21/03/2012 - The Italian Rally 2012 Championship is at the starting blocks and the stage of this first round is the classic appointment on the challenging stages of Garfagnana with Barga, small medioeval town and later on housing the poet Giovanni Pascoli, main place of the event. Despite the economic crunch, the most prestigious rally series reaches its season opener with a lot of interesting traits.

Strong of the very good collaboration in 2012, the partnership with Doctor Glass, leader in fixing and replacing windscreens, is confirmed this year too and the company will be official sponsor of the Italian Rally Championship for the second year in a row. In terms of TV promotion, the Ciocco will open the CIR TV special that RAI Sport will produce after the end of the initial run of each round of the tricolored championship and that will be broadcast on Fridays at 22.30. On Saturday, RAI Sport 2 will cover live the CIR stage closing at 18.00 (local time, GMT+2). Very rich will also be series of specials dedicated to each one of the races by the main Italian networks like RAI, Nuvolari, Odeon, Sortitalia while a thick and capillary diffusion will be granted by the major local TVs networks.

Gazzetta dello Sport will publish specials on CIR and single races on every Thursday proceeding each round while Corriere dello Sport will do the same the Thursday following each event.

Two are the most awaited protagonists of the season: Paolo Andreucci, born on the streets of Ciocco, and co-driver Anna Andreussi on the renewed Peugeot 207 S2000 belonging to the Italian branch of the French constructor, and Umberto Scandola, with co-driver Guido D'Amore, behind the wheel of a work Skoda Fabia Super 2000 livered with Skoda Italy's colors. The Lion will try to get the fifth Constructors title in a row with the 207 Super 2000 Evo 2012. The Evo 2012 is different from the 207 Super 2000 lined up in the past season as it is 20mm wider and some modifications to the chassis have also been introduced to improve brakes cooling and optimize air-fluxes near the wheels. Back to drivers, the two aforementioned conductors will be most probable contenders of the title with the Tuscan driving a Peugeot enjoying the favour of predictions and the Veronese driving for Skoda Italy trying to prove them wrong.

Behind them the pack of outsiders will be led by the fast Alessandro Perico, Peugeot 207 Super 2000, and Marco Signor, Skoda Fabia, by Rudy Michelini, Peugeot 207 Super 2000 and Matteo Gamba, on a 207 too. Private drivers on Peugeot 207 will also compete in a single-branded championship devised by the French brand. The other awaited Italian title is that of Junior drivers. Last year the title went to the very good Simone Campedelli, on a works Citroen Ds 3. The group of very good youngsters makes foresee a very interesting and tight fight. Citroen, Ford, Renault and Skoda will be in the games also with new cars. In terms of drivers, together with the 2011 champion Campedelli, Nucita, Carella, Bosca, Brunello, Tassone, Lussana, Nicoletti, Arati and the Finn Mikko Pajunen will have a go to the title. Less crowded will be the Italian Production Championship instead with Rendina on Mitsubishi and Ferrarotti on Renault figthing in the Tuscan season opener.