973 Fiat X1/9, driven by Roberto Rossoni and Mariangela Ramona Bernini in the Legend and the Ferrari 488 of Fabio Vergamini and Anna Maria Fabrizi in the Tributo, excelled yesterday.
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti therefore ends tonight, amid the displeasure of the participants: "it's a pity we can’t keep going also tomorrow" some drivers had declared to the microphones of ACI Sport TV during one of the live broadcasts of the day, certainly the best possible compliments to the competition organized by AC Belluno and ACI Sport, with the patronage of the Province of Belluno and the municipalities of Belluno and Cortina. The end of the race, however, does not mean the end of the emotions for all fans of heritage motoring and the values promoted by ACI Storico. In fact, the prize is still to be awarded at the Concorso di Eleganza, a great comeback of this 2021 edition, and at the Tour dei Sestieri tomorrow morning (whose optional participation has already collected a large number of competitors not yet tired after the two days of competition).
The event will be officially over only tomorrow, in the early afternoon, with the award ceremonies that will be held, as always, with the support of the Official Sponsors ACI Global Servizi, Sara Assicurazioni and BPER Banca and the Official Partners VerdeCorsa, OMR Automotive, Allemano, Tiemme, Camozzi and Rangers, who have been alongside the Coppa d'Oro from the beginning to the end of the event.
