Cividale (UD). Luca Rossetti and Matteo Chiarcossi, Abarth Grande Punto, ended on top of the charts day one of the 47th Rally of Friuli and Oriental Alps, the race organized by Scuderia Friuli in collaboration with Automobile Club of Udine, valid for the seventh round of the Italian Rally Championship. The official Abarth driver, very fast since the start, got the lead of the race at halfway through keeping advantage of the retirement of Umberto Scandola that was leading the pack until the fourth stage on his Ford Fiesta Super 2000. Once on top, Rossetti kept at bay Paolo Andreucci on Peugeot 207 Super 2000. The Tuscan driver, already crowned Italian champion ended anyway at 7''7 from the leader. The two are the most credited drivers for the final victory while the third place is currently in the hands of Alessandro Perico, Peugeot 207 Super 2000, that has a gap from the top of 48"5 seconds.
The race is still long and full of pitfalls anyway. Day two will start tomorrow at 09.15 (local time, GMT+2) from Cividale and will have the novelty of the "Canebola" stage. The other stages will be the classic "Trivio" e Tribil" to be lapped twice while the "Città di Cividale del Friuli", of 1.3 Km, only once with Italian live TV coverage from 14.30.
The finish line will be in Udine at 15.30 for historic cars and at 18.00 for the "modern" cars in the fascinating setting of Libertà square where the Italian anthem by the Fanfara of Brigata Alpina Julia will welcome the drivers. Accordingly, seven stages are still to be run for at total of 87.2Km.
The duel in the Italian Rally Junior Championship is still pretty much open with the current classification leader Andrea Nucita on Renault Clio R3C forced to recover due to some electric problems and with his main rival, Simone Campedelli on Citroen DS3 R3T ruling the day. Campedelli ended the day in fourth absolute position.
Things seem to favour Fabio Gianfico in the Italian Production Championship that is currently leading the charts followed by Vallario . The championship leader had easy life after the retirement of Maurizio Angrisani that lost a wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X.
Stages winners: Scandola , stages. 1, 2,4; Rossetti: 2,5,7; Andreucci: 6.
Classification after day one: 1. Rossetti- Chiarcossi (Abarth Grande Punto Super 2000) in 52´49.2; 2. Andreucci - Andreussi ( Peugeot 207 Super 2000) at 7"7; 3. Perico - Carrara (Peugeot 207 Super 2000) at 48"5 ; 4. Campedelli - Fappani ( Citroen DS3 R3T) at 1´58"8 ; 5. Nucita - Princiotto (Renault Clio R3C) at 2´34"2; 6. Gianfico - Tolino (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX) at 2´38"8; 7. Signor - Bernardi( Renault Clio R3C) at 2´44"7 ; 8. Bosca - Aresca ( Renault Clio R3C) at; 9. Ferraotti - Fenili ( Renault Clio R3C) at 2´54"0; 10. Ferrari - Lamonato ( Renault Clio R3C) at 3´32"0.
