Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta's official Grande Punto Abarth has won the 43rd Fruili and Eastern Alps Rally, the eighth appointment in the Italian Championship, finishing ahead of the Peugeot 207 driven by Luca Rossetti, Andrea Aghini's Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Lancers driven by Luca Cantamessa and Paolo Andreucci. Thanks to this success Basso has strengthened his lead in the Drivers Championship standings, and is now 9 points ahead of Rossetti and 10 points ahead of Andreucci.
This was a very exciting, tough race. After finishing the first leg in the lead, Basso lost the second day's opening speed trial by 2 tenths of a second. But he reacted promptly and overtook the temporary leader (victim of a puncture) and then lengthened his lead in the most difficult trial in this rally, the Matajur section. Overall the official Abarth team won 7 special trials against 5 for Rossetti.
For Basso and Dotta this was their third win in the Italian Championship, and their fourth success this season as they also won the Madeira Rally in Portugal, valid for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, that took place during the first weekend in August.
"This is an important success," commented Basso at the finish, "above all in terms of the championship. We now have quite a considerable lead over Rossetti and Andreucci. In today's leg we did battle with an extremely tough rival. Luckily everything went well with absolutely no problem with our Grande Punto Abarth. Given this we were able to attack with high hopes for victory overall."
Also Abarth Team Manager Claudio Berro was very satisfied: "a fantastic result and just reward for Giandomenico Basso and Mitia Dotta's performance – impeccable teamwork gave them a car in perfect condition. These results are also thanks to an intense, painstaking effort carried out by technicians at the Abarth headquarters. Now we have to focus on the next rally in Sanremo, a very important race for us as regards the Italian title and Intercontinental Rally Challenge."
In the Abarth Oro Diesel Trophy young drivers took all the laurels. After Liguria driver, Alessio Pisi's win in Salento and Sicily's Davide Di Benedetto in San Martino di Castrozza, the Eastern Alps Rally was won by 22-year-old Tuscan, Diego Fornaciari, who finished ahead of Tiziano Nerobutto, leader in the championship standings.
The next event in the Italian Championship and Abarth Oro Diesel Trophy will be the Sanremo Rally scheduled for September 27-29.
Friuli and Eastern Alps Rally result
1. Basso-Dotta (Grande Punto Abarth) in 2 hours 28’27.8”; 2. Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Peugeot 207) +19.8”; 3. Aghini-Cerrai (Subaru Impreza) +2’55.8”; 4.Cantamessa-Capolongo (Mitsubishi Lancer) +3’19.3”; 5. Andreucci-Andreussi (Mitsubishi Lancer) +3’37.0”; 6. Perego-De Luis (Mitsubishi Lancer) +4’00.0”; 7. Perico-Carrara (Peugeot 207) +4’31.5”; 8. Dallavilla-Rocco (Mitsubishi Lancer) +4’45.0”; 9.Gamba-Guzzi (Mitsubishi Lancer) +5’00.3”; 10. Cavallini-Marchi (Subaru Impreza) +9’00.4”.
Italian Rally Drivers’ Championship standings (after 7 races)
1.Basso (Grande Punto Abarth) 62 points; 2. Rossetti (Peugeot) 53; 3. Andreucci (Mitsubishi) 52; 4. Cantamessa (Mitsubishi) 30; 5. Aghini (Subaru) 28.
Abarth Oro Diesel Trophy standings
1. Nerobutto 24 points; 2 Pisi 16 and Martellucci 16; 4. Di Benedetto and Fornaciari 10.
Turin, September 1, 2007
International
