The sky of Lecce is once again tinged with red and yellow for the final party of the 55th Rally del Salento. The defending champion Simone Campedelli returned to center stage, this time together with Tania Canton, author of an amazing performance that offered him his first victory of the season in the second act of the Italian Asphalt Rally Championship and his second consecutive signing on the roll of honor of the Salento race.
A unique rally of its kind, the one organized by the Automobile Club Lecce which brought the event back to the people, in the heart of the city in Piazza Mazzini where the public applauded the success of the driver from Romagna, on the Skoda Fabia Rally2 with MRF Tires tyres, managed from Stepfive Motorsports.
Even 6 races won out of 9 disputed along 96 timed km, spread over two days of competition and immersed in a characteristic landscape. A postcard of Salento, from the hinterland between dry stone walls to the enchanting landscapes along the coast.
Already from the short initial test on Friday “Pista Salentina”, in the kart track of Torre San Giovanni, in Ugento, Campedelli immediately put the wheels in front of everyone with a first success, also confirmed in the first two time trials on Saturday on the “Torre Paduli” and on the “Santa Cesarea”.
The first reaction came from Stefano Albertini and Danilo Fappani, the winners of the first Italian act at the Rally Due Valli, on another PA Racing Skoda fitted with Pirelli, who recorded the scratch on the “Specchia” to trigger the same duel proposed on the asphalt Veronese.
However, after the second lap, the Hyundai i20 WRC of Corrado Fontana and Nicola Arena got between the two litigants and after correcting the time recorded on PS2 at the end of the race, they snatched an excellent second position right from Albertini. debut in CIRA 2023.
The margin on Albertini had shortened, before the decision on the time trial, to a very few seconds as the Skoda driver had lifted his foot and pace towards the end, not looking for the limit on the narrow Salento roads.
A growing race for the BluThunder Racing Team rider, who also signed with his WRC three scratches on two Torre Paduli and on the last Specchia.
Therefore, in the final part of the race, the duel between Albertini and Campedelli vanished, which had been rekindled by shots of tenths already in the morning. However, the majestic and risky time on Campedelli’s “Santa Cesarea 2”, lowered by 9 seconds compared to the first lap, weakened the opponent’s verve.
Among the great absentees at the final return to Lecce, Luca Rossetti certainly deserves mention with Eleonora Mori, one of the most eagerly awaited and quoted for the victory, withdrew after a few meters of PS2 for a touch on the rear, which immediately put an end to his race on the Hyundai i20 Rally2.
Stefano Albertini, Danilo Fappani, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo
Photo by: ACI Sports
Even more hard-fought was the fight for the podium, from which the other eagerly awaited WRC in Lecce, the Citroen DS3 (prepared by Vieffecorse and with Michelin tyres) of Luca Pedersoli and Corrado Bonato, drops by 4.3 seconds.
The crew, also making their debut on the Italian asphalt, immediately followed Campedelli and Albertini but then on SS3, on the first pass on the “Santa Cesarea”, they found a stone on the roadway which caused them to puncture of the front left.
An unfortunate episode that forced him to reduce his ambitions, until he finished in fourth place 4.3” behind Albertini. Giuseppe Testa and Gino Abatecola, on the other hand, played a strategy game, also in a Czech car, who finished fifth at 42.5” from the top and on several occasions snatched important times by exploiting different tire choices compared to their rivals.
Corrado Pinzano, on the other hand, was more detached and unlucky, paired in a Citroen C3 with Mauro Turati, who suffered during most of the 95 km of special stages. In fact, the driver from Biella didn’t find the right feeling with the new car, and then lost precious seconds due to a spin on PS2 and a hit on Specchia.
Stefano Liburdi (Hyundai i20) and Riccardo Pisacane (Skoda Fabia) had difficulty keeping up with the pace of the leaders on the salty and treacherous Salento asphalt. The first, navigated by Mattia Cipriani, managed to keep the local pilot, navigated by Gianmarco Potera, behind each trial by a handful of seconds, until he finished with an advantage of around 10”.
Instead, Giuseppe Bergantino managed to bring his Skoda Fabia to the end, which during SS7 had bent an arm blocking the wheel, with notes by Andrea Colapietro; the crew paid penalties having consequently finished long at a time check, but due to a good time they had managed to keep a top5 pace. Instead, the first ten positions close, 3’26 away from the leader, by Rudy Andriolo and Manuel Menegon.
Impressive result given the difference in performance for Gianluca Saresera, first of the two-wheel drive, who in the cockpit of his Peugeot 208 conquered a remarkable 13th place overall.
The driver from Brescia, now leader with his co-driver Daniel Taufer in the classification reserved for the “all ahead”, had a challenger of exceptional value, the young Leccese Andrea Pisacane. He too staged a great rally among friendly roads, simultaneously winning the under 25 classification.
Among the Super1600 also victory for Dell’Elce-Del Sordo, while in the 5th Historical Rally of Salento Sergio Palazzolo won on Opel Kadett GSI sailed by Giuseppe Amato.
RALLY OF SALENTO ABSOLUTE RANKING
1. Campedelli-Canton (Skoda Fabia Evo) in 1:04’22.8; 2. Albertini-Fappani (Skoda Fabia Evo) at 23.4; 3. Fontana-Arena (Hyundai NG i20) at 25.5; 4. Pedersoli-Bonato (Citroen Ds3) at 27.7; 5. Testa-Abatecola (Skoda Fabia Evo) at 42.5; 6. Pinzano-Turati (Citroen C3) at 1’18.8; 7. Liburdi-Cipriani (Hyundai i20 N) at 2’42.8; 8. Pisacane-Potera (Skoda Fabia) at 2’52.3; 9. Bergantino-Colapietro (Skoda Fabia) at 2’54.9; 10. Andriolo-Menegon (Skoda Fabia Evo) at 3’26.1.
CIR ASPHALT CLASSIFICATION
1. Campedelli 34.5pt; 2. Albertini 33pt; 3. Head 17pt; 4. C. Fontana 15pt; 5. Pinzano 13.5pt; 6. Pedersoli 12pt; 7. Lipsticks 10pt; 8. Liburdi 6pt; 9. Buttons 5pt; 10. Pisacane 4.5pt;
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