38th Sanremo Historic Rally: the eternal challenge of the Italians against the rest of Europe
SANREMO (IM), Oct. 2 – Seasons pass by but the challenge remains as it always has. Italian crews committed to stemming the onslaught of foreign drivers who come to Western Liguria in the hunt for a victory that worth a season.
The 38th edition of the Sanremo Historic Rally will also live on this theme with 21 drivers from ten European countries (Hungary, Austria, Great Britain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany) to confront 46 drivers who will have the Italian flag alongside their names. If the comparison in the entry list is fairly balanced, it is not so balanced in the roll of honor since the last “foreign” victory (in this case it is proper to lock it up in brackets) dates back to 2003, when the winner was Graziano Muccioli from San Marino, ahead of German Michael Stoschek, who repeated the previous year’s success. In the past, foreign victories have been limited. The first was in edition number ten (1995) by Nies-Siems in a Lotus Elan. The great Walter Röhrl co-driven by Peter Göbel in a Porsche 911 won in 1997, Michael Stoschek with Günther Hübner in a Porsche 911 S 2.0 won in 1998, and finally the Czechoslovakian couple Jan and Eva Trajbold triumphed in 2000. None of them will be present in this edition of the Sanremo Historic Rally, which, however, sees at the start the winners of the last editions of the Ponente Ligure historic race from 2017 onward with “Lucky”-Fabrizia Pons who have won twice (2017-2019) and multiple times winner of the race Lucio Da Zanche who boasts in his palmares five overall successes starting in 2011 and ending with last year’s edition. Luigi Battistolli (who has abandoned the pseudonym Lucky for this edition)-Fabrizia Pons will be at the start in their usual Lancia Delta Integrale 16V with the number 1 on the doors. Lucio Da Zanche with Daniele De Luis will have #25 on his usual Porsche 911 RSR. Also to be followed is the race of Gianfranco Cunico, three-time overall Italian rally champion, who returns to Sanremo after 13 years (last presence in 2010 in a Peugeot 207 S2000), for the second time with a historic car and will be at the start co-driven by Gigi Pirollo, with whom he has shared a thousand special stages and will share a Porsche Carrera SC RS with the number 23 on the doors this weekend.
The Program of the 38th Sanremo Historic Rally
Wednesday October 4
Administrative checks – Grand Hotel Londra, Sanremo – time 19.00 – 22.00
Thursday October 5
Administrative checks – Grand Hotel Londra, Sanremo – time 8.00 – 20.00
Friday October 6
Scrutineering – Piazzale Adolfo Rava – time 10.00-17.00
Saturday October 7
Ceremonial start – Corso Imperatrice, Sanremo – time 11.00
SS 1 – San Bartolomeo-Bivio Calderara (7,76 km), time 12.33
SS 2 – Caravonica-San Bernardo (10,79 km), time 13.21
SS 3 – Colle d’Oggia (7,90 km), time 13.44
Regrouping – Piazza Colombo, Sanremo (30 minutes), time 14.44
Service Park, Piazzale Carlo Dapporto, Sanremo (30 minutes), time 15,24
SS 4 – San Bartolomeo-Bivio Calderara (7,76 km), time 17,07
SS 5 – Caravonica-San Bernardo (10,79 km), time17.55
Service Park, Old Railway Station Sanremo (45 minutes), time 18,55
Sunday October 8
Service Park, Old Railway Station Sanremo (15 minutes), time 9.30
SS 6 – Langan (14,62 km) time 10.48
SS 7 – Semoigo (7,36 km) time 11.51
SS 8 – Bignone (10,51 km) time 12.12
SS 9 – Coldirodi (5,46 km) time 12.37
Regrouping – Old Railway Station Sanremo (20 minutes), time 13.12
Service Park, Piazzale Carlo Dapporto, Sanremo (45 minutes), time 13.32
SS 10 – Langan (14,62 km) time 15.20
SS 11 – Bajardo (26,96 km) time 16.28
Final Arrival – Corso Imperatrice, Sanremo, time 17,35
38th Sanremo Historic Rally
Day One – 6 SS – 53,79 timed kilometers – 253,69 km total route
Day Two – 5 SS – 79,53 timed kilometers – 209,83 km total route
Total – 11 SS – 133,32 timed kilometers– 463,52 km total route
37th Sanremo Historic Rallye (Sanremo, 13-15 October 2022): Lucio Da Zanche-Daniele De Luis (Porsche 911 RS3.0), in 1.44’48”9; 2. Angelo Lombardo-Roberto Consiglio (Porsche 911 RS3.0), at 8”3; 3. Oreste Pasetto-Michela Graziato (Porsche 911 RS3.0), at 4’43”7.
