The Italian flag flies on the first day of the Sanremo Rally Storico. Da Zanche the best so far

di UFFICIO STAMPA RALLYE SANREMO

SANREMO (IM), 7 ottobre – First day of special stages (five in the hinterland of Imperia) that sees the Italian drivers soar in the overall and European championship standings with a wild Lucio Da Zanche, co-driven by Daniele De Luis, in a Porschco-driven 911 RS, closing in on the lead after imposing himself in the special stages. Behind Da Zanche, detached by 37″1 Luigi “Lucky” Battistolli, co-driven by Fabrizia Pons in a Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, remained in a close fight in the first round of tests with Franco Cunico, then stretched out in the repeat of the specials. Third at 41″2 from Da Zanche the Vicenza-based driver, flanked by Gigi Pirollo, Porsche 911 SC, returned to the world of historic cars after some occasional appearances in the recent past, who finds himself at the wheel of a Stuttgart berlinetta after 13 years since the victorious 2010 Campagnolo rally.

In fourth place the very fast Briton Martin McCormack, with Barney Mitchell in a BMW M3, who could have bothered the ranking of the Italians (he set the second overall time three times) if he had not run into a difficult Colle d’Oggia, a test he did not interpret correctly, setting the 21st overall time, which caused him to drop from second to seventh overall, then returning to the podium with a brilliant San Bernardo finish, chasing Da Zanche at 1’00″9.

In fifth place at 1’05″1 the Ford Sierra Cosworth of Valter Pierangioli-Arianna Ravano, who engaged in a duel on the edge of a tenth of a second (the two are divided by just 2/10 after a full day’s racing) with the Belgian BMW M3 of Jan Pieter Maeyaert with Yves Dewulf at the pace notes that ruled the Hungarians Tibor Erdi-Istvan Kerek, in a Ford Sierra Cosworth. Eighth were Sicilians Natale Mannino-Giacomo Giannone, who lead the Third Grouping standings authoritatively.

The Continental Groupings. Absolute domination in First Grouping by Nello Parisi-Giussy D’Angelo, who with their Porsche 911S decisively detached the twin car of Marcello Pollara-Andrea Sarah Tardito, who paid the driver from Turin 2’01″9. All behind Da Zanche in Second Grouping, with Norwegians Christian Jensen-Erik Pedersen, Ford Escort RS, occupying second place, a result that strengthens their leadership in the championship, stretching over Czechs Stanislav Budil-Petr Vejvoda (BMW 2002 Ti). The Third Grouping is led by Mannino-Giannone who boast an advantage of 1’20″1 over the twin Porsche 911 SC of the Swiss Guy Trolliet-Sebastien Moulin, who in the long final special of San Bernardo overtake the Renault 5 Turbo of the French Philippe Mermet-Gerard Clerton. Italian one-two in Fourth Grouping with Lucky, and Cunico chased closely a by McCormack, in full recovery, then Pierangioli.

The Italians in the “European Championship” also lead the Italian Historic Car Rally Championshipe. The dominance of Italian drivers in the overall and European standings of the race is also reflected in the ranking of the section valid for the Italian Historic Cars Championship with Da Zanche, Lucky Battistolli, Cunico and Pierangioli leading the Italian standings, followed by Enrico Volpato-Samuele Sordelli, in Ford Escort RS, who overtook Mannino in the last special stage italian Groupings. Porsche triplet in First Grouping of the CIRAS with Giuliano Palmieri and Lucia Zambiasi who imposed their law ahead of the “Europeans” Nello Parisi-Giussy D’Angelo (best time in the last SS of San Bernardo) who chase at 28″9, then Marcello Pollara at 2’30″8. The Second Grouping is obviously dominated by Lucio Da Zanche, who distanced the Porsche Carrera RSR of Emanuele Nucera-Mirco Gabrielli by 2 net points who, in turn, clearly got the better on Nicola Salin-Paolo Protta who pay 4’20″9 to the Valtellina driver. In the Third Grouping, Enrico Volpato prevailed against Natale Mannino in all special stages, closing the first day of competition with a 24″2 advantage over the Italian championship leader, satisfied however with his performance that allows him to lengthen against his closest pursuer in the CIRAS, the Tuscan Riccardo De Bellis, co-driven by Christian Soriani, who after a day of practice pays 2’35″7 to Volpato. Fourth Grouping copying in detail the European ranking with Lucky, Cunico looking down on his rivals, chased by Pierangioli, third among the Italians.

OVERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER SS5 – S. BERNARDO (19,58 KM)

OVERALL: 1. DA ZANCHE-DE LUIS (Porsche Carrera RS) in 34’50.6; 2. ‘LUCKY’-PONS (Lancia Delta Int.16V) at 37.8; 3. CUNICO-PIROLLO (Porsche 911 Sc) at 41.2; 4. PIERANGIOLI-RAVANO (Ford Sierra Rs Cosworth) at 1’05.1; 5. VOLPATO-SORDELLI (Ford Escort Rs) at 1’29.0; 6. MANNINO-GIANNONE (Porsche 911 Sc) at 1’53.2; 7. NUCERA-GABRIELLI (Porsche Carrera Rsr) at 2’00.0; 8. PAGELLA-BREA (Porsche 911 Sc) at 2’31.8; 9. MARIOTTI-SANESI (Ford Sierra Rs Cosworth) at 2’41.7; 10. DE BELLIS-SORIANI (Porsche 911 Sc) at 4’04.7

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION OF SS5 – S. BERNARDO (19,58 KM)

ASSOLUTA: 1. DA ZANCHE-DE LUIS (Porsche Carrera Rs) in 34’50.6; 2. ‘LUCKY’-PONS (Lancia Delta Int.16V) a 37.8; 3. CUNICO-PIROLLO (Porsche 911 Sc) a 41.2; 4. MCCORMACK-MITCHELL (Bmw M3 E30) a 1’00.9; 5. PIERANGIOLI-RAVANO (Ford Sierra Rs Cosworth) a 1’05.1; 6. MAEYAERT-DEWULF (Bmw M3 E30) a 1’05.3; 7. ÉRDI-KERÉK (Ford Sierra Rs Cosworth) a 1’21.9; 8. MANNINO-GIANNONE (Porsche 911 Sc) a 1’53.2; 9. SCHUMANN-HARLOFF (Bmw M3 E30) a 2’07.2; 10. JENSEN-PEDERSEN (Ford Escort Rs) a 2’36.3

Sunday October 8

Service Park, Old Railway Station Sanremo (15 minutes), time 9.30

SS 6 – Langan (14,62 km) time 10.48

SS 7 – Semoigo (7,36 km) time 11.51

SS 8 – Bignone (10,51 km) time 12.12

SS 9 – Coldirodi (5,46 km) time 12.37

Regrouping – Old Railway Station Sanremo (20 minutes), time 13.12

Service Park, Piazzale Carlo Dapporto, Sanremo (45 minutes), time 13.32

SS 10 – Langan (14,62 km) time 15.20

SS 11 – Bajardo (26,96 km) time 16.28

Final Arrival – Corso Imperatrice, Sanremo, time 17,35

38th Sanremo Historic Rally