(Press release from the Rallye Elba Storico press office)
Ten special stages, three race days on iconic roads. This is the XXXIV Rallye Elba Storico-Trofeo Locman Italy, scheduled from 22nd to 24th September in one of the places known all over the world: the Elba Island. Eighth round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship and seventh of the eight appointments of the Italian Championship Historic Rally. The Rallye Elba Historic in its classic location at the end of the summer will once again set on fire the Italian and the international scene proposing again the roads of the iconic Island, also including the competitions of “Regularity Sport” and “Regularity Rally”, the "Rallye Elba Graffiti".
The 2022 edition is marked by significant changes for the race, while maintaining the inspiration of tradition. And tradition is a factor that the organizer ACI Livorno Sport knows well how to keep it alive and that will certainly satisfy the competitors, professionals and even the most demanding enthusiasts.
Capoliveri will remain the location of the competition, with its headquarters always located in the exclusive context of the Hotel Elba International. The departure and arrival of the rally will be in the center of the village, while the route will unwind on three days of challenges.
The great novelty of this edition will be the Service Park located for the first time in Rio nell'Elba, an initiative strongly desired by the Municipality of Rio. Precisely for this reason the program of the two legs will be completely revolutionized compared to past editions as regards the succession of special stages. The first leg will in fact concern the western part of the island and the second one will take place on the eastern part.
The departure is scheduled on Thursday, September 22nd, at 20.00 and immediately the competitors will go to challenge each other with the fascination of darkness, along the 7,240 kilometers of the "Capoliveri" stage, which will propose the same route seen in 2020. The first leg will then continue the next day (Friday 23rd September) with the classic but revised routes: it will start with the "Monumento" (Km. 12,430) in an unprecedented version, starting from Norsi. Then there will be the "Colle Palombaia" (Km. 16,310) with a start from the junction that leads to Cavoli/Seccheto with a new first part, before entering the road of Monte Perone. The leg also includes the "Due Mari" (Km. 22,340), in its classic development towards Marciana. The arrival of the leg is scheduled for 17.05.
The final day of the competition (Saturday, September 24th) will start at 08.30 and it concerns the "Innamorata" stage (Km. 6,630). An "aperitif", given its reduced and unprecedented length in this version of the "historical" race at Elba. It will follow the classic route "Volterraio-Cavo" (Km. 26,940), the longest stage of the rally, which will see the return of a mythical road, that remained unusable for some time because of road works. For the final lap the stage will be modified only with the "Volterraio" (Km. 5,680) and with the "Bagnaia-Cavo" (Km. 18,440). The stages will be interspersed with a regroup in Rio Marina. The final arrival is scheduled in Capoliveri from 16.20.
The total timed distance will be 135,070 kilometers distributed over ten special stages, out of a total of 448,510.
As already indicated, the race "triples" its offer, with the XXXIV edition of Rallye Elba Graffiti for "Regularity Rally" and the IX Regularity Sport, for "Regularity Sport". Other validities are those for the Memory Fornaca, for A112 Abarth Trophy and for the Michelin Historic Rally Cup.
The NORTH-CENTER HRR SLAM was added this year only for "Regularity Rally", which also includes the Coppa Liburna and the Coppa Attilio Bettega.
