Just 12 kilometers were faced by the protagonists of the Italian Assoluto Rally Sparco Championship on the first day of the 47th Rally il Ciocco eValle del Serchio, a first taste of the challenges that will enliven the inaugural round of the top Italian series.
After three tests uncertain due to weather and conditions, in front of everyone are once again Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Elia Ometto, the reigning champions on FPF Sport's Citroen C3 who have started 2024 on the best foot: the one that crowned them emperors of the Ciar Sparco last season .
The driver from Varese devoured the asphalt around the "Il Ciocco" estate, imposing himself in all three scheduled special stages - "Pegnana", "Il Ciocco ACI Sport live", "Monteceneri" - and also taking home the first Italian points of the power stage.
In the Garfagnina morning Crugnola had also distinguished himself in the first qualifying stage of the season, the qualifying test useful for deciding the starting order for Saturday which had sparked Ciar Sparco's action out of nowhere;
the departure in the medieval heart of Lucca, from the Antico Caffè delle Mura, proved to be the perfect opening for a new season full of expectation.
However, the advantage gained by the Citroen standard bearer at the end of the day was not a huge advantage, in fact only 3.4", but given the declarations these performances may scare everyone a little: "I didn't do a perfect test, I could have given more".
Behind the champion is Simone Campedelli seemed energetic and concentrated on a very fast pace, navigated by Tania Canton, aboard the Skoda Fabia RS of Step Five Motorsport. The winner of two titles in the Cira, upon his return to the Assoluto, immediately demonstrated that he is an asphalt specialist, quickly finding the feeling to stand as Crugnola's main antagonist. Giandomenico Basso, on the other hand, is more cautious and, bringing the new Toyota GR Yaris to its debut dressed in the official colors of the Gazoo Racing Team, aimed, together with the expert and trusted navigator Lorenzo Granai, to discover and understand the car more than to find the time; and yet, even though these first kilometers are a study, the 4-time Italian champion and 2-time European champion had an excellent pace, placing himself in third place after the first three tests.
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