Rally Millemiglia 2003

This is my full report of the edition 2003 of Rally Millemiglia. All the pictures are at the bottom of the page:

First drivers of the starting list

27st RALLY 1000 MIGLIA - April 3/5th 2003

 N Crew                              Prio   Nat Car              Classe    Team
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 1 TRAVAGLIA RENATO ZANELLA FLAVIO   FIA A  Ita PEUGEOT 206 S 1600  A6 F.P.F. SPORT          
 2 THIRY BRUNO FORTIN JEAN-MARC      FIA B  Bel PEUGEOT 206 WRC     A8 PEUGEOT BASTOS RACING 
 3 KUZAJ LESZEK MOMBAERTS ERVIN      FIA B  Pol SUBARU IMPREZA WRC  A8 JOLLY CLUB
 4 RIBEIRO DE CAMPOS MIGUEL JORGE D  FIA B  Por PEUGEOT 206 WRC     A8 PEUGEOT TOTAL SILVER 
 5 GALLI GIANLUIGI D'AMORE GUIDO     CSAI 1 Ita MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 RALLIART ITALIA SRL   
 6 BASSO GIANDOMENICO MELEGARI ZELIN CSAI 1 Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 MOVISPORT
 7 ANDREUCCI PAOLO ANDREUSSI ANNA    CSAI 1 Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 PROCAR SRL
 8 DALLAVILLA ANDREA CANTON TANIA    CSAI 1 Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 HF GRIFONE SRL        
 9 FIORIO ALESSANDRO CANTONI ENRICO  CSAI 1 MC  SUBARU IMPREZA      N4 ERREPI RACING
10 LONGHI PIERO IMERITO MAURIZIO     CSAI 1 Ita SUBARU IMPREZA      N4 AIMONT RACING
11 CUNICO GIANFRANCO PIROLLO LUIGI   CSAI 2 Ita MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 PROGRAMMA SPORT ITALIA
12 AGHINI LOMBARDI ANDREA CERRAI MAS CSAI 1 MC  PEUGEOT 206 S 1600  A6 F.P.F. SPORT          
14 SCORCIONI ALAN DADDOVERI MASSIMO  CSAI 2 Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 PROCAR SRL
15 ROSSETTI LUCA CHARCOSSI MATTEO    CSAI 2 Ita CITROEN SAXO S 1600 A6 VIEFFECORSE SRL
16 RATIGLIA FABRIZIO CURTO EMANUELE  CSAI 2 Ita RENAULT CLIO S 1600 A6 POWER CAR TEAM
18 VASIN EUGENY SHCHUKIN ALEXEY      RUS 1  Rus PEUGEOT 206 WRC     A8 ITERA
19 OLDRATI DEVID FAPPANI DANILO      CSAI 1 Ita RENAULT CLIO S 1600 A6 MIRABELLA MILLE MIGLIA
20 CANTAMESSA LUCA CAPOLONGO PIERCA  CSAI 1 Ita RENAULT CLIO S 1600 A6 VIMOTORSPORT
21 LESNIKOV ALEXANDER RUSOV ANDREY   RUS 1  Rus RENAULT CLIO S 1600 A6 ITERA
22 CALDANI NICOLA D'ESPOSITO DARIO   CSAI 1 Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 
23 PEDERSOLI LUCA VERNUCCIO DANIELE  CSAI 2 Ita PEUGEOT 306 MAXI    A7 MIRABELLA MILLE MIGLIA
24 SOPPA EZIO GRASSI MAURO           CSAI 2 Ita LANCIA DELTA        A8 CAR RACING
25 PEREGO ANDREA VISCHIONI CLAUDIO   CSAI 2 Ita OPEL CORSA S 1600   A6 RUBICONE CORSE
26 BIZZARRI STEFANO BOSI MASSIMILIAN CSAI 2 Ita RENAULT CLIO S 1600 A6 MITOS RACING TEAM
27 BRUSCHETTA ALESSANDRO CIVIERO EDO CSAI 2 Ita MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 RALLIART ITALIA SRL   
28 CECCOLI DANIELE STEFANELLI SILVIO FAMS 2 RSM FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 SCUDERIA SAN MARINO
29 BETTEGA ALESSANDRO SCATTOLIN SIMO        Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 VIMOTORSPORT
30 CECCHETTINI LUCA TACCINI PIERO           Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 BALBOSCA
31 GAMBA MATTEO ROCCO TOMMASO               Ita FIAT PUNTO S 1600   A6 VEDOVATI CORSE
32 GALEAZZO STEFANO BUTTURINI BRUNO         Ita PEUGEOT 206 S 1600  A6 MIRABELLA MILLE MIGLIA
33 GUAGLIARDO DOMENICO GRANATA FRANCESCO    Ita MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 ACTION TEAM
34 DIONISIO ERMANNO PEROGLIO ROBERTO        Ita MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 SPORT RACING TEAM
35 VANWOENSEL CHRIS SNAET RIK               Bel MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4 DUINDISTEL
36 VOSSEN HENK FINDHAMMER JOHAN             Ned MITSUBISHI LANCER   N4

Summary of leg 1 (Friday Apr 4th 2003)

The Rally Millemiglia, third round of the CIR (Italian Rally Championship) and round of the European Rally Championship, meets really any expectation and overcomes too during the first leg.
A lot of rallying stars are enroled on the scoreboard with two battles on the field: the earlier in the Italian championship has several containders with Super1600 and production cars, with Travaglia, Andreucci, Basso, Aghini, Galli, Cunico, and Dallavilla as main actors, the latter fight sees some European rallymen engaging a fierce race to get as many possible of the points valid for the European classification. The Rally Millemiglia is a coefficient 20 event, so the winner could really jump ahead the continental classification.
The first leg started on Thursday night at Lonato's kartdrome, the shortest stage really spectacular, but really not meaningful for the leaderboard. The exception is here and Campos, the Portoguese driver at the wheel of a customer spec Peugeot 206 WRC, is inflicted with a three minutes time, which makes him reach the bottom of the classification.

Everybody needs to wait the upcoming day with the morning stages, where the asphalt is really wet and the clouds assure a lot of raining. This factor unbalances the values and make the four wheel drive cars faster than the Super1600 cars. The grip is really low and the smaller kit cars suffer the weather conditions. Campos reacts promptly the penalization and sets the best stage in SS2, with Bruno Thiry at 10.2 seconds.
Although these weather constraints, Paolo Andreucci is however capable to get successful times, just 2.7 seconds slower than Thiry, and make him reaching immediately the podium, just behind Thiry and Pedersoli, who rule the other drivers because of driving the fastest cars than the challengers.
The Italian games are however ruled by the production car drivers, with Longhi, Galli, and Cunico with really best times in the rainy Friday morning.
The stage 3 sees again Campos as faster, Thiry second, and Pedersoli third. The Racing Lions men start to be happy this morning, because Renato Travaglia, the Italian 2002 rally champion, and Andrea Aghini's Peugeot 206 Super1600 seem to pace the Fiat Punto drivers with the sixth stage time of the Cavedine's driver and just 1.1 seconds slower teammate. Travaglia is getting more feeling and his car is evolving too. Very earlier than Rally of Ciocco the unlucky episode toggles again to Andreucci, who punctures on SS4, after two great stage times in SS2 and SS3, loses more than two minutes and downgrades to the 20th overall position.
Travaglia gets the first gets the first position in the Super1600 classification, while the group N drivers preserve the top positions with times almost equalling the WRC drivers, such Thiry, Campos, and Vasin.
The fifth stage is characterized by an heavy rain, who launches the production drivers ahead the scoreboard, but Andreucci confirms his prompt willing and catches higher and higher positions in the Italian rows. The stage goes to Thiry, with Campos at 1.2 seconds, Vasin at 4.7, and Pedersoli, with Racing Lions's Peugeot 306 Maxi at 4.9. The Portoguese and the Belgian drivers swap stage times in the sixth stage, with Longhi, with Subaru Impreza STi at 11.9 seconds, and Andreucci, fourth at 20.7 seconds.
Thiry is out of game just in the following stage, when his Peugeot 206 WRC has a failure of trasmission, which excludes traction on the front axle, and makes him lose almost 14 minutes and the round with the retirement. Campos confirms to be the most performant drivers and seems to be able to fill the three minutes gap of the earlier morning. He wins also the eighth stage, with Pedersoli second far at 19.6 seconds, Vasin at 20.6,and the challenge between Travaglia and Andreucci both fourth at 22.9 seconds from Campos.
After the first leg, Pedersoli is first overall, without winning stages, but with constant pace. Longhi, the Turinese driver with Impreza Gr.N, is just at 19.3 seconds and Campos fourth at 52.3 seconds. Travaglia is first in Super1600 class and should have quiet dreams during the night with Paolo Andreucci, 13th overall at 1'38.2 seconds from him. Will the Procar based Fiat Punto driver be able to rock again the leaderboard?

Classification after leg 1

 1 Pedersoli (Peugeot 306 Maxi)     1h21'15.8"
 2 Longhi (Subaru Impreza STi)          +19.3"
 3 Vasin (Peugeot 206 WRC)              +37.2"
 4 Campos (Peugeot 206 WRC)             +52.3"
 5 Galli (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII)    +56.4"
 6 Travaglia (Peugeot 206 Super1600)  +1'04.3"
 7 Aghini (Peugeot 206 Super1600)     +1'09.5"
 8 Cunico (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII) +1'12.4"
 9 Basso (Fiat Punto)                 +1'18.2"
10 Dallavilla (Fiat Punto)            +1'23.7"
11 Caldani (Fiat Punto)               +1'49.8"
12 Cantamessa (Renault Clio)          +1'58.9"
13 Andreucci (Fiat Punto)             +2'42.5"
14 Scorcioni (Fiat Punto)             +3'02.1"

Summary of leg 2 (Saturday April 5th 2003)

The second leg of Rally of Millemiglia is even more challenging than the earlier leg. Campos, the Portoguese driver at the wheel of HF Grifone's Peugeot 206 WRC, after the retirement of Bruno Thiry in the fight for the points of the European championship, is expected to attack the leader after the first leg, Luca Pedersoli, with Racing Lions' Peugeot 306 Maxi.
The first places are completed by Russian driver Eugeny Vasin, with Peugeot 206 WRC, and Piero Longhi, with a Subaru Impreza STi group N. Longhi wins the first stage of Saturday morning, with Pedersoli at 3.3 seconds, followed by Galli, Dallavilla, and Andreucci with almost equal times. Paolo Andreucci tries to rock the general classification with a different tyres choice, but temperatures are still low and the attempt of the Tuscan driver doesn't pay the effort.
Dallavilla wins the second leg (SS11), with Longhi at only 0.8", Travaglia third at 3.5". Other Fiat drivers are Andreucci, sixth at 8.5", and Basso, just behind, at 9.6". Campos loses important seconds, but his reaction just comes in the SS12, where he wins undoubtly the stage 21.6" faster than Pedersoli, with Dallavilla at 23.1", Basso at 29.6", and Longhi at more than half minute.
After the first run of the tracks of the leg, Pedersoli still leads the scoreboard, with Longhi at 20.8", and Campos at 1'01", but growing very fast for the next stages. In the Super1600 group, Dallavilla dominates the classification, after overtaking Travaglia, while Basso is third at 1'40".
In fact Campos signs another best scratch time in SS13, Dallavilla at +10.1" thanks to the great knowledge of the local roads. In the stage the Fiat armada occupies all the best places in the Super1600 with Basso and Andreucci who sign the same stage time at 13.9" from the Portoguese driver. Andreucci is still very far from the top positions of the Super1600 category, and he suffers the setup of his car, so he experiments more than one suspensions solution.
The next stage (SS14) is fatal for Dallavilla, who retires for broken engine of his Fiat Punto, while Basso is attacking hard the topmost Super1600 position occupied by Travaglia. Andreucci goes on experimenting solutions, because the chance to get again the highest zones of the leaderboard are gone and he doesn't make better than the 7th best time of the scratch. Longhi, with Subaru Impreza, brokes part of a suspension, and loses 42.5 seconds and he compromises his overall position.
In the next stage, excluding the pair Campos and Pedersoli who are fighting clearly for the event's victory and are going on setting the best times, the Super1600 category sees Travaglia as best driver, followed by Basso at mere 0.9", Aghini at 2.2", and Andreucci at 6.5".
The second run of the stages of second leg finishes with Pedersoli still dominating in the overall classification, with Campos at 17.2", Longhi slipped out at 1'17.7", while Travaglia defends the fourth position pressed by Basso's return at 10.3", 30.4" over Aghini, 1'40" over Cantamessa, while Andreucci is very far at 1'53" from the Peugeot driver.
The third run starts with the SS16, with the best time of Campos, followed by Pedersoli at 11.2", Travaglia at 15", Andreucci at 15.1", Basso at 17". The Super1600 battle is still undergoing until the finish line. The points for the Italian championship are very important and nobody is going to leave any of them to the rest of the crews.
The change of the rally leader is at the next stage, the SS17, where Campos gets the overall topmost position by a mere 0.5 seconds over Pedersoli. The Portoguese spent the entire weekend to reach the top of the scoreboard to cancel the penalty inflicted for the trivial mistake committed on the opening stage, when he drove one lap less than the challengers and it costed a penalty of three minutes. Galli, with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7, is third at 14.7", Basso fourth at 15.2", Longhi at 24.9", Cunico at 25.7", and Andreucci at 28.3". Here Travaglia occurs in a puncture and pays more than a minute delay, namely 1'16". The episode slipped him two positions in the overall board in favour of Basso, and Aghini. Same misfact occurs also for Cantamessa, debuting with Renault Clio Super1600, who reach the finish line of the stage with 3'04" over Campos. The last stage decides almost anything for the round and for the Italian championship: Campos leads by half a second over Pedersoli, but counts on the best car, the last WRC car left in the race, while Pedersoli drives a 2.0L 2WD kit car, Longhi preserves the third overall position at 1'56.4", while Giandomenico Basso is at 2'08.7".
The driver from Cavaso sul Tomba opts for the maximum attack on the last stage: he is a 12 seconds late on Longhi, but signs a time of 15.3" faster than Longhi on the stage and gets the last place available for the podium! The race ends with the awaited victory of Campos, after the retirement of Thiry, second place for Pedersoli, third for Basso at 2'31", Longhi at 2'34", Cunico at 3'24", Travaglia at 3'25", Aghini at 3'38", with Andreucci is 8th overall at 4'57".
Alan Scorcioni, the 21-years old youngster, teammate of Andreucci at Procar, finishes 11th overall at 7'26", but wins also for the third consecutive time the Under 27 trophy in the Fiat Punto Abarth Trophy.

Final classification

POS GR CL Driver - Codriver           Car              CAT Total    Diff
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