Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta’s Grande Punto Abarth S2000 won the 50th Sanremo Rally, eight trial in the International Rally Challenge, ninth meeting of the Italian Championships, overtaking the Frenchman Nicolas Vouilloz and Luca Rossetti’s Peugeot 207 in the standings.
Thanks to this result Basso moved into second place in the IRC Drivers standings.
Luca De Meo, Abarth’s MD took part in the celebrations and during the press conference at the end of the competition said:
“It is an important result and an indication that the entire Abarth team’s drivers, technicians and mechanics are outstanding. The determination is in Abarth’s DNA and our commitment in the races will be important and crucial for the next sporting seasons”.
The Grande Punto Abarth S2000’s lead was clear-cut, from the moment the Scorpione vehicle won 8 special trials out of 12, staying ahead from the outset to the end of the race. In the initial stages it was the young Umberto Scandola with Dario D’Esposito (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) who held the lead, but when he left the track in the 4th trial, he was forced to withdraw. Simultaneously, Basso opened up a considerable lead over his rivals on the “ronde” covering 60 km, that increased in the final of the first round.
In the second leg of the competition, Basso took the lead, allowing him to slow down in the muddier areas of the Passo Teglia and win yet another special trial.
Renato Travaglia and Lorenzo Granai’s race was also good as they finished in fourth place in the overall standings, second in the Italian Championships, while the young Finn Anton Alen, with Timo Alanne, took ninth place.
In the API-IP Oro Diesel Trophy, raced with the Fiat Grande Punto Multijet, the competition was won by the Turk Jaciz Avci, while the title went to Gianpietro Bendotti from Lombardy.
The next meeting of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge is the Valais Rally from the 23 to 25 October in Switzerland.
Sanremo Rally, final standings: 1. Basso-Dotta (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) in 2 hours 56’25”4; 2. Vouilloz-Klinger (Peugeot 207) in 42”6; 3. Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Peugeot 207) in 1’09”3; 4. Travaglia-Granai (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) in 2’20”9; 5. Loix-Buysman (Peugeot 207) in 3’04”8; 6. Perico-Carrara (Peugeot 207) in 4’35”4; 7. Cantamessa-Capolongo (Peugeot 207) in 5’44”2; 8. Longhi-Imerito (Subaru Impreza) in 5’54”6; 9. Alen-Alanne (Grande Punto Abarth S2000) in 6’01”1; 10. Torlasco-Brega (Peugeot 207) in 6’11”1.
Intercontinental Rally Challenge Drivers’ Standings: 1. Nicolas Vouilloz FRA (Peugeot) 56 valid points; 2. Giandomenico Basso ITA (Abarth) 42; 3. Luca Rossetti ITA (Peugeot) 38; 4. Freddy Loix BEL (Peugeot) 32; 5. Renato Travaglia ITA (Abarth) 19.
Turin, 27 September 2008
International
