Targa Florio 2003
Targa Florio Preview
Today there is the first leg of the two legs based event Targa Florio 2003. This rally is a tarmac round, with several very fast tracks, where Super1600 cars could really exploit their power and lightness. Everybody expects a strong performance from Andreucci, Travaglia, Basso, Dallavilla, and other Italian experienced drivers. I will follow the event with some reports during these days and I will add also a bunch of exclusive photos from Videorace and Photocris.Event summary
Paolo Andreucci fights up to the last stage and wins the glorious Targa Florio,
one of the oldest races in the car history. The Tuscan driver, at the wheel of
the Fiat Punto by Procar and N Technology, and codriven by Anna Andreussi, after
some troubles in the first leg, when he was able to pace the other top drivers,
like Travaglia and Basso, but he suffered a puncture on the last stage and an
issue to the steering assisted system of his Punto.
In the second leg, he started in the morning with the first time, then he was
second in the second stage, just after Totò Riolo, then he won all the
stages, favoured also by Riolo's retirement, the local driver, winner of the past
edition of Targa Florio, with Peugeot 306 Maxi.
Paolo Andreucci enjoys this success after several unlucky events of the past rounds
of the Italian Rally Championship. He was penalized by two minutes for a wrong
time check at the first gravel round, Tutta Terra Toscana, whilst he had punctures
at Rally of Ciocco and Rally Millemiglia both, which didn't make him battle for
the victory.
The second position is for Giandomenico Basso, with Fiat Punto by Trico Motor
Sport, who drives carefully, but he constantly achieves great times in the first
leg, with some best stage times, and during the second leg just behind Andreucci.
Renato Travaglia, the Italian Rally 2002 champion, was unable to defend the second
position got during the first leg, although it was as important as the first position,
because that Riolo, with Peugeot 306 Maxi, cannot take any point for the Italian
championship with such car. The Cavedine's driver lost that important time just
on the sixteenth stage, where he has been overtaken by Basso, who made the maximum
attack for important points in the championship.
The Sicilian round of the championship sees the Fiat drivers even better in the drivers classification, with Basso at 55 points, and Andreucci at 46. Travaglia is however third. Fiat also goes high in the constuctors championship with 70 points, with Subaru and Mitsubishi just behind.
- Andreucci-Andreussi (Fiat Punto S1600) 2h04'05"4
- Basso-Guglielmini (Fiat Punto S1600) +17"5
- Travaglia-Zanella (Peugeot 206 S1600) +21"0
- Longhi-Fappani (Subaru Impreza) +54"7
- Cantamessa-Campolongo (Renault Clio S1600) +1'31"1
- Dallavilla-Cantoni (Fiat Punto S1600) a 1'49"4
- Rossetti-Chiarcossi (Citroen Saxo S1600) a 2'49"4
- Galli-DíAmore (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII) a 2'50"4
- Cunico-Pirollo (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII) a 3'07"2
- Bruschetta-Civiero (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII) a 3'57"2
Pictures
I thank Photocris for some exclusive shots for Puntopower.com and jwrc.com. I thank also Massimo Bettiol for his courtesy.
