40th Sanremo Historic Rally: a prestigious platform for Italian titles
Since 1986, the Western Liguria race has been alternated with and accompanied by the Italian championship event. New this year is the start from Pian di Nava in front of Santa Tecla, the service park on Friday in Porto Sole and the return to Imperia on Saturday. Awaiting the crowning of the winners, who arrived on Saturday afternoon in Pian di Nave.
SANREMO (IM), 30 settembre – Being the last race of the Italian Historic Rally Championship has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no doubt about that. If the title has not yet been awarded, the special stages of Western Liguria race become decisive for wearing the Italian crown. ‘Sanremo, however, is a unique and prestigious stage that invites competitors to come and celebrate the title even if they have already won it previously. Sergio Maiga, president of ACI Ponente Ligure, the organising body of the City of Flowers race that will close the Italian rally season, is perfectly convinced of this. “This year, we have moved the start and finish line to Pian di Nave, and we will have the fort of Santa Tecla as a backdrop, the historic 18th-century building, Museum Centre part of the Liguria Regional Museums Department, which will host all the race headquarters, the key centres of the event, just a few steps from the sea. I am sure that the location will delight competitors and photographers alike, as has always been the case in the past when the Art Nouveau Casino building provided the backdrop“.
Competitively speaking, Sanremo still has several issues to resolve. It will certainly have to award the Italian First Group title, which will be decided in a duel between Giuliano Palmieri’s and Nello Parisi’s two Porsche 911 S cars. Numerous CIAR Class titles are still up for grabs, and it will be up to Sanremo to place the champion’s crown on the winner’s head. And let’s not forget that Sanremo is a crucial point for the Michelin Historic Trophy, of which the Ligurian race is the eighth of ten events.
To celebrate in Pian di Nave, however, competitors will have to successfully complete the eleven special stages (for a total of 123.54 timed kilometres) and cover all 458.39 kilometres that make up this 40th edition of the Sanremo Historic Rally, which is part of the Events Calendar of the Sanremo Municipal Tourism Department. ‘Unlike last year, the“historic rally” will precede the “modern” rally valid for the CIAR-Sparco Italian Championship on the special stages. The main difference compared to last year’s edition will be the start and finish line located in Pian di Nave (in front of the Fort of Santa Tecla)”, notes Sergio Maiga.
Sanremo will become the focal point of Italian rallying on Wednesday 15 October, when the Road Books will be handed out in Santa Tecla and the documents will be checked. On Thursday 16 October, competitors in the 40th Sanremo Historic Rally will be able to view part of the route. The following day, Friday 17 October, at 9:00 a.m., the historic rally will start from Pian di Nave to tackle the double pass on the special stages of Vignai (14.23 km at 9:49 a.m. and 3:40 p.m.), Ghimbegna-San Romolo (10.51 km at 10:23 a.m. and 4:14 p.m.), Coldirodi-Perinaldo (9.98 km at 12:07 pm and 18:03 pm) and Semoigo-Bajardo (7.36 km at 12:51 pm and 18:42 pm) all interspersed with a service park in Porto Sole (11.08 am and 4.59 pm) and a regrouping in Piazza Colombo at 1.51 pm, where competitors will return for the night regrouping at 7.42 pm. The first day covers a distance of 261.11 km divided into eight special stages totalling 84.16 timed kilometers.
On Saturday, 18 October, the cars will leave Piazza Colombo at 10:00 a.m. to tackle the stages in the Imperia hinterland: Carpasio-Ville San Pietro (14.72 km at 11:36 a.m.), Cesio-Caravonica (6.36 km at 12:30 p.m.) before descending to Imperia where, in Calata Anselmi, in the port of Oneglia, they will stop at 1:15 p.m. for a 50-minute regrouping and then enter the service park at Molo San Lazzaro in Imperia at 2:10 p.m. for the final technical check of the cars before the final sprint. The competitors will then head back inland for the final special stage, Aurigo-Rezzo (18.30 km at 03:24 pm), return to Sanremo for a short regrouping in Piazza Colombo (05:29 pm) and get on the finish podium in Pian di Nave at 05:46 pm. The second day of the race covers 197.28 km with three special stages totalling 39.38 timed kilometers. The route of the 40th Sanremo Historic Rally is 458.38 km, 123.54 of which are divided into eleven special stages.
Last year ‘s results
39th Sanremo Historic Rally (19-20 ottobre 2024): 1st Gianfranco Cunico-Luigi Pirollo (Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0) in 1.22’58”2; 2nd Lucio Da Zanche-Daniele De Luis (Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0) at 48”9; 3rd Eamonn Kelly-Gordon Noble (BMW M3) at 1’51”8”.
