Italian Rally Championship. Great battles expected at the Targa Florio

"A Cursa” the most ancient motorsport race in the world will take place this weekend in Sicily. Start tomorrow at 20 in Piazza Massimo, right in the heart of Palermo.

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Palermo 05/05/2016 – Edition 100 of the Targa Florio, event organized by Automobile Club di Palermo in collaboration with Automobile Club d'Italia, registered record entries. This particularly complex event will feature a series of important appointments for modern and historic cars. The record figures involve the entered crews. A total of 500 cars have been in fact entered, as the 138 splendid cars of the Classic and Ferrari Tribute Targa Florio and the 61 Historic Speed challengers will join to celebrate this 100th anniversary. Among the entrants, 282 crews will enliven the rally sector among which, obviously, the protagonists of the Italian Rally Championship.
One of the main motives is in fact the sporting battle among the modern cars that will battle out the third round of the Italian Rally Championship. The Sicilian race announces to be particularly uncertain and interesting. All the protagonists of the Absolute, Junior, Constructors, 2WD and R1 Italian Championship will be present. The single branded trophies Michelin R2 Rally Cup, Renault Clio R3T Top, and the Suzuki Rallye Trophy will also get on track.

The most awaited protagonists in the fight for the victory are Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi, Peugeot 208 T16 R5, Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai, on the GPL powered Ford Fiesta R5 ldi, and Umberto Scandola with co-driver Guido D'amore, Skoda Fabia R5, as the three main actors of the series will try to hunt for important points in Sicily for the absolute and constructors classifications.

Gabriele Ciavarella and co-driver Daniele Michi will also be among the names of the protagonists despite being at the debut on Sicily roads on the Citroen Ds3 R5. Simone Campedelli will also be present on Peugeot 208 T16 R5 with Danilo Fappani at the notes, after being protagonist in Sanremo. Simone Tempestini and Marc Banca will try and slide among the front runners on Ford Fiesta R5, as will do the Italo-Swiss Stefano Baccega and Antonio Rusce, on their Ford Fiesta R5.
Among the other big names, the local hero Andrea Nucita and his brother will be present at Targa Florio on another Ford Fiesta R5, while the expert Totò Riolo navigato and co-driver Massimiliano Alduina will be on the Peugeot 208 R5.
In the Italian Rally Championship, the two direct rivals of the 2WD – namely the leader Ivan Ferrarotti, on Renault Clio R3C and Luca Panzani, leader of the Clio R3 Trophy on the R3T version – will also be present. Kevin Gilardoni, Peugeot 208, Gianadrea Pisani, Abarth 500 and Corinne Federighi will also compete in the 2WD as the latter will be challenging Beatrice Calvi for the Women Title too.

In the Italian Junior Championship, the local crew made by Marco Pollara and Giuseppe Princiotto is ready to defend the classification lead on the Peugeot 208 R2. Giuseppe Testa, Peugeot junior team, with Daniele Mangiarotti, Nicola Manfredi with Massimiliano Bosi, also on 208 R2, will try and challenge their lead. Among the youngest drivers, Giorgio Bernardi and Andrea Casalini aim to a prompt recover after the unlucky exit of Sanremo. The Italian R1 Championship is currently led by Jacopo Lucarelli who will have to fend off Stefano Martinelli, who has been protagonist in Ciocco, as the two will also compete for the Suzuki Rallye Trophy.
PROGRAMME – The race will start on Friday May 6th at 20,00 (GMT+2) from the fascinating piazza Massimo in Palermo and the first short stage of 1,84km will take place in Collesano at 22.54. Race-1 will take place on Saturday May 7th from Campofelice di Roccella at 09.00, while the finish flag will drop on the race in Campofelice at 20.45, after 7 stages and a total of 77,2 timed kms. The challenge will then resume on Sunday May 8th, with 6 stages valid for Race-2 starting from Campofelice di Roccella at 06.00 and final celebrations at the piazza del Duomo of Cefalù at 14.30 at the end of further 77,2 timed kms. The itinerary of the 100th Targa Florio comprises 485,27km 154,40 of which timed.