The Alba Rally was the first of six events in the Abarth Adler Plastic Trophy, a single marque championship open to Fiat Punto Abarth Super 1600s and Panda Kits. The difficult rally ended with Piedmontese driver Andrea Zivian at the head of the Punto Abarth category and the young Sicilian Davide Di Benedetto leading the Panda class.
Both drivers stayed in front through the rally, especially Zivian, driving with navigator Katia Fii, who had no difficulty maintaining the lead from the first to the last stage, ahead of Francesco Dogliotti and Fulvio Florean.
“The Punto Abarth has enormous potential,” commented Zivian at the finish, “and my feel for the car improved throughout the race, with better performances stage after stage.”
However, victory did not come so easily for Di Benedetto and his navigator Lorenzo Giordano, in one of the fifteen Pandas taking part. The two Sicilians had to work hard to keep ahead of Ligurian driver Andrea Zenoni and navigator Sandro Pirotti, especially during the second day. Turin born driver Massimo Beccari and navigator Michele Mazza earned a thoroughly respectable third place, after driving a textbook rally.
“This was a very difficult rally,” said Di Benedetto at the finish, “with lots of dirt and gravel thrown onto the tarmac by previous cars. Fortunately, the Panda proved once again to be extremely tough, and soaked up all the punishment I dealt it in order to win.”
The next event in the Abarth Adler Plastic Trophy is the Lanterna Rally, starting in Genoa on May 12.
Abarth Adler Plastic Trophy standings
Punto Abarth Super 1600: 1. Andrea Zivian, 10 points; 2. Francesco Dogliotti 8.
Fiat Panda Kit: 1. Davide Di Benedetto, 10 points; 2. Andrea Zenoni 8; 3. Massimo Beccari 6; 4. Simone Spaccasassi 5; 5. Milko Pini 4; 6. Fabio Poggio 3; 7. Roberto Maselli 2; 8. Luca Addondi 1.
Turin, April 16, 2007
International
