No less than five works Grande Punto Abarth S2000s will be entered in two rallies this weekend. In Spain, at the Príncipe de Asturias Rally, a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, the Scorpion's colours will be defended by Giandomenico Basso, alongside co-driver Mitia Dotta, and by Spaniard Miguel Fuster, with co-driver José Vincente Medina. In Sardinia, at the Costa Smeralda Rally, which counts towards the Italian Rally Championship, the Abarth Team fields Luca Rossetti, alongside co-driver Matteo Chiarcossi, and youngsters Umberto Scandola, co-driven by Guido D’Amore, and Anton Alén, partnered by Timo Alanne.
In Spain, Basso - who is currently lying third in the IRC standings - will play to win the Intercontinental Rally Challenge drivers' title. He won the previous edition of the event last year, while Fuster finished fifth. They will face a number of rivals headed by Czech Jan Kopecký (Skoda), Brit Meeke, Belgian Loix and Frenchman Vouilloz (Peugeot), as well as Finn Gardemeister (Opel) and Austrian Wittman (Mitsubishi).
Currently third in the national championship standings, Rossetti will target victory at the Costa Smeralda Rally, with the help of his young and eager team mates. The three Abarth drivers will have to reckon with Andreucci and Travaglia (Peugeot), Longhi (Skoda) and Navarra (Subaru).
The Príncipe de Asturias Rally is an all-asphalt event run over two days: the first leg gets underway at 7:00am tomorrow (Friday 11 September) from Oviedo and finishes at 9:40pm after nine special stages totalling 163.44 competitive kilometres. On Saturday, the second part of the race includes another six special stages for 90.28 competitive kilometres.
The Costa Smeralda Rally features an all-gravel route, starting with a prologue tomorrow night at Olbia, where a spectator special stage will be held at 9:00pm. The event resumes Saturday at 8:00am and is due to draw to a close at 7:27pm on the same day, after 10 special stages totalling 128.64 competitive kilometres.
Intercontinental Rally Challenge standings after eight rounds: 1. Kris Meeke (GB, Peugeot) 42 points; 2. Jan Kopecký (CZ, Skoda) 39; 3. Giandomenico Basso (I, Abarth) and Freddy Loix (B, Peugeot) 27; 5. Juho Hänninen (FIN, Skoda) 20.
Italian Championship standings: 1. Renato Travaglia (Abarth, Peugeot, Skoda and Mitsubishi) 46 points; 2. Paolo Andreucci (Peugeot) 44; 3. Rossetti (Abarth) 38.
Turin, 10 September 2009.
International
