Franco Cunico gets the 39th Sanremo Historic Rally

The Italian from Vicenza repeated his 1993 victory by dominating the race from the second stage to the final podium. Behind him was a convincing Lucio Da Zanche, who preceded the Irishman Eamonn Kelly. There was a great fight to win the most continental points with the Hungarian Erbi, fifth, who nibbled a few points off ‘Zippo’, preparing for the grand finale in Greece.

SANREMO (IM), 20 October – For the second time in his career Franco Cunico climbs the Corso Imperatrice platform in the shadow of the Sanremo Casino as a winner. Co-driven by Gigi Pirollo, the driver from Vicenza was the outright ruler with his Porsche Carrera RS being the fastest in six of the ten special stages regularly run, holding the lead from the second special stage to the finish line. Once again this year the Sanremo Historic Rally saw the success of the Italian crews that, also in the race valid for the European Championship, placed themselves at the top of the standings: on the highest step of the podium, in fact, Cunico-Pirollo put their feet; on the second, Lucio Da Zanche-Daniele De Luis, Porsche Carrera RS, the only ones to remain in the slipstream of the first ones keeping the second place from the beginning to the end of the dances.
And the Italian podium could have been complete if Valter Pierangioli-Arianna Ravano had not lost control of their Ford Sierra Cosworth in the Rezzo downhill SS on Saturday. No damage was done to the crew but the Tuscan driver and the Ligurian co-driver were unable to continue. Third place is thus taken by the Irishman Eamon Kelly co-driven by Gordon Noble in the BMW M3 who, with a fine turn of the wheel on the Calderara-Testico special stage on Saturday night, took the position and held it until the end.
Next up are the Poles Maciej Lubiak-Grzegorz Dachowski, also in BMW M3, who resisted attacks from Tibor Erdi-Istavn Kerek in a Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4, committed to achieving the best possible position in the final classification. A fifth place, theirs, useful to nibble points to ‘Zippo’-Nicola Arena, who did a very conservative race with their Audi quattro, sixth overall, who in Sanremo conquer the continental crown of the Third Group; for the overall European title they have to wait for the next rally in Greece in which they will be in the lead defending themselves from the assaults of Erbi.
A total of 31 crews conclude the 39th Sanremo Historic Rally valid also for the European Historic Rally Championship.

Overall Classification 1. CUNICO-PIROLLO (Porsche Carrera Rs) in 1:22’58.2; 2. DA ZANCHE-DE LUIS (Porsche Carrera Rs) at 48.9; 3. KELLY-NOBLE (Bmw M3) at 1’51.8; 4. LUBIAK-DACHOWSKI (Bmw M3) at 2’22.8; 5. ÉRDI-KERÉK (Ford Sierra Cosworth 4X4) at 2’32.9; 6. ‘ZIPPO’-ARENA (Audi Quattro) at 2’43.7; 7. STAJF-HAVELKOVA (Toyota Celica 2000 Gt Four) at 4’25.4; 8. MUSTI-BIGLIERI (Porsche 911 Sc) at 4’51.9; 9. BREEN-MORRISSEY (Subaru Legacy 4Wd Turbo) at 5’05.3; 10. KELLY-KENNEDY (Bmw M3) at 5’05.6

As far as the race valid for the Italian Historic Car Rally Championship is concerned, the winner’s crown goes to Cunico-Pirollo, first in Group 2, who beat Da Zanche-De Luis at the start in the same group. Bottom step of the podium for ‘Zippo’-Arena, the best in Group 3 ahead of Matteo Musti, fourth overall in the Porsche 911 SC shared with Claudio Biglieri. Fifth place overall, winners of the 4th Grouping, for Elio Cortese and Ciro Lamura in a Subaru Legacy 4WD Turbo. Success in the 1st Grouping for Giuseppe Leggio and Rosario Guerrieri in a BMW 202 TI in Sanremo.

A total of 42 crews concluded the 39th Rally Sanremo Storico valid for the Italian Historic Car Rally Championship .

Overall Classification: 1. CUNICO-PIROLLO (Porsche Carrera Rs) in 1:22’58.2; 2. DA ZANCHE-DE LUIS (Porsche Carrera Rs) at 48.9; 3. ‘ZIPPO’-ARENA (Audi Quattro) at 2’43.7; 4. MUSTI-BIGLIERI (Porsche 911 Sc) at 4’51.9; 5. CORTESE-LAMURA (Subaru Legacy 4Wd Turbo) at 5’09.4; 6. GUERRA-CAMPEIS (Porsche Carrera Rs) a t5’28.5; 7. PASETTO-ROMANO (Porsche Carrera Rs) at 6’07.5; 8. NEROBUTTO-NEROBUTTO (Opel Ascona 400) at 6’52.7; 9. MANNINO-GIANNONE (Porsche 911 Sc) at 7’47.8; 10. LUISE-FERRO (Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130Tc) at 8’00.0

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