14/06/2012 - Termini Imerese. The 96th Targa Florio, fourth round of the Italian Rally Championship and fifth race of the IRC is started. On the historic Sicilian races the contenders of the final victory such as Paolo Andreucci, six times winner of the “Targa” and current leader of the CIR, Giandomenico Basso, ready to repeat the win of Brescia and Umberto Scandola who has the right numbers to aim to the victory, will challenge each other. The pace of the Italian drivers will also be challenged by the top drivers of the IRC, starting from the championship leader from Norwey Mikkelsen, the Czech Kopecky who already knows the Italian rally world, but also the German Wiegand and the Irishman Breen.

The early pace was set by the Czech Republic lineup made by Jan Kopeki and Pavel Dresler, on Skoda Fabia S2000, during the first timed kilometers as in the 1.650 meters of the stage "Città di Palermo" they led the Norwegian of Skoda UK Andreas Mikkelsen and Ola Floene, also on Fabia. The first Italian lineup is that of Peugeot Italy, that is the reigning champions, Paolo Andreucci and Anna Andreussi on Peugeot 207 S2000.

Six more timed stages will complete leg one. The second leg and prize ceremony is set for Saturday 16 June.


Unofficial top 10 classification of stage 1: 1. Kopeccky - Dressler (Skoda Fabia S2000) in 1'39"8; 2. MIkkelsen - Floene (Skoda Fabia S2000), at 0"6; 3. Andreucci - Andreussi (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 0"7; 4. Breen-Roberts (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 1"1; 5. Gamba - Inglesi (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 2"3; 6. Basso - Dotta (Ford Fiesta S2000) at 2"8; 7. Wiedgand - Gottshalk (Skoda Fabia S2000) at 3"0; 8. Perico - Carrara (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 3"2; 9. Scandola - D'Amore (Ford Fiesta S2000) at 4"3; 10. Runfola - Lo Neri (Peugeot 207 S2000) at 5"8.

CIR classification before the Targa Florio round:

Absolute 1 .P. Andreucci (Peugeot 207 S2000) 68 points; 2.U. Scandola (Skoda Fabia S2000) 51 ;3. M. Gamba (Peugeot 207 S2000) 39; 4. G. Basso ( Ford Fiesta S2000 RRC 1,6 T) 25; 5. S. Campedelli ( Citroen DS3) 24; 6. A, Perico (Peugeot 207 S2000) 23 ; 7. Albertini ( Peugeot 207 Super 2000) 24; Sciessere ( Renault Renault Clio Super 1600) 10; 9. Signor (Skoda Fabia) 8; 10. Ivan Ferrarotti (Renault Megane RS) , Nucita (Citroen C2 R2) and Pajunen ( Renault New Twingo) 6

CIR Junior Classification: 1. S.Campedelli (Citroen DS3) 125; 2. A. Nucita (Citroen C2) 109; 3. Andolfi ( Renault New Twingo) 97; 4. Tassone (Renault New Twingo) a 95 ; 4 .; 5. Pajunen (Renault New Twingo) 83

CIR Production Classification: 1. I. Ferrarotti ( Renault Megane RS) and M. Rendina (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10) 25

CIR Constructors: ; 1. Peugeot 86; 2. Skoda 63; 3. Ford 25

The Italian Rally Championship: 22-24 March, 35th Rally del Ciocco and Valle del Serchio (LU); 19-21 April, 36th Rally 1000 Miglia (BS); 17-19 May, 19th Rally dell'Adriatico (MC); 14 - 16 June, 96th Targa Florio (PA); 28-30 June, Rally Città di Gubbio - 25th Rally San Crispino (PG); 23-26, 31st Rally Costa Smeralda (OT); 13-15 September, 32th Rally San Martino di Castrozza e Primiero (TN); 11-13 October, 54th Rallye Sanremo (IM).

Live results, pictures and all details of the race can be found on the website www.acisportitalia.it .