Imperial red colored the final party of the XII Rally di Roma Capitale, fifth round of the Sparco Italian Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Championship, which celebrated another applauded victory for Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Ometto. The bright color of the Citroen C3 Rally2 illuminated the scene in the three days of competition and offered a show from the streets of the Eternal City to the asphalt of Frosinone. The reigning Champion duo proved to be uncatchable again even when compared to the international big names and went on to take their fourth victory of the season, the second consecutive in the event organized by Motorsport Italia.
The Varese native made the difference in the crucial moments by winning two of the three passages on the longest tests of the entire championship, the “Santopadre-Fontana Liri” on Saturday and above all the “Rocca di Cave-Subiaco” in the final phase, which allowed him to consolidate his position at the top and return to Fiuggi with the victory in his pocket. Finally, on the last special, to underline his dominance also taking spectacular risks, he signed the 7th scratch of the race, a show of strength against the European stars.
Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton tried again until the end, on a Skoda Fabia RS, the second force of the tricolor that tried to complete an incredible comeback, before giving up on the last lap and finishing in second place at 22.2″ of distance. The Romagnola was unlucky at the start of the last lap of the tests, where he arrived behind Crugnola with about 3″ and the desire to go and catch up with him; instead, ready to go, and right from the start of the short SS11 “Fiuggi” a problem with the intercom forced Campedelli-Canton to do overtime, in addition to losing another 1.6”, then multiplied by the scratch of Crugnola-Ometto. Completing the overall podium were the Spanish FIA ERC drivers Efren Llarena and Sara Fernandez on another Skoda Fabia RS, third at 27.8″, able to come back up to the overall podium after having started the race in 13th position. Like them, all the international crews are “transparent” for the Italian Championship standings. Then, from fourth to sixth place, a trio of European crews, led by Romanians Simone Tempestini and Sergiu Itu (Skoda), and then the French Franceschi-Malfoy (Skoda) and the ERC leaders Paddon-Kennard, on Hyundai i20.
Rome, however, crowned a first crew with the crown of champions: after a race in complete management, Marco Signor and Daniele Michi, on a Skoda Fabia RS by Stepfive Motorsport, won the Italian Rally Promotion Championship. The driver from Treviso, returning to the tricolor, was impeccable in all the appointments, making mistakes and conceding little, attacking and collecting a lot. In Rome, Signor-Michi, in the home race of their preparers, obtained a podium that with the coefficient is worth a victory, a result that combined with the 3 seasonal triumphs and the 3rd place in Sicily gave the crew the Championship with two rounds to spare. For Signor, skilled in maximizing the mistakes of his rivals, this is the third tricolor title after the CI WRC of 2016 and the Finale Nazionale Coppa Italia Rally of 2022.
The one who tried to give his all until the end to keep the games open was Bostjan Avbelj, a Slovenian driver navigated by Damijan Andrejka, who started strong from the power stage in the shadow of the Colosseum to then win the CIRP race. For the driver on board a Skoda Fabia RS of MS Munaretto on Saturday also came an absolute scratch, in a race enriched by beautiful duels with the stars of the ERC that ended in the end in 7th place overall, 3rd in the Overall. The match points for Signor were however too many, as to be crowned champion he only had to finish the race ahead of Giacomo Scattolon. The driver from Pavia in fact had the chances of stopping the leader, but paired with Gabriele Zanni on a Citroen C3 sister to that of Crugnola he never appeared incisive, losing the comparison with his rivals especially during the Saturday trials and finishing 15th overall.
Further away from the brawl at the top, especially pyrotechnic in the final tests, a trio of Italian crews led by the young ACI Team Italia representative Roberto Daprà. Paired with Luca Guglielmetti, the driver from Trentino, in his second race on a Skoda Fabia RS, obtained excellent times, forcefully entering the top 10. Giandomenico Basso, an official Toyota driver, on the other hand, never found the right feeling with his GR Yaris, finishing the race in eighth place at 1’14. The 2-time European champion paired with Lorenzo Granai left the challenge for victory already on Saturday, as did Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi, MRF representatives, 9th overall at 5.3” from Basso.
A seasonal twist has instead shaken the Italian Absolute Two-Wheel Drive Championship, after the duel between Giorgio Cogni and Gianandrea Pisani, leader who could have won the title here in Rome, was abruptly interrupted by the withdrawal of the Pietrasanta driver. Cogni was leading the race, demonstrating on the Peugeot 208 shared with Simone Brachi that he had what it takes to snatch the first seasonal success. And so it was in the end, with an advantage of over 1′ on all his rivals, but Pisani’s exit from the road on SS8 postponed the accounts for the Championship to Sanremo, which will have an increased coefficient. On the second step of the podium, Lucchesi Jr, paired with Enrico Bracchi on another Peugeot, thus throwing themselves back into the fight for the final title. Finally, 3rd was Denis Vigliaturo with Ermanno Corradini on board a French car, 3’35.7 from the top.
Matteo Doretto and Marco Frigo instead, crossing their Renault Clio Rally 5 prepared by Motorpsport Italia and shod with Pirelli with the other young talents of ACI Team, emerged victorious for the third time from the arena of the Italian Absolute Rally Junior Championship. On the streets of Frosinone, an electrifying 4th round took place, with a duel for the final victory that ended, by a stroke of luck, only in the last kilometers. After having fought test after test, jumping to the lead with a super scratch in the longest test of the season, Francesco Dei Ceci and Nicolò Lazzarini punctured in the last PS, losing almost 2′. Doretto was thus able to score his third seasonal success, extending his lead in the championship. Lorenzo Lorallini, paired with Veronica Modolo, then closed the Junior podium, 2’28.2 from the winner.
In the GR Yaris Rally Cup, leader Thomas Paperini won his first race in 2024, alongside Andrea Gabelloni, who also won the power stage, extending his lead in the single-make standings of Toyota GR Yaris cars approved for the race.
CIAR SPARCO OVERALL RANKING: 1. Crugnola-Ometto 84.5pt; 2. Campedelli-Canton 68pt; 3. Basso-Granai 54pt; 4. Signor-Michi 42pt; 5. Avbelj 34.5pt.
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